Herald of Death Book One: Countdown to Doomsday
by megamatt09
Summary: A war of a different kind breaks out post-Voldemort and three years later, it leaves Harry Potter the last surviving magical user in Europe. Death visits him, and informs him of his role. Starts Smallville Season Seven. Harry/Kara/Chloe/Kara(Earth-2)/Tess/Diana/Cassie/M egan/Rachel/Thara/Imra/Zatanna. Clark/Lana/Lois/Raya.
1. Chapter 1: Herald

_Reworked version of Chapter One with some changes based on some thinking I did based on some initial reviews and some of my own ideas. Just re-read it and you'll see what I changed. _

* * *

**Chapter One: Herald. **

Green eyes looked onto the charred grounds of the village of Hogsmeade. The broken and battered bodies right near his feet, as he stepped right over them.

"Did you succeed?" asked Aberforth Dumbledore, as he sat against the walls of his own pub, a large hole in his chest.

"Define success," said Harry coolly.

"Is the uprising over?" coughed Aberforth as the blood splattered out of his mouth.

"I killed them all," said Harry, as he faced Aberforth Dumbledore, with indifference.

"Then you've won," said Aberforth as he drew breath. "Do not allow my brother's dogma about how people deserve second chances taint you from beyond his grave. His second chances got many killed. Four wars in less than a century, our world is in ruin."

Harry nodded, in a solemn manner. He stepped over, as he clutched the Resurrection Stone in one hand, the Elder Wand in the other, and the Invisibility Cloak was over his back.

"Could I bring it back?" asked Harry. "I'm supposed to be the Master of Death after all. I have the Hallows."

"Well, just don't bring me back," whispered Aberforth in a stern voice. "I see the light, I'm going home. My sister is waiting for me. You can move on in life, you've always been versatile."

"Thanks Aberforth," muttered Harry as he watched the old man die.

Harry stood, the Hallows in his hand and walked forward, up towards Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It resembled the ruins that Muggles would have seen now more than ever. Harry continued to walk through the hallways of Hogwarts, no one had been here for a long time. People died, but in the end, he found himself ready to move on.

The moment Voldemort was killed; he thought a new chapter of his life began. Two years and ten months ago, they had a few moments of happiness. Then, the sins of the past war caught up and a new threat manifested itself.

Harry walked up to the Gryffindor Common Room and pushed the ripped portrait back. He sat on his old bed. The Resurrection Stone held in his hand and Harry looked at it, thoughtfully.

"I wonder," whispered Harry, as he held it and turned it around three times. "I wish to speak to…Hermione Granger."

The form of Hermione Granger appeared right in front of him, a twisted distortion of herself. A frown appeared on her face as she faced Harry.

"Harry, this better be good, pulling me out of the afterlife like that!" yelled Hermione in a frantic manner.

"Just never got to say goodbye," said Harry, as he looked at his friend with a smile.

"You don't realize the dangers do you," muttered Hermione. "How much of a danger we pose to living people, just by being here?"

"Hermione, I know you're not going to take over someone's body and rob them of their life," said Harry.

"Harry, you can't…I'm not Hermione, I'm just an echo," said Hermione, as she looked at Harry with a frown. "You risk a lot by bringing me here."

"Hermione, I got her, I got the person who killed you," said Harry.

"Harry, I'm glad, I know you would eventually," said Hermione as she looked around frantically. "I can't believe…"

"The Ministry caused it, and Umbridge, people like her," said Harry as Hermione nodded. "We never did find all of your body."

"Is there anyone left?" asked Hermione.

Harry pondered that one. "That's a good question actually, come to think about it."

"Send me back, Harry, before I get tempted to steal someone's body," said Hermione. "Being a disembodied spirit, it hurts too much, and…unless its life or death, promise me you won't recall anyone ever again."

"Hermione, I won't, but I just…" said Harry.

"The dead should stay buried, Harry," said Hermione. "The world needs you still; I don't know how I know, just send me back. Now let me go."

"Good bye, Hermione, rest in peace," muttered Harry, as he sent his best friend back to the afterlife for the final time.

Harry sat and pondered what to do next.

"I wished there could have been a third option years ago when I had the chance," the Boy-Who-Lived managed in an off handed manner.

No sooner did those words leave his mouth where the world disappeared around him. Harry reappeared in in a large dark hallway. With the wand out in his hand, Harry stepped down the hallway. He came face to face with a figure in a large black robe.

'_Dementor,' thought Harry. 'No it can't be…'_

The hood lowered. Harry turned to face a woman with long dark hair and purple eyes. She gazed upon Harry.

"Greetings Harry Potter, welcome to my realm, where I judge mortals for passage," said the woman, with a shadow of a smile. "I must say, it is high time you accepted your role."

Harry stared at the woman, confused.

"Just who are you?" demanded Harry, as he braced himself for a battle.

"Oh, I have many names," she said in amusement, clutching a scythe. "The Angel of the Afterlife, the Keeper of Souls, the Grim Reaper, but you may to refer to me as Death."

Harry blinked and looked at her. He just gave a chuckle.

"You're Death?" asked Harry, as he looked at the woman. She nodded.

"Sorry, I just can't see it," said Harry.

"Mortals never see through my disguises," said Death as she tapped the end of her scythe on the ground. "Any form I choose at any time, this is just what I intended to present myself as."

Silence filled the air, and then she added, "An attractive woman makes it much easier to bring in the elderly men, for the reasons you may have guessed."

Harry's expression remained blank, as he tried to figure out what her little game was.

"We have wasted too much time on who I am," said Death. "The subject of this interview is you Harry Potter. You are the Chosen One."

Harry looked at her and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, congratulations, you just missed the bus on that one about three years too late," said Harry, as he took a step forward. "The prophecy, Voldemort, who is dead I should note…"

"That infant Riddle was mere child's play," said Death. "He was merely phase one of my plans for you. Phase two was the three year war you had with the uprising that his actions and the actions of your foolish Ministry caused. When you were ready to accept your fate, I would come for you. Then again, for a thousand years, I waited for this moment. The entire Wizarding World never could have been saved. Much like the Mayans, the Romans, and other lost civilizations, they had their time and now it has ended."

Harry looked at her. He had a hunch this might be going in a direction that he did not like.

"It was merely one scheme until the time was right for you to unite the three keys," said Death.

"What three keys?" demanded Harry, as he took after step forward. Death stepped back and conjured a white board.

"The Cloak of Invisibility," narrated Death in a dull voice, as she showed Harry's Invisibility Cloak.

Next, a familiar stone appeared right in Harry's view.

"The Stone of Resurrection," narrated Death.

Then the stone disappeared and a wand appeared.

"The Wand of Eternity," concluded Death.

"And here I thought it was called the Elder Wand," said Harry.

"Do not correct me on the things I name," said Death as she tapped her fingers. "You have the three keys, mastered them, and combined them."

"So, the Deathly Hallows?" asked Harry.

"Yes, if that must be what you mortals have dubbed them," said Death. "Yes, for lack of a better term, you have united the Deathly Hallows."

Death remained pensive.

"These Deathly Hallows, and their role in that children's fable you once heard, are as close to the truth as mortals will ever again," said Death. "The truth of the matter is I placed the Hallows into the hands of those three brothers with a purpose. Do not think for one second that mere mortals could fool me."

She reflected on the incident. "The oldest idiot decided to brag he had the ultimate wand. As a result, his throat was slit and the wand stolen. The middle idiot tried to bring back his girlfriend. He got an echo that seduced him to the afterlife. The youngest idiot was the smartest of the three. He remained out of sight, until he was bored. Then he followed me peacefully."

A slight smile appeared on her face at the memories.

"In the end, only idiot wizards could go on some fanciful quest for some curse stick of wood for centuries," muttered the woman, as she recalled every moment of the struggles for the Wand of Eternity.

"So the wand's cursed," said Harry, as he wondered what he had been drafted into.

"Harry Potter, I would not as foolish to put such a powerful weapon up to chance," said Death. "Only the one worthy to hold it would be able to access its capabilities, once he was ready."

Harry had a bad feeling where this was going, but he took things in stride until he knew for sure.

"The Wand of Eternity is unbeatable in the hands of those worthy of holding it," said Death. "Yet, all who have held it up until you have been unworthy. Therefore, they got sent into my waiting arms one by one."

Slowly, Harry nodded.

"So, since I united all three Hallows, that makes me the Master of Death," said Harry.

"Only death can master death, Harry Potter," said Death. "It is a fundamental law of the universe."

She then added, "You are the Herald of Death. You have powers, in addition to the magic you learned in the past several years. Further explanation will come shortly."

"I'm thrilled," said Harry in a dead pan voice.

"Yes, I'm certain," said Death.

"So, this is a choice I should have made three years ago," said Harry.

"Three years ago, you may have not been ready, even if I could have trained you," said Death. "I would not have allowed you to move on. You can know that for certain."

"How can you not allow it?" asked Harry.

"Harry Potter, your purpose is far greater than your emotional attachment to those you had lost," said Death, as she moved over. She motioned for Harry to sit down, but Harry refused. "Fine, you can stand."

"I can find a way to bring them back, undo what is done," said Harry. "Time travel…"

"No, time travel past a period of twenty four hours would damage the fabric of existence," said Death. "While it is my capability to send you back to your body, you would be just an observer. Like someone viewing a program through a television set. Each decision you made would be the same way. You would be yelling at yourself to do something else, but it would fall upon deaf ears."

There was silence, as Harry looked at her with thinly veiled contempt.

"You set me up to fail," accused Harry.

"Define, failure," said Death.

"Do not use my own words against me!" yelled Harry as his temper flared up.

"Melodrama, it's too bad you cannot channel that into power, you might have already usurped me," said Death as she filed her nails, before shrugging. "I may have spent too much time as a woman."

She hummed a funeral march, as she looked at Harry, and continued. "Get it out of your system."

"I hate you," said Harry.

"That's nice, dear," replied Death in a bored voice. "So did I set you up for failure? Not really, it was written in the stars the Wizarding World was on borrowed time. The entire purpose of it was to set the stage to find my Herald and groom him for the task at hand. The Muggleborn uprising you fought was not the only conflict in Europe. Other magical governments were devastated, but none had you. So therefore, very few survivors were left."

"You just relish this, don't you?" asked Harry.

"I cannot feel attachment towards mortals," replied Death. "The Stone of Resurrection you hold be careful with relying on it. I may decide to start killing children if you pull souls out from underneath my nose too often."

"What if I don't care?" demanded Harry.

"What if you do?" retorted Death, calling his bluff. "Hermione did explain to you the consequences. You did defer enough to her when she was alive. Although, you finally managed to stand on your own two feet, but it only took her dying for you to do so."

Harry glared at her, as he took a step forward and grabbed her robes.

"I don't care, if you're Death," said Harry. "I honestly don't, because if I can't die, that means nothing you can do can hurt me."

"Death can hurt, but there are far worse fates," replied Death mistily, as she shifted out of Harry's grasp and appeared out of his reach.

"My entire life's just been one big set up for you to groom me to be some Herald of Death," said Harry. "I…"

"Be silent," said Death. "Your life may have been a lie, but life could very well be the biggest lie in existence. And magical users will soon be an endangered species with very few left."

"There were survivors," countered Harry.

"Not for long, I'm afraid," said Death. "I'm going to be blunt with you. There's no Ministry. There's no Gringotts. You did the intelligent thing and converted all of your money to Muggle currency. Wizards without a government or without a bank to call their own will have to function in the Muggle World. Given their ignorance, I will be seeing them sooner rather than later."

"A thousand years, just to put these keys in my hand," said Harry. "And how many people…"

"All of them had to die, so others may live," said Death. "Another fundamental rule of existence you shall understand the hard way."

"Did anyone else figure out who or what I was?" asked Harry.

"Yes, some might have taken a guess," replied Death. "The prophecy involving you and Riddle indicated me that it could be no one else. The timing was right and you fit everything. Others had ideas naturally, and tried to futilely impede your quest."

"Let me guess, Dumbledore and Voldemort," said Harry.

"Correct on the first, not so much on the second," said Death. "Tom Marvolo Riddle was mostly ignorant. He had one of the keys in his grasp, yet he used it as a means to cheat me. He was supposed to die years ago. Finally, I found him and now I'm making up for lost time."

Harry hazarded a guess Voldemort's afterlife might not have been the most cheerful.

"Albus Dumbledore guessed enough," added Death. "Therefore he tried to steer you into his own vision. Yet, in the end, I dealt with him. The moment he touched the stone, it set off a chain reaction that would kill him. He tried to mold you. Even after death, he refused to let go. He wanted to believe he had not been mistaken. He wanted to believe that those in your hidden world could be redeemed."

Death folded her hands over her robes. "Even after his hourglass ran down, Dumbledore believed he had you where he wanted you. His afterlife, I shall spare you the details of."

Harry wondered, but decided not to prod Death any further.

"Your mother and potentially your father knew much," said Death. "Lily Potter had much knowledge, given connections her family had. She had access to information dating back through the annals of time. Once she heard the prophecy, she understood everything. In fact, she understood her role was to die. She walked off peacefully. She did not struggle, she accepted."

Harry decided to get some information. "What did Mum know?"

"Much," replied Death in a cryptic voice. "She left a journal behind, but it had been lost the night Riddle attacked. It's not my place to tell you the contents, but yours to find her journal."

The personification of the afterlife leaned back against a wall.

"It can be opened only by those of her blood," said Death. "Yet, we should not assume that's foolproof."

"Yes, even the best charms can be compromised," replied Harry.

"Very good, you're learning," said Death.

"Could you give me a hint what it contains?" asked Harry.

"That would defeat the purpose," said Death. "The point has passed where I cannot help you. The keys will unlock your full powers."

Death gave Harry a black scroll in white writing and allowed him to read.

_Magic: You should know this one. _

_Durability: You are stronger than mere flesh, blood, and bone. Most weapons will not hurt you. If you are hit with a strong enough weapon and blow up, you will not be able to regenerate. Powerful dark magic may harm you as well. _

_Hyper Immune System: You will not be able to get sick. You are also immune to radiation. _

_Super Heightened Senses: Your sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell are more sensitive than humans. _

_Flight: You will be able to defy gravity. _

_Ability to Read Body Language: You can read your opponents movements and adapt to them. Naturally, when dealing with unpredictable or more versatile opponents, this ability can be a challenge. _

_Heighted Stamina and Reflexes: In combat and other activities, you will be able to sustain peak performance longer than most humans. _

_Power Copying: You will be able to copy the powers of seven individuals. You have six more; given you have already copied the abilities of Tom Marvolo Riddle from the Horcrux that was previously in curse scar. Therefore, you have retained Parseltongue. Use this ability with discretion. _

_Reality Warping: Reality can be distorted. However, use this with caution. The bigger the change, the bigger the backfire, as certain balances must be maintained. Wiping out world hunger may cause Nuclear Armageddon. _

_Language Interpretation: You will be able to read and understand any language, living or dead, alien or human._

Death paused as she allowed Harry to read the list.

"And that is before you merge with the three keys," said Death. "You will gain awareness when the Stone, the Cloak, and the Wand become a part of you."

"So I have this great power, but why/" asked Harry, as he stared Death down without fear.

"The reasons are many," said Death. "None of them are your concern. You may know this. As the Herald of Death, you can walk among humans. It is not your place to judge or collect, but merely your place to ensure that certain forces to do not disrupt the balance."

"And why can't you do this?" demanded Harry.

"It's within my abilities, but I need a more balanced representation," said Death. "You are an interesting paradox, Harry Potter. You have seen much death, but yet it does not burden you. On a level, you understand that things must occur for a reason. Yet, if you wish to fight, you will do what you must to ensure those closest to you shall live."

She regarded Harry.

"Dangerous forces exist, Harry Potter," she continued. "Should I remain on the mortal plane for too long, it could turn me into something far more mortal. Death cannot exist without life and life cannot exist without death. The scale must remain equal. Remove me from the equation, and what do we have?"

"Well, no one would die," said Harry.

"Do think the disaster an overcrowded world would cause," said Death. "Where people contract diseases that leave them in misery, yet they can never move on. The same exists without life, as there would be no purpose for me. I would fade like an ember into the night."

Death drew in breath, even if the gesture was rather unnecessary. "It does tire me much to keep dragging mortals to this place against their will. Rests assure that it is a fate I have resigned myself to. I limit the trips to only what is needed. I might find myself sympathizing with the plights of those I need to collect, and it just leads to trouble."

"It's done, the world I knew," said Harry.

"Yes, all will be gone by the time I send you back," said Death. "In time, you will find that it will be easiest to move on should you start somewhere fresh. Removing your memories would only delude you. The first step in accepting your new place is to learn from the lessons the past two decades of your life."

Harry remained stoic.

"Soon you will depart, my herald," said Death. "So I leave you with this advice. Do not go chasing ghosts. The world you know exists merely in your memories. The castle of Hogwarts would fade from the damage and may be demolished as an old ruin."

"Fine," said Harry.

"Second of all, the when and where is being done for many reasons," said Death. "It has been written that there is another that will become the hero that the world needs. While you may be capable of your moments of heroism, you best operate as one that remains in the shadows. This one will be a shining beacon of light in time. You can never be that shining beacon, even if you can help many in other ways. It's not your place to be that hero"

Harry looked at her. He refused to even dignify that comment with a reply.

"Observe his progress, advise him, but do not fall into the habit of fighting his battles," said Death. "It will open a Pandora's Box and all will be lost."

Harry looked at her. She expected him to sit on the sidelines, didn't she?

He just shook his head.

"Your mother's journal will explain much, but naturally what it contains cannot solve the problems of the world," said Death. "Third, agents of mine have prepared what you need for your arrival. More information will be available once you arrive. What you choose to do with the opportunity I have given you, only you can decide that."

'_And yet, she seems to be making most of the decisions,' thought Harry, as he wondered if there was any way he could kill Death. Serious injury would work too. _

He nodded stiffly and Death concluded. "Do try and live for once."

Harry opened his mouth and then shut it. The full absurdity of that statement as it came from that particular individual flummoxed him.

"There are naturally experiences you have not had, that most take for granted," said Death, cryptically. "You will be one with the three keys. The bonding will allow you to maintain your physical prime for the rest of time. Providing, you don't get killed."

"How much of a possibility is that?" asked Harry.

"Well, do not tempt fate," said Death. "If you come before me again, then someone has found a way. And then, we will have a problem."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to die," said Harry, who never, ever wanted to be anywhere near her again.

"Then step back through the door, my Herald," said Death. "I will send you to a strategic point. Much time will have passed since the moment you have left. We will hopefully not meet again."

'_A point we agree on,' thought Harry. _

Harry stepped through the gateway.

Death watched him leave. She unlocked her Herald's powers. It was time for her to return to what she did best.

* * *

An influx of past memories swirled through Harry Potter's head as he walked through the gateway and to the next step in his life.

The night he returned and defeated Voldemort was a jubilant one. Voldy had gone moldy, as a certain poltergeist put in his own elegant way.

The happy moment faded in an instant. Everything soon went to hell.

The Muggleborns left over from the war, oppressed from the past year, did not appreciate what was done for them. They united to overthrow the Ministry, with some help from a rogue faction of goblins, and do things their own way. Hermione worked to mediate things, but she was in over her head.

The rebels accused Hermione of being "safe and protected" and dubbed her a traitor to her kind. They violently slaughtered the girl. It was a time before Harry found most of her body.

Sometime later, the Burrow was blown up with all of the Weasleys inside. Harry had not been present; he had to see to Hermione's burial. All indications pointed to the fact he was the intended victim.

The Ministry made a pact with the Death Eaters, thus proving once and for all that no one learned anything from Voldemort. It also justified the violent actions of the bloodthirsty Muggleborn rebels. This was after the Ministry sworn in Umbridge as Minister, after Kingsley Shacklebolt was murdered. Nobody knew who orchestrated it: The Death Eaters, the rebels, or even Umbridge and her supporters.

The remaining Death Eaters fought an army of Muggleborns in a hellish civil war that ravaged the entire Ministry and Wizarding Britain. The blood spilled would make Voldemort's reign look like a fun day at the park.

Harry rallied what few allies he had left. The three way battle took place and everyone fell one by one. Luna and Neville had been among the very last, having died to save an orphanage of young pureblood and half-blood witches and wizards. Their parents died in the war.

Sadly, they all died as well when the Death Eaters slaughtered them for being blood traitors.

In a last desperate gambit, Harry retrieved the Elder Wand (or the Wand of Eternity as he reminded himself it was properly called) and the Resurrection Stone. He united the Deathly Hallows (or three keys rather).

He defeated the embittered Muggleborns and the Death Eaters. The village of Hogsmeade burned to the ground right around him.

Harry Potter would move to whatever life would bring him, because he was a survivor.

After all, it had to be better than what he was leaving behind, this time anyway.

He hoped.

* * *

_Yes, this will be the last time you see Death._


	2. Chapter 2: Arrival

**Now Betaed.  
**

_The events of this chapter start in the closing moments of Smallville Season Six "Phantom", shifting into Smallville Season 7 Episode One, "Bizarro." _

_Harry's Herald of Death persona voice in my head, well there's a couple voices you can go for. The obvious mainstream one would be Darth Vader. Or Doctor Doom through some of his more serious incarnations would work. Also for a somewhat obscure one, the Mandarin from the recent Iron Man Armored Adventures cartoon. _

_This chapter contains some backstory that I covered in the timeline which is linked in my profile. _

_So Harry pops up right on the Season Six/Season Seven cliffhanger, the black butterfly is already flapping its wings to cause changes for later which will take me away from the security blanket of canon(for the most part) as we get further, and well I'll just direct you to your feature presentation._

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**Chapter Two: Arrival. **

Two feet touched down upon the ground. Leaves crackled beneath the feet of the dark haired twenty year old young man who stood to look across the sky. Green eyes stared forward into the distance. The young man was dressed completely in black with only a few hints of white. He wore a black t-shirt and a black jacket with white sleeves over it. His pants were of the same color and he wore black shoes. He no longer had glasses.

Harry allowed himself a moment to look around. He caught sight of his reflection in a side mirror of a truck.

The first thing he noticed he had no lightning bolt scar upon his forehead. He checked his hand and saw no scars from his nightly session with Umbridge during his fifth year. All of his other scars vanished without a trace as well.

Harry remembered the pathetic existence of Dolores Umbridge. Umbridge's attempt to kill Harry towards the end was quite laughable. The duel lasted about ten seconds. Eight of those seconds was the young wizard trying to figure out what spell to squash that horrid women with once and for all.

He allowed the Aurors to stand down, or face his wrath. Wisely, they did as they were told.

Harry recalled some of the more interesting parts of those final months, or rather the final year. The Muggleborn army thought they had the key to a better world. They listened to a young twenty eight year old Muggleborn named Rosalina Sinclair and they followed her lead.

Needless to say, that girl was a few Knuts short of a Sickle.

Harry's thoughts of Rosaline were tinged with bitter amusement. Sinclair claimed that she was the real Chosen One. She vowed she would bring the Muggleborns to their proper place in the world, and squash out half-bloods and purebloods that oppressed them.

In addition to those claims, she babbled about getting her powers from a green meteor rock she found on a trip to America. It amplified her magical abilities several times, allowing her to perform powerful magic without a wand.

One bloody battle later, Harry put the crazed witch down. He used a spell that blocked the blood flow to her heart. Essentially it was dark magic, but Harry found no other options. Her followers vowed to avenge the demise of their "savior".

Given they were going to kill Harry anyway; he figured he would not waste his time being bothered by their rage.

All roads lead to the final Battle at Hogsmeade and the less said about it the better. Astoria and Gabrielle fought bravely until the end. Those two, among the youngest of his rebels, were the last two who fought beside him. They took down several troops to weaken the Muggleborn army, but in the end they paid with their lives.

He cleared the few faded cobwebs. Mere ghosts, Harry figured he could recall them, but the longer the lingered, the more of a risk they could co-opt some living person. Recalling the dead was a rather tricky business in general after all.

He figured Death's little comment about killing children was just merely a means to get under his skin and rile him up to doing something stupid. Harry figured as long as he did not butcher reality too bad, he could likely bend a few rules.

Holding out his hand, Harry cast charms which would tell him where and when he was.

'_So I'm in Smallville,' thought Harry as the spells registered with him after mere seconds. "Let's see, that's in Kansas, which is of course in the United States, I'm pretty sure I read something about a Meteor Shower here a long time ago, but I'm drawing a blank right now. And that meddlesome bitch sent me…to the year 2007. I'll figure out why in a little bit, I'm sure. She has her reasons. Just like Dumbledore did." _

Harry performed the necessary spells to assess what kind of magical enchantments he could expect.

After about the fourth time he blundered into a trap, in what seemed like another lifetime, he made it his business to figure out what he had to deal with.

No magic, but his spells picked up something alright.

Immediately, he recognized it as levels of radiation. Given his powers, radiation did not have an effect on him. Yet, the fact that there seemed to be an alarming amount of radioactivity around the area gave him cause for alarm.

It also weighed in the back of his mind that he had to find his mother's journal. He suspected it would be like finding a needle in the Forbidden Forest.

But that could wait a while, as he because he still had to deal with the issue at hand.

The radiation levels continued to spike as Harry continued his journey uncovering this mystery. His ears picked up sounds in the distance. Said sounds were the unmistakable sounds of intense combat.

Now invisible, Harry continued to move. He reappeared near a dam. The Herald of Death shifted his eyes as he performed more scanning spells. The radiation was strong right at the Reservoir. In fact, he could feel something rather powerful lingering as well.

Harry jumped in to get a closer look when he realized there was a ship at the bottom of the lake. Another spell revealed that there were life signs within the ship.

Hand held in the air, Harry checked further, as he siphoned away the water and shifted the mysterious green rocks that lay below away from the ship. Whoever was trapped in there was supposed to be alive. A further check indicated whoever it was; said individual had been trapped in stasis for many years

Harry's ears perked up at the loud sounds of crashing and battle.

He could see in the distance two figures fighting for reasons unknown to him. The nearby dam looked to be about ready to give up the ghost and bust.

'_Wonderful,' thought Harry to himself as he mentally put together a battle plan. 'I'm not even here for fifteen bloody minutes and already I've been sucked into playing golden boy savior, again. And Death really has been in that realm too long if she thinks I'm going to be a good little boy and sit in a corner, watching."_

Harry took a calming breath and closed his eyes. Time around him slowed down to a crawl.

It was a useful spell to learn, mainly used to study a great deal in a small amount of time. Granted, the wider the area was, the bigger the strain was upon the caster.

In an area the size of a small bedroom, one minute could be stretched out to ten.

In an area the size of a small house, one minute could be stretched out to around seven.

In a large mansion house or public building, one minute could be stretched out to five.

In the outdoors, one minute could be stretched out to around two to three minutes.

There were other factors. The time manipulation factor of Harry's powers tended to be rather useless within a fight scenario. Although giving him a bit more preparation time, if he knew something was coming, never did hurt.

Harry looked at the ship and closed his eyes. He transported it and the person inside of it elsewhere, to a safe place until he could deal with this situation involving the dam.

Then he started time once again and took a deep breath to regain his composure.

'_And that's the dam breaking,' narrated Harry dully to himself as he heard the noise. "And that's the sound of rushing water. And that's the all too familiar screams of terror. Well, meet the new world, same as the old one.'_

Invisible, Harry transported himself off to the side. He arrived just in time to see two figures bust right through the dam with intense fury. The dam was destroyed as Harry remained still and calm. His eyes followed the progress of the battle for a brief instance.

Harry had a pretty good idea that this was likely one of these things he should not interfere with.

Then again, when did Harry Potter ever listen to authority figures?

He assessed the situation, his fast mind processing everything that occurred near him. He watched two very similar looking figures. One looked like a rather normal young man. The first figure had dark hair and looked to be in his early twenties. The second figure looked about the same but his face was cracked, distorted.

Almost like a twisted reflection of the first, in a broken funhouse mirror. Needless to say the second looked quite bizarre.

Harry slid over, quick as a cat. He hovered in the air and he saw the water flood, as the battle continued.

The first thing was to divert it away from civilization, but it was easier said than done with the distraction beside him.

The two figures continued their fight and Harry turned to face them, frowning as they continued to brawl into a wooded area.

He reached behind his back. With a tug, a hood pulled over his head. His clothes shifted into that of a black robe. Every single bit of his features obscured themselves, including his voice.

Without a word or action, Harry shifted right into the shadows as he moved around. The flooding water continued to present a clear danger.

A wave of his hand and Harry stalled the water. He studied the dam and repaired it with a few carefully calculated movements. With a stoic expression on his face, Harry shifted his form straight into invisibility to investigate where the two figures had disappeared too.

The sounds of combat indicated Harry was rather close to where he needed to go.

* * *

Clark Kent careened backwards. His head smashed against a large boulder. The boulder shattered from the impact.

He looked up, rather dazed. He returned to face the abomination that he could not put down.

"Hey, Clark," grunted Bizarro. "You ever wonder what would happen to all of these humans if you weren't their savior?"

The question lingered in the air like a bad stench, as the vile reflection taunted Clark.

"I know you do," said Bizarro in a smug tone. "You just never admit it."

"You don't know anything about me," said Clark, as he cracked his knuckles and moved in for the fight.

"No, Clark," said Bizarro. "I know everything about you."

Bizarro stood back as he waited for the precise moment to strike. "I didn't just borrow your DNA. I have all your memories, all your thoughts; every last twisted one of them. When I'm living your life, I won't make those same mistakes."

Clark waited for Bizarro to move upon him, but he heard footsteps.

A loud crack sent Bizarro flying backwards. The creature crashed right into a tree, splintering it.

Clark stopped and stared. In his eyes, he saw this looming figure, dressed in a black robe. He made no sounds, he showed no emotions. The robed figure slowly moved over.

"You're not about to ruin this for me," growled Bizarro as he sent a blast of heat vision at the figure. He dodged the attack. Then the mystery figure disappeared right before the creature's very eyes.

Bizarro turned around, right into an energy blast from the hand of the figure.

Clark looked at his own mirror reflection and then he looked at the newest arrival. "Thanks, um just who are you?"

"Never mind that now," said the figure in a deep and emotionless tone of voice. "Civilians may still be in trouble from you breaking the dam. "

Clark opened his mouth to protest this accusation but the robed figure extended an arm. His index figure flexed and pointed right past the trees.

"Save the people? But you can't…" said Clark but he was waved off dismissively.

Clark did as he was told. He hoped this robed individual wasn't another Phantom. He would have to cross that bridge and get some answers later.

Right now, there were people in danger, so he hastened to help.

Bizarro pulled himself up.

"Just got to take care of you and then stealing farm boy's life won't be a problem," growled Bizarro as he tried to grab a hold of this robed figure but he got smacked back a third time.

"Do not try that again, you're merely embarrassing yourself," said the robed figure dryly.

Bizarro growled and pulled himself up. The creature found himself pushed back down.

The yellow sunlight absorbed into his skin at an accelerated rate. He had to get up, find some of those glowing rocks to replenish his form.

"So, you are not human but merely a wraith looking to commit super powered identity theft," muttered the robed figure as the creature burned. "Not alive and no longer living for much longer."

"You can't do this," rasped Bizarro, but the creature found itself unable to fight as its skin continued to crack. He shifted into stone.

The robed figure waited, as the creature's skin shifted into jagged stone.

"Sending one on through," muttered the Herald of Death. The creature gave a horrific scream as a blue energy scythe appeared.

With one simple slashing motion, the creature overloaded and knew no more.

* * *

Still incognito, Harry took a few careful steps. He could hear the signs of distress and a man's heartbeat growing fainter and fainter.

Stealthily, the wizard moved in and peered down into the depths of the water below.

He saw a bald young man, trapped in a sunken police car. It was only somewhat submerged from when the dam broke. His hands were handcuffed and escape seemed rather unlikely without assistance.

Harry held out a hand, calmly and assessed the situation. He surmised that it was likely this young man would likely live, with some kind of intervention.

The intervention came as Harry took pity on him. He had no idea who this man was or how he got here.

The police cruiser door pulled open and the water parted from around it, as Harry carefully levitated the man out of the water. He maintained invisibility as this task was accomplished.

"Not your time yet," muttered Harry but he resisted the temptation to check to be certain.

Indeed, if it was his time, likely a heart attack would follow, or some other tragic demise.

* * *

In a haze, Lex Luthor lifted his head half of an inch off of the ground. His eyes opened and shut as he slowly returned to the world of the living. The sunlight shined in his face.

The last thing he knew, he was about to slowly drown.

Yet he was here on dry land. The door from the police cruiser floated on the water, he noticed through his bleary vision.

He could have sworn he heard a voice say "not your time yet."

He saw nothing and no one.

It was almost like the shadow of death approached him to take him beyond and then reconsidered.

Lex Luthor wondered what he should do with this second chance. What happened to Lana still weighed on his mind, along with other things.

* * *

Harry stepped slowly around the corner, as he further assessed the damage that came with a consequence of the destruction of the dam.

Given he already punished one party for what happened, he wondered if he could justify going two for two.

Harry paused, as he saw corpses floating face down in the water. He knew they were dead immediately. Underground, the Herald of Death listened carefully for any signs of life. He really hoped that do-gooder actually managed to save someone up above.

A little boy could be seen and Harry closed his eyes. He disapparated to the other side of the wall and remained invisible, but still in his death robes.

Harry spotted two young women. One, a brunette, carried the limp and motionless body of a blonde woman. The blonde woman was unconscious and unresponsive.

"Help me please," muttered a young boy.

Harry shifted himself and whispered in the ear of the brunette woman.

"I'll help him, you take care of her," he said.

This caused the woman to jump with a start, but Harry barely saw her as he safely got the young boy out in the blink of an eye.

* * *

Lois Lane shuddered. Not only was she dragging her barely conscious and potentially dying cousin, Chloe Sullivan, through this half collapsed tunnel, but she was pretty sure there was something down here that she could not explain.

"Help!" yelled Lois suddenly. "Can anyone hear us?"

"Yes, right in my ear," muttered a voice humorlessly.

Lois held Chloe and looked around. She saw nothing.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"Someone who might be your only ticket out of this place," said the voice.

"Look…show yourself okay?" asked Lois in a shaky voice.

"If you insist," said the figure and a black robed figure appeared.

'_Oh my God, it's Death," thought Lois, losing her head completely. 'Which means…oh no…no, no, no, no, no!' _

"Are you quite done yet?"

"Just…it's not her time, it can't be," said Lois as she looked at this cloaked figure. "Just take me instead, alright, leave Chloe alone!"

"What are you blathering about?" asked the robed figure.

Lois looked at the figure. She could pick out no emotion from his voice. She shivered.

"Chloe, she hasn't really moved and I figured…" started Lois but a hand raised and she was silenced.

The figure bent down. Lois tried to sneak herself a peak underneath his hood. But she saw nothing underneath.

"She's alive," concluded the figure dully.

"How can you tell?" asked Lois.

The figure paused before he gave the brutally honest answer. "Because she's not dead."

Lois had any number of retorts on her tongue at this point. She decided to go for the question one.

"Look, just who are you anyway?" asked Lois.

"Follow me if you wish to live," responded the figure, as if he had not heard the response.

Lois blinked, but the robed figure turned around, with precise and calculated movements. Chloe remained motionless.

The wall from the other side cracked as the mystery man took a step back and the next thing Lois knew, he was gone.

She saw Clark standing on the other side.

"How…" managed Lois.

"Ceiling's unstable," managed Clark as he looked at Lois. "Lucky it caved in."

"Yeah but…" said Lois but the next moment she looked and saw Chloe vanished without a trace.

"What Lois?" asked Clark.

"Chloe, she was right there, and she's gone!" yelled Lois as she turned around to face Clark. "He took her…"

"Who, Lois?" asked Clark, his voice breaking.

"Big guy, in a robe, with a deep voice," managed Lois.

Clark's eyes widened for a brief second, but it was gone mostly unnoticed by Lois.

"It was Death, it has to be!" yelled Lois. "He promised me he wouldn't….he said she was…"

She could not say anything else and she tried to maintain her strong resolve. Said resolve cracked in the face of this scary situation.

* * *

Harry Potter wondered why after all this; he still cared for people when they would likely die, eventually.

Perhaps it was his stubborn resolve never to give in. Perhaps it was the fact he was determined to see the best in people, to a reasonable degree.

Or perhaps despite her best efforts, the meddlesome force that sent him here was not the ultimate authority over him after all.

'_Not my place to be the hero,' thought Harry. 'Can never reveal myself, but she's going to live regardless. So why not speed up the process a little bit, using the old healing magic? What's the worst that can happen?"_

Harry laid this Chloe woman down on the magically softened ground, gently.

He began to scan her to figure out the problem.

'_She has healing abilities of her own, apparently and she took the pain from someone else,' summarized Harry mentally. "So, yeah, this isn't going to be that hard. Just got to give her a little jump start and we'll be good to go.'_

He pulled back her shirt slightly so he could see what he was doing. His hands raised and touched her gently. He felt his natural magical talents, the healing magic he learned as he fought in the final war.

The portraits in the Headmaster's office taught him much in that three year period. Even Snape, who Harry reckoned was far more pleasant as a portrait than he ever was alive, contributed much to his expanded education.

Harry shifted to invisibility, as he saw life return to her. He would remain here until she was found.

* * *

The day started with Clark Kent fighting the Phantom who had copied his likeness and powers, named Bizarro.

Then everything spiraled right into this.

'_The same guy who helped me, Lois saw him too, and he's got Chloe, too,' thought Clark. 'I don't know about him being Death, but he's got to be a Phantom. Another one, another one slipped through the cracks.'_

Then there was what happened to Lana, the fact he still did not know what happened to Lionel Luthor, and Lex seemed to have disappeared too.

'What happened, when did this start?" asked Clark as he broke the silence.

"Oh, well this might sound insane," said Lois as she regained her composure. "I got an eight inch knife in my gut, there was blood everywhere. I dialed Chloe, then the chills, and I blacked out."

"Stabbed then?" asked Clark in an absent minded voice as he continued to search.

"A guard-right here," said Lois as she pulled up her shirt to show Clark the wound or at least where it was. "But it's gone now and there was this warm light. Then Chloe's out, unconscious, barely breathing."

"Clark, someone help!"

Clark heard the voices and moved over, when he saw Chloe Sullivan sprawled out on the grass having come too as she looked around in the haze.

"Chloe!" yelled Lois and Clark in unison.

"I'd really like to know what happened," said Chloe as she shook her head. "I almost half expected to wake up in a morgue."

"You're alive, that's…that's what really matters now," said Clark.

"So, someone saved me right?" asked Chloe as she looked at them, to prod them for asnwers.

Lois spoke first. "Um, yeah there's this guy, you wouldn't believe me if I told you…but I'm going to tell you anyway. He's dark, he wore robes, and he seemed to be drawn to death or near death."

"I got saved by the Grim Reaper?" asked Chloe in a skeptical voice as she looked at them. "I…there was someone here, I think.

"Do you remember anything?" asked Clark, as he nervously looked around. He expected to see the phantom or whatever he was.

The more answers he thought he had, the more questions he got.

"Well, I…was out of it," said Chloe as she shook her head. "Then I felt something. Someone healed me."

"So it was a miracle then?" prompted Clark.

"No, it seemed like magic," said Chloe in an off handed voice.

There was a rather substantial pause. Chloe just shrugged.

"And you're willing to scoff at my Grim Reaper theory," muttered Lois.

"Look, I think we'd all like it if there's a scientifically plausible explanation for all of this, but what else is there?" asked Chloe. "Could be another meteor freak, but something's telling me it's far more complex than that."

Clark saw the look on his friend's face. He knew she would not let this matter drop.

"Just, it's you're okay, Chloe," said Clark warmly. "Everything's going to be okay…"

"Yeah I'm fine," said Chloe in a somber voice. "Well alive anyway, but Lana wasn't so lucky."

The jubilant mood changed. Clark turned around and pondered the robed man. He had saved him from Bizarro and saved Chloe.

He wondered if his Phantom theory was completely off base.

Yet, he had to know for sure.

A flash appeared in the sky in microscopic writing only he could read.

**I have answers. I wish to speak with you. Meet me at the edge of the woods. **

"I've got to go check on something, I shouldn't take long," said Clark to Lois and Chloe. "Just stay here, you should be safe."

Clark moved off at those words.

* * *

Clark moved to the meeting spot, where he saw the robed figure floating several inches above the ground.

"I've taken steps to ensure we are not disturbed during this meeting," he said and Clark nodded. "I must say, I do not relish having to play babysitter for some do-gooder and his friends. Not to mention, I loathe having to fix messes other people cause."

"The dam, you saw what happened, I couldn't avoid it," protested Clark.

"Perhaps," he stated dully. "First, there is no need for you to worry about the wraith. I have fixed the problem. You're welcome."

"Thanks," said Clark before he realized. "That…"

"The wraith intended to take over your life," said the robed figure. "Identity theft on a grand scale, and he likely would have taken advantage of the trust your friends have in you, Clark."

Clark stood and then he nodded. He wondered how the robed figure knew his name, but he guessed he would not like the answer.

"So that means I don't have to worry about Bizarro," concluded Clark.

"Yes, do not worry about him," said the robed figure in a humorless voice. "This one was free, but if I have to ever do this again…I will be most displeased."

Clark remained silent so he asked another question. "Chloe…"

"Ah yes, your friend," said the robed figure. "I did save her, or merely sped along the process a little bit. Her powers intrigue me."

"Well, I'm sure you might interest her as well," said Clark with a smile hoping to get the mystery robed man to show any kind of emotion. The effort was lost. So he decided to get answers the direct way. "Just who are you anyway?"

"That is a question to which you will not like the answer," he replied coldly before his tone softened ever so slightly. "You did save lives today. Many more were lost, but some were spared."

"You act like this doesn't bother you," said Clark.

"Return to your friends," replied the robed figure, acting as if he was deaf to what Clark said. "Cherish them; appreciate them, for you never know when you may never get another opportunity."

Clark inclined his head. He wished he learned this lesson a long time ago.

"Oh and one more thing," said the robed figure and Clark turned to face him. "Constant Vigilance!"

Clark looked up, mouth opened, but the robed figure was gone. He vanished without any warning.

He shook his head. Clark Kent had so many questions and most of them unanswered.

* * *

In a world between worlds, or a nexus, a white building could be seen. It was only slightly larger than a house.

Harry stood as he shook his head, recalling the events of the day. His gifts from merging with the Wand of Eternity allowed him to travel between different realms and dimensions.

Granted, this power would come in handy, but Harry had to exercise caution about nothing hitching a ride on the way back.

Harry reminded himself that there was still much to do. He still had to determine how he had been "figured into" this world and there was the journal. Then, the green rocks made him wonder. Was that nutter, Sinclair, really that insane about her meteor rock story? Or did one of those rocks power her and drove her around the bend at the same time.

Those three things could wait for the time being. Right now Harry had a pressing dilemma. A chair faced the ship he rescued earlier today, as he sat on it. He had discarded the Herald of Death disguise for the time being and was back to his normal attire, face, and voice.

He had a hunch this was the best manner to face whoever was inside when they woke up.

Intently, Harry studied and scanned the ship. He knew from his initial scans that just breaking the thing open would likely get him blown straight to Kingdom Come.

Harry did not relish seeing her face to face for at least another few thousand years, at bare minimum.

He had to disable each individual part one at a time and free whoever was inside. He had to do it gently and delicately.

At least he would not be disturbed, given where he placed the ship.

Harry remained calm and collected. He learned to control his temper over the years, especially when it counted.

"Two down, three to go," whispered Harry as the ship slowly opened. "Okay, three down, two to go now."

The next step would allow him to see exactly who was inside the ship. Harry felt anxious but the matter could not be rushed.

In anticipation, Harry deactivated the fourth of the fifth components.

The ship opened and Harry stared.

He half expected to see one of those creepy and bug eyed grey aliens, straight out of the science fiction movies of the 1950s.

Instead, his eyes focused on a gorgeous blonde girl. She looked rather human but Harry sensed she was something more.

Harry studied the white fabric she wore and then the girl herself. He did know some fairly attractive girls in his day, but they paled in comparison to this vision before him.

Plus all of the "Boy-Who-Lived" baggage tended to be a barrier and his dating life was not that much. He struck out right at second base with his most long term girlfriend, for lack of a better term.

Yet, all of that was irrelevant right now. Harry had someone right in front of him that he could focus on at the moment. All echoes of his doomed past relationships with women drained out of the back of his head.

'_She's beautiful," thought Harry to himself in a dazed manner, but then the logical part of his brain slapped the hormonal part of his brain. 'Stay focused Potter; you still have one more component to disable. Stop staring at the sleeping girl like a creeper and finish your job.'_

Harry held up a hand. Without another word, the stasis mechanism shut down.

Harry let a breath out. He had succeeded.

The blonde girl stirred inside and her eyes snapped open.

Said eyes were focused directly on Harry Potter.

* * *

**To Be Continued in Herald of Death Chapter Three, "Anomaly." **

**Scenario involving Harry finding Kara was loosely based on an alternate idea that I had for the Emerald Flight series where an older version of Harry Potter (with the timeline shifted), was the one to receive the distress signal, instead of Superman. Obviously it has been tweaked slightly to fit what we know in this universe.  
**


	3. Chapter 3: Anomaly

**So Chapter One Has Been Revamped, So Be Sure to Read It. As for this chapter, you're getting it early. **

* * *

**Chapter Three: Anomaly. **

Kara's eyes opened as she looked around. It took seconds for the blonde woman to come to her senses.

'_W-what happened?" thought Kara, hazed, shaking her head to clear the cobwebs, as she tried to study her surroundings. 'I'm….did my ship crash?'_

The girl saw she was not alone. She focused on the young man in the room standing in front of her. Kara studied his green eyes, his messy black hair, and his impressive looking figure, only slightly obvious through Earth clothes. Then there was the presence of some kind of power within him.

'_He's…who is that?' thought Kara, as she intently studied the young man. _

"Are you alright?" he asked, as he surveyed her. Kara looked back at him, as her face contorted into slight anger.

"Just who are you?" she asked in a low voice.

"Now, don't be alarmed, please," said the young man as he took half of a step back, but remained firm otherwise. "I found your ship, at the bottom of the reservoir. You were in stasis, but I got you out."

Now, Kara was momentarily confused.

'_He's…he can't have,' thought Kara, as she tried to process what she had been told. 'Could he? I need to get out of here, figure out what happened, to see where I am.'_

The boy moved closer towards her, but Kara stepped outside her ship to face him. Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at him.

"Don't…just calm down," said the young man in a pacifying voice. "I can help you, whoever you are. Just don't do anything…"

Kara panicked and rushed right at the young man. He side stepped her with lightning fast reflexes. She decided to keep running towards the door of the lab.

The door swung open. Had the Kryptonian not been so confused, she would have noticed this fact. Yet she kept running outside, to try and find a way out.

Harry stood in the lab area, as he watched her leave.

'_Good one Potter,' thought Harry sarcastically to himself. 'That could have gone better, couldn't it?" _

Harry shook his head, as he tried to piece together what happened.

'_Well, I think I better give her a few minutes to calm herself down, because she's not going to give me answers if she's upset,' thought Harry. 'Then I'll figure out who she is. I really could have found worst things in that ship. Given I was expecting some hideous monster that was going to eat me or something.'_

Harry breathed.

'_She's a bit annoyed right now,' he thought, almost in amusement. 'And I know from experience that talking to an annoyed, or even angry person is not going to get me any information. It's not like she's going anywhere without my help, though.'_

He could have stunned her, he could have put in a full body bind, he could have used a cheering charm on her, or any number of rudimentary spells.

Yet, sometimes the world's problems could not be solved by throwing magical spells at them.

Harry sat back down on the chair, and decided he might as well do something productive with his time. He held his hand out, extending it before him.

'_So, I better figure out why the hell I'm here,' thought Harry. 'I can't believe I'm using the lifeline reading thing on myself.'_

"Just who am I?" asked Harry, before he winced at how stupid he sounded.

"**You are Harry James Potter,"** said a voice in monotone. **"The son of James and Lily Potter, deceased on October 31****st**** 1981. You are twenty years old. Your species is an anomaly, as there is no official designation for what you are."**

"Yes, thank you for telling me what I already knew," replied Harry through gritted teeth. "What happened to the survivors from my world since 2001?"

"**The remaining witches and wizards of Europe died out eventually, due to their inability to function in the regular world,"** replied the voice coldly. **"In the past six years, magic users have become an endangered species. You are one of seven individuals left on Earth with the ability to perform magic."**

"Thanks for the information," said Harry in a dry voice. "Just what was I supposed to be doing between 2001 and 2007?"

"**As far as the world knows, you were a head of a now obsolete government branch in Great Britain,"** said the voice. **"After the extinction of magical users in Europe, you searched the world to find answers, and to see if there were any other super powered individuals. You used your resources to set up the Shining Light Foundation. You wanted to help people come to terms with their powers, and see that no child should ever have to spend their life in a cupboard underneath the stairs. Many know your name, but none know your face. You are a recluse. And no one knows anything about your Boy-Who-Lived moniker."**

Harry gave a smile. He then asked the next obvious question.

"So, am I rich?" inquired Harry.

"**Independently wealthy, as long as you continue to make intelligent investments and decisions," **replied the voice dully. **"Harry Potter just moved into town in Smallville, to set up shop to investigate the rumors of the super powered individuals. Your home is a marvel, a combination of magical knowledge, Charms and Runes, and much bigger than it appears on the outside."**

The Lifeline reading gave Harry further information on his home. He smiled. At least his bothersome employer did not put him underneath a rock like he feared she might. He had resources, and he vowed to use them to achieve what he needed to do.

* * *

Lex Luthor sat in his office, deep in thought.

'_What exactly is Death?' thought Lex. "I came close to it. By all rights I should have drowned. He said it wasn't my time. Why?'_

Lex sat at his desk, hand underneath his chin, pondering. He barely had time to register what was happening around him or the seriousness of his predicament.

"Mr. Luthor, the helicopter's waiting. We should have you outside of U.S. Jurisdiction in two hours."

"If I could just have five minutes," muttered Lex, as he mulled over what might have been in his head. "Just five minutes to ask him, why me of all people? Did he give me a second chance to make things right, or a false hope?"

Lex contemplated one of life's greatest mysteries. Even the legal situation he was in paled in comparison, he had the opportunity to get answers that many would die have to die for, yet he allowed it slip through his fingers.

"Lock down the perimeter!" yelled a woman. "Secure the stairwell! The only thing that's getting out of here is the chopper. Sir, you need to hurry. You're wanted for your wife's murder."

"I saw Death," whispered Lex, as if he had not heard a word that was being said. "And I had an opportunity to ask a question of him. Yet, I was too slow to react. He was right beside me."

"Death, yes, sir, of course," said the woman patiently. "But…you know, your wife's murder. The police are going to be here. I doubt even the Grim Reaper could get you out of this."

Silence followed and then Lex spoke. "Yes…I know. I'm turning myself in."

Lex got up and walked towards the door, to face the music.

* * *

"What happened, Chloe?" asked Clark, after Lois walked off into the distance. She was still spooked by the entire robed figure.

"Someone healed me, brought me back from the grasp of death," said Chloe, as she looked around, as if hoping the person who saved her would pop out of the bushes. "Who did it? Why would they do it?"

"Lois got stabbed," said Clark. "She showed me, it didn't leave one scratch."

Chloe shrugged, as she looked out.

"If you're out there, just give me a sign," she muttered underneath her breath.

"One of Lex's guys might have done something to you," said Clark, as he snapped Chloe out of her thoughts. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Clark, I was a bit busy being unconscious," said Chloe, as she looked at her friend. "Lois thinks she saw some robed figure. If it was Death, he would have taken me right then and there. If I find out, I've got some questions for him."

"Chloe, you can tell me," said Clark.

"I don't have time for twenty questions," said Chloe, as she looked at him, intent. "I've got to get out of here, find some answers."

The set look on the woman's face indicated she would not rest until she did.

Clark tried to voice a concern. "Shouldn't you at least get checked out.."

"And get turned into some kind of lab rat?" she asked. "From one guinea pig to another, I think I'll pass."

Chloe turned and walked away. Answers were what she needed. What happened to Lana and also, who was that individual that saved her.

Those two things weighed on her mind, as she left Clark to his own devices.

* * *

Kara looked from one side to the other into an endless void. Once she exited that lab, she ran into pretty much an endless stream of nothing. She went around in circles, and looped right back to where she started.

'_There has to be some kind of exit portal around here or something,' thought Kara, frustrated and confused. 'Even my bracelet can't get me out of here, I don't understand. None of this makes any sense.'_

She frowned; as she considered the person who brought her here.

'_Does he really think he has the right to keep me as some kind of prisoner, or a treasure that he found?' thought the woman. "Granted, there are worst people…but I'm still not going to put up with this. I'm going to make him bring me back.'_

Kara turned around, and as if on cue, she saw the man who brought her to this place.

"Send me back," demanded the woman, staring him down without blinking.

"Not until you calm down," said the young man, slowly. "And you explain exactly who you are."

Kara looked at him, exasperated. Was this guy for real?

"I'm not going to tell you anything!" she cried, as she folded her arms.

"Well, that's fine," said the young man, before giving her a calculating smile. He then continued to talk. "I've got all of the time in the world, so just be stubborn. You're not going to win, by the way. I've written the book on stubbornness."

He tapped his wrist.

Kara got right in his face right at this moment. "You have to send me back!"

He shook his head and Kara moved to grab him, but he was gone. She blinked and spun around, where he stood right behind her.

"Please, calm down," said the young man, in a calm voice. He smiled at her. "I can help you, just take a deep breath and calm down."

Kara looked at him, and did as he requested.

"See that wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked, as he stood face to face with her, and maintained eye contact. "Now, I could have hurt you before, but I didn't, did I?"

She considered him once again and answered, reluctantly. "You didn't."

"I could have done any number of things to you while you were still in stasis, but I didn't," said the young man, and Kara shook her head. He stared her down and spoke in a soft voice. "I wanted to help you, you can trust me, I swear."

Once again, Kara found herself utterly baffled. A conflicting maelstrom of emotion battered her mind. All logic and everything she learned seemed to burn up in the face of this young man.

"I don't want to harm you," added the young man, as he gave her another smile. Then he spoke again. "But nothing you can do to me will leave a scratch. So you can settle down and tell me why you're here."

He paused, before he added. "Or, we can go around in circles for days or even weeks or months. But that's up to you."

She just looked at him. For some reason, she had the thought that if he wanted to, he could pry what he needed out of her mind. Yet, he gave her the opportunity to explain. He sat down on the ground. A few seconds later, Kara sat down right across from him.

The two sat, so they could maintain eye contact with each other. He gave her an encouraging smile, and waved his hand. She tried not to focus on his eyes too much, as she maintained her composure.

"My name is Kara," said the Kryptonian woman in a soft voice. "I got sent to Earth, from my planet, Krypton. The moment I got on my ship, my planet was about to die. I didn't know if I would see anyone ever again."

She took a breath, before she added. "I was sent here for a reason."

Silence followed, before the young man nodded. "I understand. My name is Harry. Come with me, I'll get you to someplace much more friendly until we can figure this out."

"Yeah, sure, I guess," muttered Kara, before she asked a question. "So, you're a human, aren't you?"

"Yes," answered Harry, before he got off the ground. Kara matched his action. "Take my hand, and I'll transport us out of here. We'll get your ship out of here, and to a secure place. I take it the last thing you want is for it to fall into the wrong hands."

Kara nodded in affirmation. Harry held out a hand, and Kara looked at.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you," said Harry.

She looked at it for another second, before she firmly grabbed his hand.

'_His hand's strong, but gentle,' she mused. _

Without another word, Harry transported them both out of the realm.

* * *

Chloe sat; eyes glazed over and filled with tears. She uncovered the proof she needed, clutched within her hands. She read the death certificate of Lana Luthor, formally Lana Lang. The damning proof was right in front of her face, yet she clung on to her denial.

On her laptop, she half watched videos of her and Lana in happier times. The other recent events diverted her away from mourning Lana's death. The mystery man who saved her, what was his role in this? Who was he?

Chloe's mind bounced back and forth between mourning the loss of her friend and the mystery of her savior. It was almost like some kind of anomaly had presented itself. Everything got scattered around.

"Chloe?" asked Clark gently as her eyes snapped up from what she was watching.

"Oh hey," muttered Chloe as she held back a sob. "Oh, it's really hard to concentrate when Lana was here one minute, and now she's just…I'm so sorry Clark."

Chloe rushed over to embrace her friend. This lasted about a minute, before she backed up and then sudden realization dawned on her.

"He spoke with you, didn't he?" muttered Chloe.

"Who?" asked Clark.

"The person who saved me," prodded Chloe, as she looked Clark right in the eye. "When you ran off, he wanted to talk to you in private."

Clark responded with a nod, and then told Chloe the conversation he had with the mystery man.

"More…questions I see," she said thoughtfully. "He knew your name. This means he was there the entire time, listening to every single word we said. He must be able to turn invisible."

'_So, if he was there, that means I had the chance to ask questions most people have to die for,' Chloe thought. "If I knew, I would have waited a while before shouting for Clark."_

"Chloe?" prompted Clark, which snapped her back out of her thoughts.

"Just thinking about something, and he's…" started Chloe before she paused. She looked at Clark. "He said this one was for free?"

"Something tells me I dodged a bullet," said Clark. "With entire Phantom mess, but I don't know, something about just seems…"

Clark Kent had no words to describe the situation.

Chloe remained thoughtful, as she looked out into the distance. She spoke after a time. "And I don't know who he is or where he is. Or what he is even. He didn't exactly leave me his e-mail address."

'_I've got to find out,' thought the woman. _

"So the phantom's been taken care of," prompted Clark. "Now what?"

"I find some answers about our mystery man," said Chloe.

Clark just frowned. "If he really is Death, I'm not sure if you can just look him up."

"I'm not sure if he is," muttered Chloe, unblinking. "I have no idea what he is. Only theories and they might be completely wrong. He's an anomaly, Clark."

She turned and shut off the videos. With that movement, she prepared to research.

She barely noticed a news story that read "Reclusive owner of the Shining Light Foundation sets up shop in Smallville". Normally such a story would have piqued her interest, but there were far more pressing matters for her to deal with.

'_Who are you?' thought Chloe, focused._

"I'm going to go talk to someone, while you're…um working," said Clark. "See if he has any answers to this."

"Okay, talk to you later," muttered Chloe, absentmindedly.

* * *

Lex remained quiet, docile in his prison cell. His lawyer, a man called Keating, held a recording device for him to listen to.

"Clark meant more to me than you ever will!" shouted Lana on the tape as the sound of hand against cheek was heard. There were more sounds. "That's the last time you'll ever touch me."

"Do you really think I could let you walk away?" asked Lex on the tape.

"What are you going to do Lex?" demanded Lana. "Kill me?"

Keating stopped the tape. "Bail may not be something we can arrange, given the evidence."

"I'm not worried about it," said Lex, as he peered into the distance. "What about the dam, and what about model 503?"

Keating paused. "Sir, the dam…repaired itself."

That caused Lex to snap out of his thoughts.

"He was busy today," muttered Lex underneath his breath.

"And we had most of the units recovered, but 503 is missing," said Keating.

"My father?" muttered Lex, as he added this to the list of the growing questions he would have for the specter that saved him.

"Still unaccounted for," added Keating. "Sir, we have to find you an albi."

Lex remained thoughtful, as he turned to stare at the wall. "Yet, I was saved for a purpose. Someone with great power took pity on me. It allowed me a chance to face my demons. Most people never get a second chance."

Once again, Lex remained silent and stoic. Burning questions swirled around his mind, and he had one chance to get many answers. Yet he choked.

* * *

In a flash, Kara and Harry appeared right on a field. The moment she touched down, Kara looked up at the sky.

'_Okay, I'm back on Earth, and back under the yellow sun,' she thought, as she looked at Harry. 'Which means, I can ditch him.'_

Without another word, Kara jumped into the sky, and flew right away from Harry.

"A-hem," coughed a voice, and Kara turned to the side.

She saw Harry flying right beside her in the sky.

"So, you can fly too?" asked Harry, nonchalantly.

She stopped and put the brakes on, numb in shock. Kara nearly spiraled down to Earth, caught completely off guard by the fact that some Earth boy could fly.

He held a hand out and Kara decelerated, which allowed her to land firmly on her feet, back on solid ground.

"So, are you ready to work with me now?" asked Harry, as he looked at her without blinking. "Or do I have to put you back in the other realm."

She opened her mouth, but nodded. She stated in a small voice. "Yeah, I'm…sorry about that."

As she was down on the ground, her mind went a mile a minute.

'_I don't know who this Harry guy thinks he's fooling. He has to be another survivor of Krypton, but from where and how? How many more are there? Does he know anything about Kal-El? I've…I've got to come with him, see what he knows."_

Harry motioned for her to follow him into the air. The two flew towards their destination.

"Your ship is secured," said Harry, and Kara nodded in understanding. "My place is right over there."

The two touched down on the ground, as the wind blew through their hair. Kara looked at the house. It seemed perfectly normal, nothing special at all. She spotted her ship in a fenced area, secure, and intact.

"No one will be able to bother your ship," said Harry. This statement caused Kara to look at him and Harry sensed her disbelief. He then amended in a cryptic tone, "There will be consequences for anyone who tries."

'_Combination of several of the defenses around Hogwarts, Gringotts, The Ministry, and a little bit of the magic from the Marauders Map tied in for character,' thought Harry to himself, remembering the map that Sinclair's followers burned just to spite him, along with several of his other possessions. 'Tied in with a few tricks of my own.'_

"So, why are you taking me here of all places?" asked Kara.

"There's more to this house than meets the eye," said Harry. "The house you see here is merely an illusion not to freak out the locals, or to provoke the government into nosing around."

He turned his head to Kara.

"Just place your hand on the stone, Kara," encouraged Harry, as he pointed at a large stone.

Kara did as she was asked. Immediately, a blinding flash of light dazzled her heightened senses.

The house certainly did not look like that before. It was much larger, and looked like an imperial place. Kara mused it would not have looked out of place on Krypton.

She stepped over to open the doors, but the doors slid open on their own accord.

'_Okay, some Earth boy can't have technology like this,' thought Kara. 'There's no way. It's far too advanced for anything here.'_

"So, it's been a long day for me, and you've been in that ship for a long time," said Harry casually. "How about I fix us both dinner?"

The blonde woman stopped and considered this proposal. She nodded.

'_Would be a perfect opportunity to ask questions,' she thought. 'Besides, it's a free meal.'_

* * *

Clark stood facing the Martian Manhunter inside his loft.

"When you left here, you were hurt badly," said Clark. "How did you heal so fast?"

"I just had to leave Earth's atmosphere," said the Martian Manhunter, as he looked at Clark. "It appears much happened during my absence"

"I unleashed a carbon copy of myself…only without my…"

"Humanity," concluded the Martian Manhunter. "Yet, I sense you're troubled…"

Clark explained about the robed figure and the meeting he had with him, along with the fate of Bizarro.

The Martian Manhunter remained silent for several moments as he pondered the strange events. "I have no clue what this might mean. All you should know is that whoever this figure is, has fixed your error. The creature would have killed more, all in the name of his own survival. He has no humanity."

"You don't have any idea at all," said Clark, in frustration.

"Perhaps your father may know something," mused the Martian Manhunter, but he regarded Clark. "Yet, it does appear you have been visited by a force far more powerful than life itself, if I may hazard a guess."

"So it is Death," muttered Clark.

"It is a potential theory," he agreed, with a nod. "You should not burden yourself with the death of the creature. I know you have been raised to care and protect others. It is strength of yours, but it can be a burden and potentially a weakness. There are some who will take a stronger hand."

"Well that's not how I was raised," said Clark firmly, but the Martian just nodded.

* * *

Kara enjoyed the dinner Harry fixed for her. In hindsight, accepting this offer was the best decision, as this Harry knew how to cook.

"This is good," muttered Kara, as she tasted the food. She took some time to enjoy it, before she asked Harry, "How did you learn how to do this?"

"I travel a lot," said Harry, in between bites. "I had to prepare my own meals often, I didn't really trust anyone to do it right."

'_Or not try and poison me,' thought Harry as an afterthought. 'Thanks Mad-Eye, I hope you approve.'_

"So, you traveled a lot," said Kara in a casual voice, seeing this as an opening. "Did you ever go anywhere not on Earth?"

Harry looked at her, thoughtfully, before he answered in an even voice. "Can't say I have, but I haven't really been outside of Europe. This is the first time I've been to America."

"So, you've never been anywhere off world," prodded Kara. "Have you ever heard of a place called Kandor?"

"I might have, but my mind's a blank," replied Harry, as he had a shrewd suspicion where she was going with this line of questioning.

"So, you've never met anyone from Krypton?" asked Kara, not quite giving up.

"You're the first," he replied, before he gave her another smile. "And I must say, it was an interesting first impression."

She frowned at him, before she asked in a sweet voice. "Are you sure you're a human?"

"Very sure," said Harry with a dry smile. He looked at Kara, staring her right in the eye without blinking. "Kara, just come out and say it. You want to know something more about me."

"Just a little more than your name would be helpful," she said, before she added, "I'm just really confused who or what you are."

Harry took a deep breath, before he regarded the woman before him. He decided to give her an abridged version of the truth. "Fine. My name is Harry Potter. My parents died when I was one when a madman murdered them. I went to school in a castle for six years. I had friends, but they all were killed. We were part of a race of people hidden from the world. I'm last survivor. I traveled the world for six years, before I came here and found your ship."

Anyone listening could hear a pin drop. Kara's mouth opened. She studied Harry intently, to try and find any signs of deception. Yet, the look on his face was not one of someone who was lying.

'_Everyone he knew and loved is dead,' thought Kara. 'No one can be this convincing of a liar, and I just made him remember it.'_

"I'm sorry, to hear about that," muttered Kara, as she turned away for a moment to regain her composure.

"I'm over it, they're all in a better place," said Harry firmly, before he switched subjects. "So why did you come here?"

"I was sent here," said Kara in a serious voice. "To take care of my baby cousin, Kal-El, he's about three years old. I think I've been in that ship for a long time, months maybe, at least a year before you found me."

'_My spells said she'd been in that ship for years,' thought Harry, puzzled. 'Then again, even magic isn't perfect.'_

"Here's a picture of him," said Kara, as she pulled out a crystal and showed an image of a baby boy to Harry. She smiled, and then added. "Cute little thing, isn't he?"

Harry nodded slowly and carefully. He wasn't too particularly fond of children, even when he was one. He did not hate them by any means; he just wasn't too comfortable around them.

"So, do you think you can maybe help me look for him?" asked Kara awkwardly.

Harry looked at her for a moment, and decided what he needed to do. "Okay, I'll help. But I need help from you with something."

Kara's curiosity had been piqued and she wondered what Harry wanted.

"I was sent here for something important to me, a journal," said Harry, as he looked at her.

Kara scoffed, and looked at him, with a frown. "A journal?"

"Yes, it belonged to my mother," said Harry. "It was the only thing of hers that survived from where I came from."

Harry took a deep breath and looked at the woman across from him. "My mother…Lily…she died so I could live."

Kara's expression softened. She almost reached for Harry's hand, but stopped. That seemed a bit too forward. She covered up her near slip with a question. "So, what is this journal anyway?"

"That's what I'd like to know," he replied, as he began to clear up the dishes. "If I find it, it might answer some questions about why everyone in my world had to die."

The blonde woman continued to watch Harry Potter. She wondered if her initial impressions of Harry had been way off base.

"I'll help you find your cousin, and we'll do it together," said Harry, as he cleared up the plates, and moved over to clean them. "Then we'll focus on the journal after we get Kal-El."

Then, Harry turned and looked right at Kara, with a serious and focused expression "Do I have your word that you won't try and pull a runner on me again?"

"I won't run," said Kara quickly. "I know you can find me if I do."

She paused, before she added. "And something tells me you won't be so nice about it next time."

"Good instincts," said Harry approvingly, as he finished off the dishes and cleared the food away.

Kara sat at the table, allowing herself to watch Harry for a short instant. She looked around the house. "This place…I just can't believe it…"

She took a deep breath.

"I can't believe you're a human, it's beyond everything your kind should be capable of," said Kara, then she was hit with another theory. "Are you from the future?"

"Well I've time traveled before, but it was a long ago and only a few hours back," answered Harry.

Kara opened her mouth, but found herself visited by a yawn.

"It's getting quite late, you need your rest and I do too," said Harry, as he looked at Kryptonian before him. "You're free to spend the night. I'll show you to your room."

She looked from side to side. There seemed to be no bedrooms on this floor and no stairs, but given this place, it was a likely guess appearances could be deceiving.

"Second floor," muttered Harry and in a blink of an eye, they were right on the next floor.

Kara looked around at several doors across a long elegant hallway.

"You can sleep here," said Harry, as he indicated to the room by the side. Kara snuck a peak inside.

The room looked spacious with a large bed in the middle. The doors swung open. She stepped inside, to have a look around. The dressers were elegant. The carpet looked pristine, without even a blemish. The windows allowed her a view outside, towards the sky.

"If you need any clothes, just ask the dresser," added Harry.

Kara opened her mouth, but then shut it. It was obvious that she was getting no more answers, not today.

"We'll look for Kal-El first thing in the morning," said Harry, as he stood in the doorway. "I'll be in the room right across from yours. So, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Kara stood in her room, looking at Harry.

"Good night, Kara," said Harry with a warm smile. "Pleasant dreams."

"Good night, Harry," said Kara, as she turned towards the dresser, as she saw Harry leave through the mirror above it. "Thanks for everything."

The door shut right behind Harry. Kara looked at the dresser and put her crystal down on it gently.

"Blue nightgown," she muttered and sure enough the dresser drawer popped open. It was exactly her size.

She found herself amazed with the technology here. The person who brought her to this marvel was equally as interesting as well.

Kara considered the enigma that was Harry Potter, as she changed. She pulled back the covers and slid into bed. The moment her head hit the pillows, she was out like a light.

* * *

Harry stood in the hallway and turned to his room.

'_Great cosmic power, and still no idea how to properly deal with women,' he thought in amusement. "The more things change, the more they stay the same."_

X-X-X

Clark sat in his house, silent, as he listened to the radio broadcast.

"The fairy-tale marriage of Lana Lang to Lex Luthor ended in tragedy. Sources say the billionaire is the prime suspect in the explosion that cut short such a vibrant young life…"

"Clark?" asked a voice, and Clark looked up, to see Chloe standing in the doorway. He only nodded, as he listened to the broadcast.

"Police say that Lang's vehicle exploded upon ignition in what was believed to be a car bombing behind a local coffeehouse. According to wire services, a funeral date has yet to be set. Although no witnesses have come forward, Lex Luthor was apprehended near Reeves Dam. Lionel Luthor is unaccounted for. In a strange phenomenon, the damage that caused flooding of the dam appears to have repaired itself."

Chloe sighed and faced Clark. "I know you wanted to be alone, but…I thought I'd come by and see if I could get more than two words out of you."

"Thanks Chloe but I think I'll take a rain check," said Clark, but he then paused, considering something. "Anything on…"

"Not even a fingerprint or an eyelash," said Chloe. "He seems to have vanished right into the night, without a trace, as suddenly as he appeared."

Clark leaned forward, thoughts swirled in his head.

"He said to cherish my friends, because I'd never know when I'd get another opportunity," said Clark, as he looked at her.

Chloe just gave a sad smile. "Well with what's happened recently, that might be sound advice. And it almost sounds like he's speaking from experience."

"Are you trying to say that Death had loved ones?" asked Clark.

"Well, he has a past," she answered. "Whoever he is, whatever he is."

Clark nodded. He wished he knew. Perhaps that would shed some light on what the robed figure did what he did, and why he said what he said.

"When I heard about Lana, I went after Lex," muttered Clark. "And I wasn't going to leave him alive. To love, that is hard. To hate, it's all too easy, too clean."

Chloe looked at him with a nod. "This might be something you need to feel. It just proves your human, anger is natural."

"I stared at the monster I could become," said Clark. "And that robed man; he could have finished me off just as easily. I almost thought for a minute he would…"

"Kill you too," muttered Chloe. "I guess if I ever find him, we've all got questions. Getting answers out of him might be the real challenge."

Lois walked in at the moment, in a daze.

"This is the weirdest day of my life," said Lois as she sat down. "I hope I never see that Grim Reaper guy or whatever again. I won't be sleeping soundly for a while."

Chloe chuckled. She suspected that would last for about three days.

"Alright there, Smallville?" asked Lois.

"I will be eventually," muttered Clark.

'_Better appreciate them now, like he said, because they might not be here forever,' thought Clark in conflict. 'I wonder if I should just give up the charade, embrace my destiny, and stop trying to be what I'm not…a human.'_

* * *

In a courtyard in Shanghai, China, Lana Lang walked around, dressed in a blonde wig. She moved into an apartment and pulled off her wig. She plotted what she would do next.

* * *

Harry sat cross-legged in mid-air, his eyes closed and a tranquil, peaceful expression on his face. His body recharged itself as he was in this state, and it left him alert enough to what was going on in the real world.

He was glad that he learned this trick, because there was a real fear that he would be killed in his bed, like so many others had during the final war. Dumbledore's portrait taught in that trick. It was how he juggled so many responsibilities.

'_So this Kal-El, he must be the one I've been sent here for,' thought Harry, after a moment's pause. 'Finding one ankle-biter might be difficult. And I thought the journal was going to give me fits.'_

He hummed under his breath.

'_As for Kara…she's an interesting girl,' mused Harry to himself 'She has a slight attitude, but it's a defense mechanism, I think. We all wear masks after all. Daphne, you'd be glad to know that I remembered something you said. I'm sure you'd also be glad that I don't have the attention span of a lobotomized Flobberworm after all.'_

He opened his eyes, and gazed out into the night sky from his window.

'_Then again, as curious as I am about her, the feeling might be mutual,' thought Harry. 'Never a dull moment, eh, Harry. Wonder what it'd be like to have a boring life? Guess I'd never know.'_

He took a deep calming breath.

'_Well, at least you won't have to find the journal on your own,' he pondered. 'Of course, it would help if you knew what the blasted thing looked like. But, baby steps, Potter, baby steps.'_

Harry spoke out loud for the first time. "And speaking of children…"

The Herald of Death went straight to work. Locating spells only pinpointed a general area, but it would isolate where this Kal-El child was.

* * *

_To Be Continued in Chapter Four, Altercation. _


	4. Chapter 4: Altercation

**Disclaimer: I had something quirky here, but I decided not to be bothered. **

* * *

**Chapter Four: Altercation. **

Harry sat on his bed. A knock on his door pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Come in," said Harry, as he turned to face the door.

The door opened, and Kara entered. She walked towards Harry. She wore a transparent blue nightdress.

"You're awake, good," said Kara, as she surveyed Harry.

"Yes, I've been working on finding your cousin, for a while" said Harry, as he did not look up completely from his work. "Couldn't sleep I take it."

"I slept fine," said Kara, as she leaned against the dresser. A hint of a smile appeared on her face. Then, she continued to talk. "I had some nice dreams, felt refreshed, and woke up. Figured, I'd see if you were up to."

Kara glided over and, sat herself down on the bed next to Harry. Harry turned to face the blonde girl. He could not help, but notice how nicely the nightdress showcased her legs. Yet, he pulled himself out of those thoughts, to focus on the business at hand.

"Any luck with Kal-El?" asked Kara, as she leaned over, to try and figure out what he was doing.

Harry took a deep breath, to sigh and look at her. "I know he's in this place, Smallville, he hasn't left. That's a good sign. That means the government hasn't grabbed him."

There was a note of relief in Harry's voice that Kara promptly picked up on.

"Why would your government want him?" asked Kara.

Harry just looked at her, as he thought how to best explain the situation. "Don't judge humans too badly on this, but there are some people in the government, any government, who are obsessed with power. A lot of them have the best intentions, or seem to, but their obsession with protecting their country can cause those intentions to go off track."

Harry looked her right in the eye, and added in a low voice. "Governments have been trying to have weapons, just for an intimidation tactic for decades. They might never fire them, but the threat that they're there keeps their enemies on their toes. Some super powered toddler would be something many people in the government would shove their mothers down a flight of stairs for. They could create super soldiers based off of his genetic make-up, or at least try too."

"You've given this matter a lot of thought," muttered Kara.

"They're some dangerous people out there," said Harry. "The government from where I came from, if they had the chance when I was young, they might have snatched me, used me as a weapon."

It was at this point where Harry realized that being sent to the Dursleys might not have been the worst thing that could have happened to him. If the Ministry got their hooks into him early on, he'd likely be trapped in the Department of Mysteries as some object of study.

"No one should have been able to open my ship, but me," she said, to break him out of his thoughts.

"Well, I did," said Harry. "It wasn't too hard; I scanned it and disabled it, one component at a time."

Kara slid closer to Harry, so her bare leg brushed against his, as she looked him in the eyes. She spoke in a sweet voice. "Harry, I'm not fooled. You're not completely human."

She stared him down. Harry just looked back at her. "Kara, you're a smart girl. Yes, I'm not completely human."

"What are you then?" asked Kara, as she got to her feet, to try and rack her brain for an explanation. "I thought you were a Kryptonian…"

"Kara, I told you, I was part of a hidden world, right here on Earth," said Harry. "It's not technology that I have. It's magic."

Kara opened her mouth, as she blinked. Somehow, it made a lot of sense.

"Wow, that's…that…interesting," she breathed, eyes upon Harry in interest. "And you're the last one from your world."

"Yes," he answered, as Kara sat back down next to him.

Kara watched Harry as he continued to work. She had no idea what he was doing, but it seemed amazing.

"Do you know anything about green meteor rocks?" asked Harry, suddenly break the silence.

"Why do you ask?" the girl inquired.

Harry explained to her, "I found loads of them around your ship. They're emitting high levels of radiation, and it's really worrying me."

"I don't know about them," said Kara, as she frowned. She wished she could help him.

"I think they could affect you," said Harry, which caused a frown to appear on Kara's face.

"Why?" asked Kara.

Harry looked at her, before giving the direct answer. "There was a woman in my world that got a hold of one of these rocks. I thought she lost her mind at first, well she did lose her mind, but not because of this. The rock did strange things to her powers. I'm guessing they might react differently depending on the person."

Kara nodded, thinking she'd steer clear of any meteor rocks. She tapped her foot impatiently. Then she leaned over, to whisper in Harry's ear. "So, when are we going to look for Kal-El?"

"After the sun rises, because most people don't appreciate you bothering them before then," said Harry. "Of course, there's a chance your cousin might have been adopted by someone, so we're going to have to deal with that."

She gave the matter some thought. She had not considered that possibility.

"Would you like to have some breakfast before we head out?" asked Harry.

"I'd like that very much," said Kara, as she gazed at Harry. "I can't think of a better idea, thanks Harry, you're amazing!"

Kara hugged Harry from the side. She pulled away, and walked off, to leave Harry sitting on his bed.

"Women, seem to be constant from any planet," muttered Harry in amusement, after Kara had gone.

He smiled, as he recalled some of his past relationships with women.

Hermione was really just a friend, despite what everyone seemed to think. Her death taught Harry to be more self-sufficient, and not rely on people. The people he relied on might not be there to help him tomorrow. Her death allowed Harry to stop being lazy.

Parvati, well that was still one dance at the Yule Ball, but Harry decided to reflect on her. Despite, how he treated her, she seemed to take it in stride over time. They became friends as the years went on, and she was a valuable ally in the battles with Sinclair and her followers.

Cho, Harry recalled her next. That relationship they had was a disaster. Cho saw a Muggle therapist after her seventh year, which helped her gain some closure on Cedric. She did want one final meeting with Harry to clear the air. Harry caught some hell from certain people, but he agreed to meet her. It was very nice to put what happened behind them.

Cho apologized for trying to use Harry as some kind of surrogate for Cedric during Harry's fifth year. She did help him a few times, as her family chronicled some obscure and lost books on magic. Some of the magic helped him in the coming years, during the final war of the magical world.

Ginny was a complicated case. Their relationship was rocky to say the least. Harry decided he wanted to return to Hogwarts for his seventh year after Voldemort died, and Ginny suggested he should rebuild the Ministry, to use his reputation, because it was his duty. They didn't get too far in their relationship, and the last discussion they had, was Ginny accusing Harry of putting Hermione before her, even after her death. Harry did have some good times with her, but there were times where when Ginny had her bad days. When these days happened, her temper could be second to none.

Luna sort of counted, he guessed as well. They did go to Slughorn's party after all. In addition, they exchanged at least one kiss during the final war, under the demonic influence of too much firewhiskey. Yet, they agreed they were better off as friends.

Gabrielle he was pretty sure likely had some kind of infatuation with him, based on him rescuing her from the lake in the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. Only now did it occur to Harry, about six years later, why both Astoria and Gabrielle seemed to be at each other's throats when they were not fighting for their lives against Sinclair's followers.

Yet, all of them would not have worked out in the end. Harry just smiled, as he recalled the good moments.

Harry found himself rather curious about the latest girl who entered his life. Yet, there were more important things to worry about then his utterly messed up romance life.

* * *

Lois walked through the woods, with a purpose, as Clark followed her, in an attempt to keep up with her. She quickened her strides.

Clark looked at her, exasperated. "Lois, you just had a near death experience…."

"Don't say the "D" word," hissed Lois, as she looked over her shoulder. "It could summon him, and I never want to see him again."

"Right, but you should be resting," admonished Clark in a stern voice.

Lois just snapped around, and looked Clark right in the eye. "I'm going to find out what Lex is up to. You on the other hand, aren't acquired to attend, after what happened to Lana. Why don't you go help Chloe on her witch hunt for You-Know-Who or something? Keep your mind off of things."

Clark was confused, but then it clicked. He looked at Lois. "Oh, you mean the Grim R…"

"Smallville, knock it off!" yelled Lois, as her eyes shifted.

"It's dangerous out here Lois, with what might be lurking around," said Clark. "Protecting you has been a bad habit of mine. Besides, it gives me a good opportunity to say goodbye."

Lois just scoffed at him, and rolled her eyes. "You can't break up with me, Clark. We're not even a couple."

"Lois…I'm leaving Smallville…after Lana's funeral," said Clark, and Lois stopped in her tracks.

"Wow, I didn't see that coming," muttered Lois. "Where are you running away to?"

"Up North," answered Clark, as he made up his mind about what his role in life held. "There's something I need to do."

Lois opened her mouth to ask another question, but stopped and stared. Another question visited her, as she looked at the house that sat before her. "Um, Clark, was this house here yesterday?"

Clark looked at it, with a frown. "I don't think so, why?"

"Because, there's a little house, that just seemed to appear in the middle of nowhere," said Lois, as she looked at it, to survey it with a frown.

The word "Potter" had been written on the mailbox. Suddenly it struck her.

"Of course, the Shining Light guy, he moved into town!" yelled Lois, as Clark moved closer.

"Who are you talking about?" asked Clark.

"You've been out of the loop, haven't you?" asked Lois. "Harry Potter, he's the reclusive owner of the Shining Light Foundation. He's a bit out to lunch, I think. He's never in public, hasn't been photographed, and no one knows what he looks like."

"Well, he sounds like a man who likes his privacy," said Clark, who knew Lois was likely going to stick her nose where it did not belong.

"Why Smallville of all places?" demanded Lois. "The man's an eccentric nutjob! They say he's had the house moved over brick by brick from the UK."

She surveyed the house, with a critical eye. Granted, it was not a complete dump, but it looked rather unimpressive. "If you ask me, he should have brought better bricks over."

"It's not that bad looking," muttered Clark, but his eyes travelled to a fenced in area. Lois noticed him looking as well. Her eagle eyes locked right into a spaceship within the fenced area.

The sign read "No Tresspassing" Lois shrugged, as she took a step forward. The sign proceeded to shift into new writing. "This means you, Lois Lane."

Lois was flummoxed, and a voice brought her out of her thoughts, "That sign was not a suggestion."

Lois and Clark turned to see a young man facing them, with messy black hair and green eyes. He was dressed in black, with only a few bits of white.

"Who are you anyway?" asked Lois.

"My name is Harry Potter," said Harry, as he looked at her. "I'm the owner of the Shining Light Foundation, or as you so eloquently put it, I'm the eccentric nutjob."

Lois looked at him, and moved to get a closer look.

"As you will find out, I legally own everything from the front of the driveway, to the back fence," said Harry. "Which means, if I didn't invite you over, you're trespassing."

Clark took a step forward, but he found himself propelled back by the fence.

"That was just a warning shot," said Harry, as he looked at Clark, who pulled himself off the ground. "The next time you get a bit too close to my fence, it won't pull its punches."

"How are you doing that?" asked Clark, as he looked down at Harry. "I don't see any wires or…"

"Come on, take a wild guess," encouraged Harry.

Clark pondered the matter, before he gave his theory. "It's magic, isn't it?"

"And, we have a winner," said Harry, before he spotted Lois out of the corner of his eye, taking out her phone. "If you'd like, I'll be able to show you a magic trick. I can make your girlfriend disappear before your very eyes."

Lois crashed to the ground at this point. Clark looked up, to see a blonde woman standing over the top of her. With strength, she crushed Lois's cell phone within her hand. She turned, to face Clark.

"That's what happens when people touch my stuff," she stated in a dangerous voice.

She got right into his face, daring him to try and contradict her. Harry walked over, and stood beside her, to gently pull her back.

"C'mon, he's not worth it," muttered Harry.

She looked at him and nodded.

"Fine, take your girlfriend, and get out of here," she said in a harsh tone to Clark.

Harry added in a low voice. "And if I ever catch you snooping around again, I'm calling the law on you. Is that clear?"

Clark was about to answer, but at that moment, the ship, the house, and both people vanished before his very eyes.

He was left confused, and needed to revive Lois.

* * *

High above the ground, Kara and Harry flew.

"So, he's certainly here," said Kara.

"Somewhere, but there must be dozens of places where he could be," said Harry, before he looked at her. "I think we'll just make our way down town, and look for him."

Kara nodded in agreement.

"I made us both invisible, so no one can try and follow us in the air," whispered Harry.

Both flew in the sky over Smallville, in search of Kal-El.

* * *

Chloe looked up from her work at the Talon Apartment, and heard Lois and Clark arguing as they entered.

"I'm serious, you should go to the hospital," said Clark.

"Why?" demanded Lois, as she shook her head and ignored the ringing inside it. "Just because I got hexed by some magic man, if that's what he is. If I turn into a toad by the evening, I'll consider heading over. Right now, I'm fine."

Chloe decided to ask the obvious question. "What happened to you guys?"

"I got attacked by the new guy in town," said Lois, as she shook her head. "Guy's so quick, I didn't see it coming. He says he's some kind of wizard or something, but I think that's a load of malarkey. I mean, who could believe something like that?"

Chloe just smiled. Given what she saw in the past, there was very little she was prepared not to believe.

"He's a recluse," said Clark. "He likes his privacy, and we were on his property."

"Yeah, well what about that spaceship?" asked Lois. "Or that fancy technology that knew my name? I think the magician thing's just a front, he's really some guy from outer space."

Clark knew now that Lois did not even have a hint of the other person with this Harry Potter. "I'm sure it's just a centerpiece or something for his lawn."

"Why the security?" asked Lois.

"Well, it might be a family heirloom," suggested Chloe.

"Lois just drop it," said Clark. "You just got caught off guard by his security system, I did too, just let it go."

"State of the art security system, but quaint little home, something's fishy," said Lois, as she put a hand to her head. "I'm not going to let the matter go. Once I get out of these clothes, I'm going straight to the Inquisitor. My editor is going to flip over this one."

Lois walked off, to leave Clark and Chloe alone.

"She's imagining things," whispered Chloe.

"Not completely, muttered Clark. "There was a wizard there, but he wasn't the only one there. There was this Kryptonian girl, blonde hair and a really bad attitude. She was the one that knocked Lois out. She moved so fast, Lois never could have stopped it. But that's not the weird part…"

"You mean there was something stranger than a Kryptonian just popping up out of the blue and popping Lois?" asked Chloe.

"Yeah, she was about to come after me, but he stopped her," muttered Clark. "Said I wasn't worth it and she seemed to respect him enough to listen to him. Next thing I knew, everything was gone. The house, the ship, and both of the vanished, I couldn't see it with even my X-Ray Vision."

"Who was the guy?" asked Chloe.

Clark paused, before he stated. "Harry Potter, he's the owner of something…The Shining Light Foundation."

"I caught a glimpse of something about that, but I was trying to find out more about our robed friend," muttered Chloe, but that search turned out to be a dead end so far. "So our mysterious master of the arcane arts and our super girl just vanished without a trace."

"Yes," said Clarke, but he frowned. "I don't know how super she might be. Nearly every Kryptonian I've come across so far as turned out to be a cold blooded killer."

"Yeah," muttered Chloe. "What is it with your people? Are you the only half-way decent member of your Kryptonian race?"

Clark had no idea. "Listen can you find something on…"

He was cut off by Lois taking more painkillers than was medically recommended.

"Wow, that's a lot of painkillers for someone that's fine," mused Clark.

"Clark, I'm good to go," slurred Lois. "I just got zapped by one little spell. Sure it packed a punch, but…I'm just being careful. I got a little headache, that's all."

"You could have a concussion," suggested Clark.

Lois just looked at him, and shook her head. "If I see double when I'm typing my story, you'll be the first to know."

Chloe decided to take a firmer hand. "You know what, Lois, no, I'm sorry. But after everything we've been through together, I'm not letting you put yourself in danger. I'm taking you to the hospital."

"All right," said Lois, as her expression softened.

"Okay," said Chloe as she moved to get her keys.

"But ten minutes, then I'm gone, I don't have time to sit around all day waiting," said Lois.

"Sure, Lois," said Chloe.

'_Then I'll see what I can dig up on the mysterious Mr. Potter,' she thought._

* * *

Lex sat in his prison cell, stoic and calm. His lawyer entered with a smile on his face, which brought the man out of his thoughts.

"Well, I'm glad someone has something to smile about," mused the bald young man.

"Well, this smile means you've been cleared of all charges," said the Attorney. "You're a free man, Mr. Luthor."

"On what grounds?" asked Lex, as his attorney gave him a look of disbelief.

"They caught the killer. A disgruntled employee from one of your tunnel-construction crew claimed he got cancer from the chemicals down there."

Lex paused for a few seconds, before he nodded. "So he blew up my wife to get back at me?"

"That's what he said in his confession," said the Attorney. "Come on. Let's get you out of this cage. I'll buy you a big, juicy porterhouse."

Lex got up, but just stood there, in thought. "He didn't do it."

"Lex, they found his fingerprints at the scene," replied the attorney. "He confessed to the crime."

The man just remained firm. "I don't care what kind of evidence there is. The man did not murder my wife."

"As your attorney…"

"As my attorney, I want you to set up a meeting with this disgruntled employee," said Lex, as he looked right in the man's eye. "I want to hear it from him."

"What's your point?" asked the attorney.

Silence, before he gave the frank response. "I'm not sure Lana's dead."

'_She's out there, I'll know for sure soon,' he thought. 'Once I get closure, I'll see what I can do with that second chance, the gift I was given.'_

* * *

'_Not even one day in, and I'm already being visited by people who stick their noses where they don't belong,' thought Harry. 'Okay, Potter, don't lose it. Just got to play it cool, help Kara find this Kal-El, get him back to the house, and then keep your house hidden. Then we'll work from there.'_

"What if someone goes for my ship again?" muttered Kara.

"They won't," said Harry.

"How can you be sure?" asked Kara.

"Because the enchantments work that way," said Harry. "I've hidden the house; it took me about eight hours to get the spell work completed. It's just those two showed up right as I was done, and no one could be in the house when it was activated. Only those I allow to see it, those who are keyed in, can see it from here on out."

"If those two say anything, people might wonder," suggested Kara.

Harry paused, before he added. "Well, if they start rambling about a fact a house appeared, and then disappeared, they might come across as just a bit crazy. No one who isn't keyed in, will not be anywhere near my house."

He paused, and then added. "I keyed you in, by the way. You're the only one, other than me keyed in right now."

"You actually trust me enough," said Kara, surprised, but oddly enough pleased.

"Call it instinct, but yeah, I trust you," muttered Harry.

'_Hopefully, this is the ninety nine percent of the time my instincts are right, as opposed to the one percent of the time they are way off base. Trusting someone is not something that comes easily to me. Yet, I trust her. Is it out of necessity? I don't know, just got to roll with the punches."_

With another movement, they arrived at the first pre-school. Harry noticed there seemed to be little to no supervision, which made him shake his head. In a blink of an eye, Kara moved over, to begin to interrogate the children. He chuckled in amusement.

'_No sense of stealth,' thought Harry. _

"What's your name?" demanded Kara, as she had a child off the ground, but Harry cleared his throat.

"Kara, listen, there's a much easier way of doing this, than lifting these half-pints off the ground one by one," said Harry.

She looked at him. "And what is…"

Harry waved his hand and a loud bang echoed. It sounded like a cannon, and caused all of the children to straighten up, fearfully. Their eyes widened, as Harry turned to address them all.

"Attention, rug rats!" shouted Harry, as they stood up, straight and still. "I'm going to ask you all a couple of questions, and I want them answered, immediately!"

The children nodded, looking like bobble heads. Kara hid her amusement, as she stood in the shadows, to stay out of Harry's way.

"Are any of you children adopted?" asked Harry.

"What's adopted mean?" asked one of the children.

"It means your Mommy and Daddy, aren't your real Mommy and Daddy, stupid!" shouted another child.

"Hey, no name calling, you little crumb grabber!" snapped Harry, as the kid fell back into line. The children remained silent, as he channeled the spirit of Severus Snape for a minute. "Well?"

They all shook their heads.

"Does the name, Kal-El, hold any meaning to you?" he asked.

Once again, they shook their heads. Harry picked up no signs of deception. He sighed. "Okay, have a nice day. Look both ways before you cross the street, don't take candy from strangers, and always say please and thank you."

They nodded their heads in fear, as Harry turned to rejoin Kara, who seemed rather amused.

"I like your way better," said Kara.

"Yeah, let's move on, these children are all duds," said Harry.

Kara grabbed Harry's hand, so they became invisible once again. They moved onto the next stop of their list.

"So, about your eyes," muttered Harry. "I'm guessing you fire some kind of heat blast out of them."

"Yes…I burned your ceiling last night," said Kara in an apologetic tone. "It fixed itself, so I figured there was no harm in it."

"Well, your eyes flared up at least twice at Breakfast…so I've put a spell on you…"

"That sounds like a bad Earth pick up line of there ever was one," muttered Kara.

Harry just smiled, "Perhaps, but what I did will prevent any accidents, until you can learn to control that particular power. I don't relish putting out any forest fires."

"You seem to know a lot about Kryptonian powers," said Kara in a casual voice.

"Kara, I told you about where I came from," said Harry. "Let's, just focus on finding your cousin, and we'll worry about what we need to do next."

"Alright, next school's right around the corner."

They touched down, to interrogate more children.

* * *

Chloe worked in an absent minded manner at the Daily Planet, as she moved from the Printing Press. She looked up, to see the face of one of the last men she wanted to see at this point.

"Lex, I thought you'd be sharpening your shiv behind bars by now," remarked Chloe.

"Someone else confessed," said Lex, as he looked at the woman.

Chloe's face contorted into disgust, before she found her voice. "Once again, a Luthor snake manages to slither away from the grasp of justice. How much did you have to pay the poor guy?"

"It didn't…it was my father, before he disappeared," protested Lex. "But that's not the point…"

Chloe waved off his words. They were nothing, but empty lies as far as she was concerned. "It doesn't matter what slight of hand you pulled, it's not bringing Lana back."

"What if she isn't dead, Chloe?" asked Lex.

"Lex…" said Chloe in protest, but he cut her off.

"I felt death pull me inches away from the wreckage of a hell crafted by my own sins," whispered Lex. "I got one more chance, I just need closure."

At this point, Chloe stopped, and stared at Lex. Her mouth widened, but she shook her head to clear the thoughts.

"What if she isn't dead, Chloe?" repeated Lex.

"I heard you the first time," muttered Chloe. "You don't need to come up with any more convoluted conspiracy theories."

Lex remained quiet and then spoke so only the two of them could hear. "Before, Lana died; she stole highly classified research from me. The one person, who would know for certain, is not exactly the most accessible."

Chloe turned for a second, to hide her expression.

'_It can't be, it has to be a coincidence,' she thought._

"I simply need closure, to move on with my life," stated Lex. "Find out what Lana's plan was, tell me what you know, and I'll ask nothing else of you."

Chloe turned, and handed Lex some files. "Take this, all I know."

Lex moved off when he had the information. It was some time before Chloe even realized he left. The robed man mystery gained even more layers by the moment, and the more she knew, the less she understood.

She tried to look a bit more into the enigma that was Harry Potter, but found no references other than what was common knowledge. Clark showed up.

"Hey, are you alright?" asked Clark.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine," muttered Chloe, but her eyes widened at the latest news. "But there are two people who have been spotted, that resemble the Kryptonian girl and the wizard that turned up. They're bouncing all over the county, terrorizing children. The children were found shaking in horror."

Clark's expression darkened. "About where were they sighted?"

"They just appeared, and vanished into thin air," said Chloe, but she looked at a map, before she pointed out all of the schools. "There seems to be a method to their madness. I'm guessing this might be their next stop."

* * *

The two touched down on the ground.

"He's got to be here," said Kara.

"This is the last place," muttered Harry. "Unless…"

"His ship didn't make it," she concluded in a quiet voice.

Harry decided to add a more optimistic spin on the situation. "Or someone did adopt him. Then, we're going to have to hunt down adoption records from the last year."

"Well, that should be simple enough," she said with a shrug, but Harry grabbed her, before they went invisible.

"Not as simple as dealing with someone who has been tailing us from the last three schools," whispered Harry.

Harry's mood did not improve when he saw who it was.

'_Great, we meet again,' thought Harry. _

With a wave of his hand, he summoned Clark right towards him. The young man was caught off guard, as he landed on the ground.

"Time to find out what this guy's issue is," whispered Harry.

With a movement, both got transported into the Nexus Dimension where Harry stored Kara the previous day.

Clark dropped down to the ground, and looked up. He found himself in an endless voice, of absolutely nothing and no one around. He did see a small laboratory in the distance.

"Where am I?" he asked, as he saw the two individuals he had been tailing appear.

"First trespassing, and then stalking, you're really racking up the criminal charges today," said Harry without humor.

"I was trying to stop you two from doing something…" started Clark, but the girl stood and faced him.

"Why were you following us?" she demanded.

"I…wasn't really following you…you were terrorizing children, I had to put a stop to it," said Clark, in a firm voice.

Harry snorted. "So, you decided to be a hero. I didn't harm any of them. Shook them up a little bit maybe, but the world has far scarier things than little old me. "

"Look, um…Mr. Potter," said Clark. "You realize who you're with. She's Kryptonian and potentially she could be…"

"Yes, thank you, I knew she's Kryptonian," replied Harry, as he turned to face this young man. "How do you know it? She's under my protection, because we're looking for someone important."

"Yeah, I don't care if some do-gooder gets his pants in a knot," said the blonde, speaking up. "I'm finding my cousin. Harry, I think we should leave him here until he learns about personal space."

Clark zipped off at super speed towards the lab, but then returned. He turned to face Harry.

"There's got to be some kind of exit portal around here," he muttered.

"I'm the exit portal," said Harry.

"Then you have to send me back," said Clark, but Harry dodged his attempts to grab him. Clark went into the void at super speed, and Harry faced him.

Kara tugged on Harry's sleeve. He turned to her. "Humans…aren't supposed to move that fast. I'm wondering about this guy."

Harry took that thought into consideration, as Clark returned, but a containment field magically appeared around him.

"Okay, here's the deal, and I'm only going to explain this to you once," said Harry as he looked at the contained young man. "We're looking for a small boy, Kara's cousin. Get in our way one more time, and you'll be sorry."

Clark just looked at them. "Don't suppose you can give me a name. I might be able to help you."

"Kal-El," said Kara.

The look on Clark's face was dumbstruck. "That would be…my birth name."

"That's impossible…" started Kara in disbelief, but Harry cut her off.

"Kara, are you sure you were only down in that ship a few months?" asked Harry.

"Are you trying to say I wasn't?" she asked.

Harry sighed. "My initial scans indicated you might have been down there for years and years. I thought I buggered the math."

Kara opened her mouth, but Harry just held up a hand. "Okay, I'm going to check something, and then I'll know for sure. Kara, please stand back. Kal-El, if you are Kal-El, I'm going to release you from the containment field. You need to remain perfectly still, unless you want me to scatter your molecules throughout the entire multiverse."

The field released, and Clark stood. Harry waved his hand over, as he muttered what seemed like nonsense words. Harry calculated everything, checked the initial scans, and tried to compare the scans of this young man to the one he took of Kara.

Harry sighed when he had finished.

'_Well this complicates things,' he thought. 'All and all, I would have preferred a troublesome toddler.'_

"So, do you believe me?" asked Clark. "I was born…Kal-El."

"He's lying, he can't be Kal-El!" yelled Kara in disbelief.

"He's telling the truth, Kara," said Harry, as he sighed. "Now, we need to figure out where we need to go from here."

Kara stood there, as everything she knew was wrong. She had been down in that ship for years before Harry rescued her. Clark looked at both of them.

"It'd be a lot friendlier if we head over to my farm house," said Clark, as he looked at Harry. "No offense, but this isn't exactly the most cheerful place."

Harry looked at him.

'_Oh, you've done plenty to offend me, Kal-El," thought Harry darkly. "This can't be the one she sent me to help. I swear, this is how she gets her jollies.'_

"One moment, I'm checking to see if there's anything here that can follow us," said Harry, as he performed the necessary spell. He looked up. "Ready to go, Kara?"

She nodded. Harry grabbed her gently by the hand, and grabbed Clark forcefully by the arm, before he turned to him.

"If you're capable of visualizing skills, try and picture your house in your mind."

Clark did so, and the three disappeared.

* * *

Chloe sat, deep in research about one Harry Potter.

'_Harry Potter's a common name,' thought Chloe. 'There must be dozens of people named Harry Potter. Yet for this Harry Potter, we're looking for green eyes and dark hair. Likely in his twenties, at least that's what I figure.'_

After some careful digging, Chloe stumbled upon the closest match.

'_Harry James Potter, son of James and Lily Potter, formally Lily Evans, born July 31__st__ 1980. Parents died when he was one year old in a car accident. He was sent to live with his aunt and uncle,' read Chloe mentally. 'This is about the closest thing to a match. A couple of school photos has the green eyes, and the messy dark hair. He's changed a lot since childhood, but then again these were taken when he was ten. Guardians said he went to St. Brutus's Center for Incurably Criminal Boys when he was eleven.'_

Chloe researched that place, and pondered what she found.

'_St. Brutus's Center for Incurably Criminal Boys closed down in 1977. He must have violated the laws of time and space to serve time in a place that closed down before he was even born.'_

She continued to hunt. No dental records, no doctor's visits, not even a bad report card, or a police report was found between 1991 and 1999. Then Harry seemed to work for the British Government, but there was no information about the position he held.

'_Let's see about his parents. James Potter…no records for him other than he was Harry's father. That's….interesting. Lily Evans, let's see if we can find anything about her.'_

A frown appeared on the woman's face, as she researched. She was intrigued the more she found about this mysterious young man.

'_The second oldest daughter of Violet and Briar Evans…their daughters were Lily and Petunia…going for some kind of plant motif I see," she mused. 'There was a third daughter, Rose Evans, born 1972 and died in 1978, mostly in and out of the hospital between then. Poor kid, but…it was a long time ago. The Evans parents were killed in 1978. The room was locked from the inside. The culprit was never found. Doesn't help me, and Lily disappeared between 1971 and 1980, for her marriage…hmm six months before Harry was born, I do wonder.'_

She shrugged and decided to try out Petunia Evans next.

'_Petunia Evans, married to Vernon Dursley, they had one son named Dudley.'_

"Dudley Dursley?" asked Chloe out loud, shaking her head.

'_Okay, never mind that. Vernon was given his position in management at Grunnings Drill Company, by Briar Evans, the previous owner of the company as a wedding gift, and left him a huge sum of money as well. Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley all were murdered in 1999, by the same person. The fingerprints matched a woman named Rosalina Sinclair."  
_

Then, she prepared to find out more about this Rosalina Sinclair.

At that point, things got interesting.

* * *

Outside of Smallville, a looming figure approached the town. She wore all white. Black hair extended down past her shoulders. Her skin was gaunt, almost corpse like, with scars all over her body. Her green eyes were devoid of all life whatsoever.

She spoke to herself in an eerie voice. "I sense kindred spirits in this place. My fellows, my people, the one's I must save. As I wake, I discovered the false Chosen One that murdered my family, my children, still lives."

The woman stood, as she felt the power that drew her to this town.

"I sense he is here," she whispered. "Likely he intends to spread his lies to more, as he attempts to sway my kind away from the truth. The faux Chosen One will not be allowed to be permitted to ruin any more lives."

She turned, and remained calm. Then she made her next proclamation. "So Harry Potter, you leave all of the prestige of the world that has allowed your delusions of grandeur, to come to this Smallville. So mote be it, this humble farm town will be where I put you into the ground."

She paused and felt the power, but also clarity and knowledge.

"Yet, there are two others here, who do not belong here," she whispered, as she sensed them. "Two extra-terrestrials steal oxygen from the humble people of the world. They pose a threat, more shackles for those who have been gifted."

Rosalina Sinclair stood, as she looked into Smallville. Her gifts had brought her back to life. It took a long time for her to recover, but after seven long years, she would fulfill her destiny.

"I will save my people, this time," she whispered, as she delivered a solemn promise. "I will lead them with a promise of a brave new world. It starts in Smallville, built over the corpse of the false savior."

**To be Continued in Chapter Five "Sinclair".  
**


	5. Chapter 5: Sinclair

_I was going to hold off this chapter for a while, until I got some more written. However, given what happened last chapter, I figured I'd pop this one up here once it returned from the beta. See you when I see you for Chapter Six...whenever I feel like posting it.  
_

* * *

**Chapter Five: Sinclair.**

Kara, Clark, and Harry walked inside the Kent Farm House. The young wizard got a look around.

"So nice place you have here," said Harry, in a conversational manner. "Very quaint, very homely, seems like a good place to get a nice solid upbringing."

"Thanks," said Clark. He looked at Harry, trying to figure him out. Harry sat down at the table and Kara sat on the chair next to him. Clark took the third seat across from the both of them.

"I can't believe it, that you're my cousin," said Kara to break the silence, as she looked across at him. "Kal-El, the last time I saw you, you were this chubby little baby. You laughed when your feet were tickled. And now you're…well you know what you are."

Kara looked at what she guessed was her cousin, it had to be.

"Eighteen years, Kara was down there then," said Clark.

"Yeah," said Harry, before he switched subjects. "So, just out of the sake of curiosity, what do you know about green meteor rocks?"

"They cause me to be allergic, cause my powers to be unusable," explained Clark.

"So, they're a danger to our kind," confirmed Kara.

"Not just our kind," muttered Clark.

"No, they affect other people as well," agreed Harry, as he tapped his fingers. "Someone from where I came from…she got a hold of one of those rocks. She ended up killing hundreds of people…"

Clark looked at Harry, in alarm.

"She's gone now," said Harry dismissively. "I had to…well I had to take care of her. She converted others to her cause. She said they were her children. The thing I'm wondering is how these rocks got here in the first place?"

Clark had to field that one. "Well, when Krypton exploded…"

"Kal-El, don't be ridiculous," interrupted Kara. "Planets don't explode, it's just scientifically impossible…isn't it?"

"Just one second," whispered Harry, before he held out his hand. "Tell me the status of the planet Krypton."

"**Krypton was a planet with a highly advanced civilization, with technology centuries ahead of what was found on Earth," **narrated the lifeline reading. "**The core of Krypton was ignited and caused a chain reaction that caused the demise of the planet. Kal-El, the son of Jor-El was sent to Earth, where he was found by Jonathan and Martha Kent."**

"Who ignited the core?" asked Harry.

"**It was the Kryptonian known as Zor-El, the brother of Jor-El, and the father of Kara," **said the lifeline reading.

Kara's eyes widened, as Clark looked at her, in absolute shock.

"I didn't know my father had a brother," muttered Clark.

"They didn't speak to each other," managed Kara as she tried to reconcile what she heard. She had no memories of this. She could not believe her father would do something like this. "They…our family is what the people on Earth might call dysfunctional."

'_Sounds like the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black,' _thought Harry to himself. _'Or the Evans sisters, they'd fit that description.'_

"Zor-El…sent me to take care of you,' muttered Kara, as the implications of the true reason she was sent here struck her. "Take care…"

"A double meaning if there ever was one," said Harry darkly, as he wondered if someone had tampered with Kara's memories. If they did, it could have potentially made her unbalanced. "Kara, I want to ask your permission for something."

The Kryptonian wondered what Harry wanted from her.

"Depends on what it is," she whispered, but she looked him right in his eyes.

"I need to read your mind, to see if anyone tampered with your memories," said Harry, who hated having to do this. He never liked to read minds.

"I don't know if you can, my mind's been shielded against mental intrusion from anyone but a Kryptonian," said Kara, in disappointment. She really wanted to have her memories restored to what they should be.

"Okay, then I'm going to have to do something really drastic now," muttered Harry, drawing breath and asking her. "Can I copy your powers?"

"What?" asked Kara.

"I have a gift, where I can copy the powers of others," said Harry, as he chose his words carefully. "I can copy up to seven people's powers, and I've used one up. So…if you want me to, I can help you get your memories back."

There was a long silence.

"What do you need to do?" she asked, as Clark sat, and frowned.

"Couldn't you just copy my powers, instead?" asked Clark.

"No, I need to copy Kara's exact powers, so I can easily get into her mind," said Harry, as he gently put his fingers on either side of Kara's forehead. "This might tickle a little bit."

"Just do it, before I lose my change my mind," she muttered.

Harry closed his eyes, as he felt her powers copying into him. Granted, there were not many differences, but still it was an interesting experience.

He slumped down, and breathed heavily.

"Should I call an ambulance?" asked Clark, as he moved towards the phone.

"No, it's just draining to stop my body from rejecting the transference…Kind of like a body rejecting a new organ…I'll be back on my feet in a bit," said Harry, as Kara rushed over to get him a glass of water. She handed it to him. "Thanks."

Harry drank the water, as the girl waited impatiently.

"Okay, refreshed," said Harry, as he looked at the girl before him. "Kal-El, I'm going to have to ask you to please leave, until I'm done. Sit in the other room, please."

Clark did as he was asked, but he could hear anything from the next room anyway. Harry faced Kara.

"Ready when you are, Kara," said Harry.

"I'm ready," said Kara. "It doesn't hurt, does it?"

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle," muttered Harry, as he gently worked his way into her memories.

He saw flashes of her childhood go by. She relaxed, as the memories flowed naturally. He saw a huge blockage in her mind.

'_Gently, pull back the blocks,' _thought Harry. _'Just want a trickle, not a flood.'_

Harry worked his way further into her subconscious, as he pulled back the blocks. The memories trickled back, as he steadied her so she did not injure herself.

Harry tried to emotionally detach himself from the things he was seeing. He saw Kara's father, Zor-El, who was twisted enough to snuff out an entire planet for his own ambition, because of his fanatical devotion towards a prophecy. Kara managed to fight, and injure him. Yet, he caught her and erased his own daughter's memories. It was lucky the bastard was dead, because Harry would have helped him along that path.

When he was done, he pulled out. Kara leaned back, in shock.

"You have a crystal," whispered Harry. "Zor-El gave it to you, he said it'd have everything that you'd need for your mission."

"Yes," whispered Kara. "I thought it would be to help Kal-El."

"Help him into an early grave maybe," muttered Harry darkly. "You did well Kara, you were very brave, standing up to your father like that."

Kara just nodded, before she collapsed right in Harry's arms. Clark rushed back into the room.

"Her memories got unblocked, and the stress caused her to pass out," explained Harry. "Do you have…"

"Yeah, bedroom's upstairs," said Clark. "Watch the top step, it's a death trap."

Harry nodded, as he scooped Kara up in his arms, and flew her up the stairs carefully. He reached the bedroom. The covers flew back, and he gently placed the girl on the bed, before tucking her in.

"Rest here, Kara, I'm going to go talk with your cousin," said Harry.

"Thanks," whispered Kara, with a smile on her face.

Harry closed the door and went down the stairs, to face Clark.

"She'll be alright, Kal-El," said Harry. "I know why your father never spoke of Zor-El."

The two young men sat silently, and awkwardly.

"Why did you come to Smallville?" asked Clark. "Why would you be here?"

"Well, we have to be somewhere," replied Harry with a mysterious smile, before he started to speak to Clark. "Look, you and I, we really got off on a really bad foot. The fact is, I like my privacy, and given some things that happened to me, finding people snooping around on my property first thing in the morning, was not something that put me in the best of moods."

"Well, blame Lois for that," said Clark. "She has a tendency…"

"To be nosy," concluded Harry, which caused Clark to laugh.

"You have her pegged," said Clark. "So…I guess we should introduce ourselves properly…"

"I'm Harry Potter," said Harry, as he reached to shake the young man's hand. "I'm the owner of the Shining Light Foundation, it's a non-profit organization that helps super powered people understand their gifts."

"Clark Kent, well born Kal-El, but I'm always been Clark for as long as I can remember," said Clark. "Seriously, what brings you here to Smallville?"

"Business, Clark, just business," said Harry. "There seems to be a lot of super powered activity around this area, and I found myself drawn to here. I traveled the world for six years, learning all I needed to know, and arrived here days ago. The first person I came across was your cousin."

"Where did you find her?" asked Clark.

"Oh, did you hear about that dam that got destroyed yesterday?" asked Harry. "I arrived right there, and noticed an energy signature of a ship. I fished her ship out of the water, and brought it to my lab to figure out a way to open it. I wasn't expecting to find Kara inside."

'_An attractive woman was not in the top twenty things that I thought could have been in that ship,' _thought Harry, in amusement.

"So, you said Kara's helping you find something you said," said Clark.

"It's a family heirloom, it belonged to my mother," said Harry in a short voice.

"That might not be the easiest thing to find," suggested Clark.

Harry just remained silent. He knew all too well Clark was right.

"So, the meteor rocks, tell me everything you know about them," prompted Harry.

Clark launched into an explanation about the meteor rocks, how they came from his planet. Kryptonite, they were dubbed. Harry listened to some of the examples he was given, and mentally made notes about how to best use his resources to find all of these green rocks. Perhaps he could help a few of these people, before the Kryptonite drove them to madness.

"Interesting, interesting," muttered Harry, as he filed away the information for later use. "So, you were found by…Jonathan and Martha Kent…what happened to them?"

"My mother, she's still alive, she's a Senator," said Clark. "My father, he died a couple years back."

"Sorry to hear that," said Harry with sincerity. "So, you had to hold down the fort on the farm."

"Yes, but I'll be leaving soon," said Clark.

"Well, good luck with wherever you go," said Harry, but then the phone rang. Clark got up to answer it.

"Chloe, I've got company over right now, what is it?" asked Clark.

"Oh, I was doing some digging on Harry Potter," said Chloe, and at that moment, Harry shot up like a rocket. "I found…"

"Harry's right here in the room with me," muttered Clark.

Harry motioned for Clark to hand him the phone.

"He wants to talk to you," said Clark.

"Put him on, then, because I want to talk to him," said Chloe.

Clark handed Harry the phone.

"Yes?" asked Chloe.

"If you want answers, I'll meet you in fifteen minutes," said Harry. "Just don't tell anyone anything you found for the love of God."

"What are you hiding?" asked Chloe.

"I'll let you know what I can in person, we could be overheard over the phone" said Harry. "Where are you?"

Chloe gave Harry directions to the Talon Apartment. Harry nodded.

"Right, I'll be there in a little while" said Harry. "Clark, you want to say good bye?"

Clark took the phone, and did so, as Kara walked down from upstairs.

"Better," muttered Harry.

"Yeah," said Kara, as she looked at Harry. "You look worried."

"My cover just came this close to being blown," whispered Harry as he held out his fingers to indicate. "I've got to go somewhere; I'll be back in an hour."

Kara nodded, as she surveyed Harry with a smile. "I'll stay here with Kal-El until you get back."

"Good, catch up…well just catch up," said Harry, as he ran off, before he turned over his shoulder. "Be back in a bit, Clark."

* * *

Lex closed his eyes.

"Please tell me you have something for me," he muttered.

His assistant looked at him, before speaking. "We applied voice-recognition software, and using our satellites, cast a net over every cellphone and landline on the globe."

"Did you find her or not?" asked Lex, as he looked at the assistant.

"We have a match, sir. She's in Asia, China, in Central Shanghai."

Lex paused, before he turned around.

"That's all I needed to know," muttered Lex. "Prepare the jet."

Lex took a step forward, and debated if he should leave this alone. He shook his head.

* * *

Chloe looked up at a knock on her door. She got up to open it, and Harry rushed in immediately.

"Shut the door, I'm setting up spells so no one can overhear us," muttered Harry, as he rushed around. He added as an afterthought. "Oh, and my name is Harry Potter."

"Chloe…Chloe Sullivan," she muttered. "So…I found some interesting information on you, but what I didn't find perplexed me."

Harry sat down in the chair next to Chloe. He just resumed a mask of indifference.

"You know the basics, my parents are dead, I went to a boarding school in Scotland, and my name," said Harry.

"Well, boarding school in Scotland, that does sound more feasible than going to a school for criminals that closed down four years before you were even born," commented Chloe.

Harry found himself torn between being amused and being mortified simultaneously at how many people swallowed such an obvious lie from the Dursleys. Yet, that was a consequence of people not checking their facts.

"So, your entire family died," said Chloe, as she looked at Harry. "Your father, your mother, both of your mother's sisters…"

"Wait, whoa, hold it right now, sisters, as in plural?" asked Harry, who was completely thrown off guard.

Chloe shook her head. "Oh, right, she did die before you were born. Her name was Rose, does kind of fit the flower naming motif your mother's side of the family had going on. Lily, Petunia, and Rose, and your grandmother was called Violet."

"What happened to Rose?" asked Harry.

"She died when she was six years old, in 1978," replied Chloe in a gentle voice. "Before you were born…I guess your other aunt didn't want to talk about it, let's see if I can find a picture of her for you."

Harry looked, curious. Aunt Petunia never talked about a third Evans sister. He never got the slightest hint. Chloe found a picture of a little girl, with red hair and green eyes like Harry and Lily. She looked rather pale and sickly.

"Spent most of the time in and out of the hospital, she would have died the same time your grandparents did," she concluded. "Doesn't really say the cause of death, just says her older sister Petunia reported her to be missing, and no one could track her down. Given how sick she was, she wouldn't have lasted long. It was in the middle of the winter."

Harry let this all sink in. Chloe allowed him a moment, but she asked the ultimate question.

"What do you know about a woman named Rosalina Sinclair?" asked Chloe, and that name caused Harry to grow rigid.

Harry shook his head. "Tell me what you found out about her, and I'll fill you in."

Chloe nodded, before she consulted her research.

"Well back in 1997, she illegally made a trip to the United States, to get away from terrorists who her killed friends of hers, or so the story says," said Chloe. "Dangerous people by the looks of it, but she got into some trouble over here. She got in a struggle with the authorities, and she ended up in the hospital. She was clinically dead for eighteen hours."

The woman continued to share her research.

"She woke up in the morgue began to claim that she had been gifted a power by a divine force. She had been given a green rock…Harry, do you know anything about the meteors in Smallville?"

"Yeah, they gave people super natural powers," said Harry. "You call them…meteor freaks, but I think the meteor infected is a more appropriate term."

Chloe looked at him.

"The word freak implies bad things, it makes people shun you, and causes some to lose their mind to despair," explained Harry. "I prefer to think that they've been infected, and they need help. Powers don't people bad, but the way they are treated makes them bad. Not saying a lot of these people weren't dangerous, but how many got the help they needed?"

"That's a good point actually," muttered Chloe, as she shook her head. "Sounds like you're speaking from experience."

Harry cleared his throat, and invited her to continue.

"Back to Sinclair, she said she had been given a green rock by a robed figure, that said she needed her for a purpose," said Chloe.

'_Fucking hell, that meddlesome…bloody…fuck,' _cursed Harry unable to string together a coherent thought, when it clicked together.

"She was a serial killer, worse than the terrorists that victimized her friends," continued Chloe, oblivious to what Harry was thinking. "She was dead in 2000; she died of a heart attack of all things. One would think it would be one bloody battle to the finish, but I guess not."

"Anything else?" asked Harry.

"Well, there is one more little thing I found about her," replied Chloe. "Her grave was broken open recently by grave robbers, a couple months ago."

Harry stopped, his mouth went dry, and his fist clenched.

Alastor Moody would be proud of the level of paranoia he exhibited right now.

"I need a lifeline reading on Rosalina Sinclair," muttered Harry.

"What are you doing?" asked Chloe.

"I'll explain later," said Harry, as he waited.

"**Rosalina Sinclair laid dormant for the past seven years," **answered the voice. **"When the grave robbers disturbed her grave, they allowed her enough oxygen to rise, and the abilities given by the green meteor rock in combination with her magic returned her to a state of living."**

"Is she alive or is she dead?" asked Harry, his voice cracking. Chloe sat back, disturbed by how he seemed to be losing his composure.

"**Inclusive," **replied the voice.

"Where is Rosalina Sinclair?" demanded Harry, who grew more frantic by the moment.

"**She has been drawn to Smallville," **stated the voice. **"She just arrived in town, and she's drawn to the Kent Farm. She's after the two Kryptonians."**

Harry rose up to his feet.

"**One further thing you must know, she can absorb the residual energy from the green meteor rocks to amplify her powers," **added the voice.

"Like some kind of conduit for Kryptonite," muttered Chloe

"**Yes, the mortal is correct," **agreed the voice.

"I need to get back to the Kent Farm, right now, "said Harry through gritted teeth, as his fists clenched. "Kara and Clark are both in danger, please stay here, Chloe."

Harry bolted right for the Kent Farm.

The moment he was outside, and he was sure no one was looking; he went invisible, before he pulled his hood up over his head.

* * *

"I used to sneak away and see your mother all of the time," said Kara. "Lara, she used to make me smile. When you were born, it was the happiest day of her life. She called you her miracle baby. And it's all gone, the entire House of El. Just like that…because of…"

Kara sighed.

"Just, take care of yourself, Kal-El, I don't need to watch over you," said Kara as she regarded her "baby cousin" with a fond smile. "I guess my purpose here is to help someone else, someone who doesn't have anyone else to turn to…"

"Harry," said Clark, and Kara nodded.

"Yes, he's a strange boy, but very nice," said Kara, but she stopped herself from listing the other positive attributes she noticed about Harry. "I get why he is the way he is, he's lost without anyone else to turn to. I'm glad he found me, and gave me back my memories."

Kara remained silent, before she voiced something. "Why can't you fly anyway?"

"I'm not sure," said Clark.

"Harry can fly, but you can't," muttered Kara. "There must be something holding you back."

Kara pondered the manner.

"Well, when Harry gets back, I guess we'll be saying goodbye for a while," said Kara.

"If you ever need a place to stay, you can always stay here," offered Clark.

"It's nice of you to offer, but I've found a nice place already," said Kara, as she thought about it. This farm was nice to visit, but she would be dreadfully bored here.

Clark and Kara sat in silence. Heavy winds kicked up outside, and the sky got rather dark all of the sudden.

"Some kind of storm, I take it," muttered Kara.

Clark just tensed up, as he heard footsteps outside the door. He took a step forward, but suddenly, he felt light headed. He felt a heavy amount of Kryptonite radiation coming from outside. Someone was here, and someone brought it to the Kent Property.

"Kara, you need to run, someone dangerous is here!" managed Clark, as he dropped to his knees on the floor.

The door blew open, as a twisted woman entered. Dressed in white, her skin was lifeless, her eyes were haunted, and her dark hair was limp.

"Greetings, Kal-El, my name is Rosalina Sinclair, and I'm here to guide you to your final resting place," she whispered, as she sent a green energy blast right at him. Clark managed to speed out of the way. "You grow weaker, yet I grow stronger. You cannot hope to elude me, or deter my mission."

Kara grabbed her cousin, and threw him out of the way. Then she rushed forward. She felt weakened, but she had to save him.

With full force, she punched the woman in the face. Sinclair staggered back, but she turned to face Kara.

"Good, both in one place, it is a shame I just missed the false savior," she whispered. "He has brought death and destruction on the world, slaughtered my children, and for that I will…"

Kara shoved Sinclair right through the windows, causing both to smash through them. She felt light headed, but this woman needed to be brought down.

"I would almost cherish your protectiveness, child of the stars, if it would not be for the fact for the fact of how you don't belong here," whispered Sinclair, as she aimed a blast towards Kara. She dodged it.

Clark staggered outside and tried to push Sinclair back. He felt weaker and weaker by the moment. His knees buckled. He was hoisted into, the air and dropped hard to the ground.

Sinclair conjured an energy knife, before she stabbed it towards him.

Kara bolted in front of the attack, and took the hit for her cousin.

At that moment, she saw through bleary vision, a robed figure glide in at super speed, and blast Sinclair back with an attack that crackled the air.

She passed out.

"Kara!" yelled Clark, but he watched as the mystery man and Sinclair did battle. A shield appeared right over Sinclair, which caused him to come back to his senses.

"Sprint her out of here, to your friend to heal her before it's too late," managed the figure, as he tried to hold Sinclair at bay.

Clark shook his head, but felt his powers slowly come back to him. Through sheer force of determination, he picked up Kara's prone form in his arms, before he sprinted her away.

* * *

Chloe looked up, but then she saw a frantic Clark rush in, holding the blonde Kryptonian he encountered earlier in his arms. It took her a minute before she found her voice.

"Oh my God, you killed her," muttered Chloe.

"No, I didn't, there was an attack, someone named Sinclair, robed man, Chloe please help!" yelled Clark, as he sat Kara down. "Your powers, use them, she's my cousin, Kara…"

Chloe looked from Clark to Kara. The wound looked rather nasty, and potentially fatal. She still breathed, but it was shallow.

She closed her eyes. Only for Clark would she risk this again. She touched Kara's waist, and the girl was healed.

Chloe blacked out. Clark struggled to catch her, but he was still weakened. Still he managed to prevent her from cracking her head open.

Kara's eyes opened, as she returned to life.

"She healed me, didn't she?" asked Kara as she surveyed Chloe and Clark nodded. "When she wakes up, tell her I said thanks, stay here, I'm going back for that woman."

"Kara, you can't…" said Clark, but she was gone, and he was too weak to follow.

Kara sprinted out and went airborne. She could not tell her cousin the real reason she gone back. She remembered vague hints about a mysterious herald of the afterlife that had been told throughout the galaxies.

Yet, there would always be more dangerous forces to disrupt the careful balance between life and death.

* * *

Sinclair pushed out of the field, but Harry grabbed her around the throat.

"How are you alive?" hissed Harry, as he tried to strangle her to the ground with his bare hands, but Sinclair repelled him.

"I have a sacred mission, I was chosen, to defeat the darkest force that the world has ever known," whispered Sinclair, as she tried to take Harry out, but he dodged her attacks. "That force is you. You were protected for years, but I saw through you. You were Death's own chosen, to continue the sadistic work which brings much loss. I am the liberator, I shall bring new life, and I will eliminate death. The world will be a better place."

Harry nailed her with a violent attack. He did not even bother wasting oxygen trying to point out the logic flaws. He continued to calculate a way to beat her. The last time they fought, it had been a bloody spectacle. This time, she was more powerful, and more unstable than ever before.

To transport her to another dimension would mean he would have to get close enough, but she seemed to guess his intentions.

"Then again, you are merely Death's puppet, dangling on a string," muttered Sinclair.

"You would know something about being a puppet, wouldn't you Sinclair?" taunted Harry, as he blocked every single one of her attacks.

Sinclair saw red at this point, and she became careless. Harry blasted her right into the air at this point, and propelled her to the first graveyard he could fine.

"I'm no mere puppet!" yelled Sinclair, as she shook her head.

"Really, do you even know who gave you the meteor rock that gave you your powers?" asked Harry, as he deflected another attack, before he sliced right into her arm. Sinclair screamed in agony.

"It was a gift, so I could bring life!" howled Sinclair.

"Yes, from Death, so you could achieve her ends," whispered Harry, as he watched Sinclair, who rushed him. "The truth hurts."

The two struggled, as Harry tried to set her up for the kill. It would take a while to pull this spell off, but he had a feeling it would work.

"Your lies have caused me suffering for the last time!" shrieked the woman. "It is fitting you brought me to a graveyard, and I must thank you for giving me the opportunity to bury you!"

At that moment, Kara flew high in the air. Sinclair found her attention being taken off of Harry for an instant.

An instant she paid for. Several rotting hands poked out from on the ground right underneath Sinclair. She screamed, as she struggled. She reached for Harry, but she was dragged right beneath the soil by the army of the undead.

At a grave marked "Jonathan Kent", one particular set of hands seemed particularly adamant to see that she went down.

The Herald of Death let out the breath he had been holding in.

"She's dead," whispered Harry. "Please tell me she's dead."

"**Rosalina Sinclair has met her demise, but I fear this may have been a calculated hoax," **said the voice.

"Elaborate, please," said Harry weakly, as he barely noticed Kara floating behind him.

"**Sinclair was never in Smallville tonight, rather an Inferius, for lack of a better term, altered to her likeness and given her memories," **said the lifeline reading. **"It appears the alterations have been so complex, that they fooled my awareness and created a near perfect duplicate. Yet, her grave has most certainly been disturbed, and her body remains missing."**

Harry gave a long sigh.

"Her body, please tell me you have an idea where it is," whispered Harry.

"**I'm afraid I am not permitted to give you any further information on this matter, it is one that higher powers have elected you solve on your own," **said the lifeline reading.

Harry cleared up the blood that had been spilled. If it had traces of the Kryptonite, then it could be lethal, and could potentially create more problems.

He shuddered, as his hood dropped back, and he passed out from the exhaustion.

Kara's eyes widened, when she saw who was underneath the hood. She remembered the legend, and immediately, she picked up Harry's limp body. She blasted him into the sky, and away from the scene before anyone could spot him.

* * *

Harry's eyes opened, and he saw Kara sitting right beside his bed, on a chair.

"Hi," said Harry. "Guess I overdid it."

"Well, yeah, you did," said Kara, as she did not let go of his hand, almost afraid that he would disappear if she did. "Are you alright?"

"Physically yes, mentally, it's an entirely different issue," said Harry, but he shook his head. "You know my secret."

"Yes, I know," said Kara, as she sat herself right on Harry's bed, and helped him sit up.

"I couldn't have defeated that monster without your help," said Harry. "But someone has dug up her body."

Kara remained silent.

"I need to go check on someone," said Harry, as he pulled himself up. "I'll be right back, I'm sure some people are kind of confused right now."

Kara looked like she wanted to say something, but it could wait. She would tell Harry everything she knew in due time, about the legend of the herald as she knew it.

'_Green eyes, black hair, great power, world had to die, he matches the one from the legend,' _thought Kara, as she watched Harry leave.

She tried to reconcile how she felt about Harry. He was an interesting young man. One, Kara would be interested in trying to find out more about.

* * *

Chloe woke up, and saw the robed figure stand above her.

"We must stop meeting like this, Chloe Sullivan," said the man dryly.

"So, it's you again, and you actually showed yourself this time," muttered Chloe, but she looked up. "A young man named Harry Potter left here did he…"

"Potter is fine," replied the man. "Despite his foolish emotions getting the better of him, he can be capable of great acts of courage and heroism. He and the young Kryptonian known as Kara assisted me. They rest at a safe location."

"You seem to be saving a lot of people," said Chloe, but she voiced a question. "Why in the hell did you save Lex Luthor?"

"I beg your pardon," said the robed figure.

"I get that you have this greater purpose, or whatever, but it's a Luthor, if anyone deserves to go, it's them," said Chloe.

"Harsh words, he must have wronged you in the past," he remarked.

"I've got stories to tell you," muttered the woman, as she looked at the figure. "He just killed a friend of mine, Lana Lang, and he thinks she might not be dead."

"I see," said the robed figure. "Well, I've returned you to life again. I hope that you can get a better hold of your talents, and not think of yourself as a freak. There may come a time where I may not even be able to help you."

"Well, it is comforting that there is some kind of dark guardian angel looking over me," said Chloe, before she added with a shudder. "And creepy, it's kind of creepy too."

The robed figure just nodded, as he saw Clark standing there.

"Both fine, in case you're wondering," muttered the robed figure.

Clark nodded his thanks, but he was gone.

"Pulled another disappearing act," said Clark. "So what did he tell you?"

Chloe was spared explanation by the arrival of Lois.

"Guess what, Chloe, I got the job," said Lois. "Yeah, I had to re-work the story a little bit, to avoid being slapped for libel, but I think I left enough in where it catches people's attention. So I'll be joining you at the Daily Planet."

"Congratulations, Lois," said Chloe, as she looked at her cousin.

"Hey, Smallville, did a tornado come by here when I was gone or something?" asked Lois. "Your place looks like it got struck by one, the windows are busted."

"Yeah a small storm," muttered Clark.

* * *

Lex showed up at Shanghai, on his guard, but suddenly, everything froze around him.

"You, Lex Luthor, exist outside of the pull of time," whispered a voice.

Lex paused, as he saw a figure dressed in a robe stand before him.

"I know what you're trying to do," he said.

"Why did you do it?" asked Lex. "Why did you pull me away from instead of dragging me straight to the depths to burn for all eternity?"

"You ask deep questions, Lex," replied the figure, as he faced the young man. "Perhaps, I took pity on you, but as I said, it was merely not your time. Yet, it may be your time sooner rather than later, if you do not let your obsessions leave you."

Lex looked at him, pondering. "You have done your homework…"

"Yes, I would not have confronted you, unless I know what I'm dealing with. And I do kindly remind you that I detest giving people the benefit of the doubt, and being made to look like a fool. You will find your afterlife tormenting if you prove me wrong. You've been given one last chance. Squander it at your own risk."

"I just merely came here for closure, and for answers," said Lex.

"Your closure is that I insist you drop the matter, and make amends where you can," said the Herald. "I shall speak to the other party, this Lana Lang."

Lex turned, and he walked away. He wanted to be as far away from this place as possible.

* * *

Harry entered the Shanghai Apartment, invisible. He watched the woman comb her hair at a vanity. With a swift motion, he levitated the comb out of her hand to get her attention.

Lana Lang spun around, and held a gun right on the robed figure.

"So Lex can't face me himself," she whispered. "After all of the trouble I went laying out the breadcrumbs, he loses his nerve and sends a flunky to take care of me."

"Be silent," said the Herald of Death. "You understand very little of the consequences of your games, little girl."

"Yeah, well here's a consequence, a bullet in your head," said Lana, as she pointed the gun at the intruder.

"Fire that gun, and I will sent the bullet back into your own head," muttered the robed figure. "Go ahead, princess, pull the trigger."

Lana held the gun, as her hand wavered. The gun pulled out of her hand and disappeared right before her very eyes.

"If you're here to kill me, then get it over with," said the woman.

"Tempting as it may be, you still have much to answer, much like your ex-husband," said the Herald. "In the interest of fairness, I will give you the same warning I gave him. Let your obsessions go."

"You don't understand…" started Lana, but she was silenced and found herself unable to voice her next words.

"Well, there is one person in the room who is incapable of understanding," he stated. "I've seen your type before. The world caters to you, enables you, you think the entire world revolves around you. So it is allowed you the opportunity to string people along, for your own selfish desires. I'm not condoning anything Lex Luthor may or may not have done, but I'm going to offer you the same judgment."

Lana looked at this man with absolute disdain.

"You will return home, and you will apologize to your friends for the grief you caused them, Ms. Lang," said the Herald of Death. "Then, you will move forward, let your obsession with revenge go. I'm giving you another chance, just like I gave to him. Don't make me regret it."

Lana was dropped to the ground. She looked up, and she was alone.

* * *

Inside the Fortress of Solitude, Clark walked up to face Jor-El.

"Kal-El, my son, you have finally chosen to start your training," said Jor-El.

"There's something I wish to speak with you about," said Clark, as he explained about Kara.

Jor-El paused. "She poses a potential threat to you, but her companion, this Harry Potter, is one that intrigues me. Describe him."

Clark gave him a description of Harry.

"You have no idea the forces you have encountered, Kal-El," whispered Jor-El. "This young man may be your greatest ally you will ever have, or the key to your demise. He remains a wild card, both of them are. Watch them closely."

Clark decided not to tell Jor-El he had no idea where they both disappeared off to.

* * *

Back in his study, Lex pondered what happened, as he went through some old boxes. It was just absent minded rummaging, but he found something that piqued his interest.

He pulled out a red journal, with weird markings on it. He had almost forgotten it was here.

Years ago, his father had purchased the journal as a curiosity. It had a rather interesting journey. It had been found in a house at Godric's Hollow in England. Apparently, a house had been ransacked, with several items of value being stolen and sold on the black market.

Lionel Luthor purchased it fifteen years ago from a shady man called "Dung", and tried to access whatever secrets it contained. Yet, he tossed it after every avenue was exercised. Lex rescued the journal, and put it away. Other matters had demanded his attention, so he forgot about it until now.

"You hold in your hands the key to the salvation of this world, Lex Luthor," whispered a voice.

Lex turned around, to see a creepy woman standing in the background.

"How did you get past security?" demanded Lex.

"They're merely asleep, peaceful, untroubled, I did not kill them," said the dark haired woman, as she peered at him with her green eyes. "Yet, no one will sleep peacefully should they get their hands on the journal you hold."

"Who are they?" he demanded. "Actually, who are you?"

"I am merely a messenger from beyond," said the woman. "I have been sent by my master to give you one final warning. Do not allow that diary to be accessed by the one called Harry Potter."

"And why couldn't Death tell me this himself?" questioned Lex, as he slipped over to summon security.

"You could be the key to saving many lives, to atone for your past sins, or you could head down an even worse road," said the woman. "You would do well to keep that journal secure, Lex."

She disappeared.

Lex sat down. Now, the journal demanded his attention, even if he was not sure he bought into the messenger of death that this woman claimed herself to be.

Yet, he would remain on his guard, and keep the journal safe, until he could gain further information.

* * *

Rosalina Sinclair walked into a wooded area, and answered a cell phone as it rang.

"Yes?"

"Are you glad you sent a duplicate, instead of going for revenge yourself, Ms. Sinclair?"

"Yes, I am not fully back to life yet."

"Well, you technically aren't alive. There is still much missing from you. But, if you fulfill our bargain, I can return your entire life to you. I must say, these meteor freaks as they are called, are a curiosity to me. Those who have been gifted with powers, but when I read up on your case, I believed your powers were far greater. There is another element, one that cannot be determined by science."

"No, not by science," muttered Sinclair.

Her contact remained stoic. "Yes, well, your powers will help me serve my purpose. I will assist you in achieving your destiny, and help you defeat this false Chosen One. In return, I will require much help from you, to accomplish my goals, in locating these meteor empowered people."

"As long as you fulfill your end of the agreement in the end, Doctor Knox," said Rosalina.

"You have no need to fear, Rosalina," said Curtis Knox. "At this point, your mortal soul is still at the tender mercy of the Angel of Death. We can work together to correct that. It was a wise decision to send my men to investigate your grave."

The conversation ended at that point, and Sinclair prepared her search.

* * *

Kara now sat on the couch in the sitting room area, when Harry returned. He sank down on the couch, she had the television.

"I made some popcorn, you want some?" asked Kara.

"Thanks," said Harry, as he sat down beside her. "The kitchen didn't give you any trouble, did it?"

"No, we came to an understanding," remarked Kara, with a smile, as the two ate popcorn.

"So what are we watching?" asked Harry.

"Something called War of the Worlds, I think," muttered Kara. "It sounded interesting, but you humans have some weird ideas. So much is wrong; I could make an entire list if you'd like me to."

"Just sit down, and try to be entertained by the movie," said Harry, as he ate the popcorn. He could count on the hands the number of movies he saw on one hand, and still have all of his fingers left over.

"So, we've got a lot to talk about, but it can wait until the morning, over breakfast," suggested Kara during one of the commercial breaks. "I figure after the day you had…"

"Thanks," said Harry.

They enjoyed the movie, and each other's company, along with the popcorn. They were both glad it kept their mind off of things they learned today.

Harry looked up, to check on Kara, but she fell asleep, her arms wrapped around him. He did not have the heart to wake her. He shut off the television.

He smiled, as he gently placed his arms around the girl, before he drifted off to sleep as well.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 6 "Legend."  
**


	6. Chapter 6: Legend

_**Disclaimer: A good chunk of this chapter contains flashbacks, which also contains Harry acting in a disturbingly canon manner in said flashbacks. Will contain "bashing" of Weasleys, and others in general. **_

_It has to be done. Once we get past that, than Harry (and myself as an author) can move on. Of course, it also does shed some light on why Harry is the way he is as far is this present story._

**Chapter Six: Legend.**

Harry's eyes flickered open the next morning, as he woke up after the best night of sleep he had gotten in his entire life. He saw Kara, still peacefully asleep, and using him as a pillow. His arm was wrapped around her bare waist, as her legs were draped over the couch. He suspected he held her as such so she did not roll off onto the floor.

It took Harry a few seconds to realize the reaction having this attractive young woman pressed against him was giving him.

'_I didn't know I was even capable of this," thought Harry to himself as he tried to control his arousal. 'All of the times I was with Cho or Ginny, when I kissed them, no matter how heated, this never happened. Even the dreams I had, they were nice, but I…nothing really happened in them. Why now, why with a girl who I just met the other day? This isn't natural Potter, control yourself!"_

Kara stirred, as she pulled herself back to the land of the awake.

"Morning, Harry," yawned Kara. She turned to look into his eyes. "Guess I fell asleep, I was just resting my eyes during the commercial…why didn't you wake me up?"

"You looked so peaceful, so b…I didn't want to wake you up,' said Harry, as he mentally slapped himself for the near slip of the tongue he made.

"Oh, thanks, I had a nice rest," said Kara, as she shifted, but she frowned. "Harry…there's something in your pants, isn't there?"

Kara slid off the couch, onto her knees to get a better look. She gazed up at him. "Harry…you're swollen…"

She suddenly gave him a mischievous smile. Then she got up to her feet to look him right in the eyes

"I know what happened to you," sang Kara, as she placed one arm on either side of him, so he was trapped on the couch with nowhere to go. "It's a common ailment with Earth boys, the blood rushes from your head to your genital area, and causes a swelling of that region. It's a state of arousal. Normally in the proximity of…an attractive female."

Time stopped, as Kara looked at Harry. Her smile could light up the entire room, as her eyelashes fluttered at him. She took a step back, hands on her hips. "Harry…I caused this to happen, didn't I?"

She had a smile on her face.

"Yeah, this is all your fault, Kara," teased Harry, who was relieved she wasn't mad. "You were the one who fell asleep, I mean, this beautiful young woman slept snuggled against me all night, and…her body was pressed against mine. I think she caused the right amount of friction as well."

Kara laughed, as she eyed Harry, before she continued in a soft voice. "Harry, it's perfectly natural…I…I think you're pretty attractive yourself."

Harry just paused and blinked. She was being nice to him, humoring him.

"So that must be hard to walk around with all day?" mused Kara, as she absent mindly twirled her hair and looked right into his eyes. "I wonder if there are any treatments to that particular ailment…"

"A shower normally clears it up, I heard," said Harry.

"I heard about that too, a cold one," replied Kara, as she appeared to be enjoying this.

"Yeah, I'll go take one now, then we'll eat breakfast," said Harry, as he moved off to do so. "I shouldn't be long…"

"Take your time Harry!" called Kara.

'_Thought about helping him with that, but that might be too soon,' _thought Kara to herself, as she blushed slightly at the thought. _'Some Earth boy's doing this to me, but there are worse choices, he's rather good looking. And nice, weird, but he's nice and helpful. Not too bad of a view on either side. Better not tell him I might have accidentally peeked through his clothes, might scar him. Although the look on his face would be cute.'_

Kara just moved off to her room to get fresh clothes, and take the shower after Harry was finished. She waited patiently, and resisted the urge to peer through into the bathroom to see if he was finished.

* * *

At Breakfast, Harry set out the plates. He had waffles with syrup and toast on the table, with orange juice to drink. Kara walked in a moment later. Harry looked at her, as she wore a red tank top and jean shorts, with sandals.

"That looks good," said Kara, as she sat herself down, and helped herself to breakfast. Harry just gave her a polite nod, as she took the toast and the waffles, before she poured herself a glass of orange juice. "So, last night was interesting."

"One could say that," said Harry slowly and carefully.

"You're the first boy I ever slept with," said Kara casually, which caused Harry to choke on the orange juice he was drinking. He coughed. She leaned over, concern on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Did you realize what you said?" asked Harry.

"I didn't say, anything technically untrue did I?" she asked.

Harry just looked at her, incredulously.

"You're a boy," said Kara, as she looked over Harry.

She took a drink of orange juice.

"We were on the same couch," continued Kara, as she took another drink. "And we were sleeping."

She took one final drink of orange juice. Then she took a bite of the waffles. Then Kara concluded in a matter of fact tone. "So, we slept together."

"Yeah, technically true," admitted Harry. "But, people are going to take that the wrong way, and rumors are going to be started…"

"Well, if someone's going to start rumors off of an innocent comment like that, then they're kind of stupid," said Kara, as she licked the syrup off her fingers. "Nice, and sticky, but it tastes so good."

"Kara, that comment has a double meaning here on Earth," said Harry in an exasperated manner, unable to believe that he of all people had to explain something like this to someone. "It means that a man and woman…they did something…together…in bed."

Kara looked confused, before she understood. "Oh, it means they had sexual intercourse!"

"Kara!" yelled Harry in a reproachful voice.

"What?" asked Kara innocently. "Sexual intercourse is a perfectly natural act. I can't believe you're acting like it's some taboo. I mean, it's needed for life to be sustained. Man and woman find each other, marry, mate with each other, eventually they might have children. The circle of life continues, for generation after generation."

She took another bite, and added. "It's basic universal science."

Harry's mouth opened and shut it.

"My training indicated you should have learned this by the time you were thirteen or fourteen," said Kara, as she was torn between amusement and frustration.

Harry shuddered, as he recalled Sexual Education Orientation with Severus Snape that all of the third year boys were forced to take for three long weeks. The only consolation was that Snape seemed to be equally tortured by the experience.

Then there was Sirius's attempt to give him the Talk, using puppets as visual aids. The less said about that, the better. When Remus finally told Sirius to knock it off, Mrs. Weasley took control, and said Harry was much too young to worry about knowing such things. Then, Harry got caught up in other matters, like fighting for his life.

"Yes, we were taught," said Harry in a dry voice.

Kara saw right through that immediately. She wondered how people in Harry's world stayed alive for as long as they did with limited understanding of fundamental knowledge.

She did not pursue the topic any further. Kara helped Harry clear up the table, and put the dishes away.

The two moved into a study area, where they could sit and talk.

"So last night, before that woman showed up, Kal-El…or Clark rather, gave me an offer to stay at his farmhouse," said Kara, as she sat in front of Harry.

Harry knew this was too good to last.

"Kara, if you want to stay there, that's fine, whatever's more comfortable for you," said Harry.

Kara regarded him for a second. She sensed the desperation in his voice, the desire to put others ahead of himself, but she could sense that he didn't want to be alone. He had no one else.

"I want to stay with you, Harry, if that's okay," said Kara softly. "I did promise that I'd help you find that journal, and we're going to stick with that plan."

She looked at Harry, than she added. "And that's not really the only reason…I don't know if I could stand facing him, knowing why I was sent here. What I found out about my father and what he did…"

"That's not your fault, Kara," said Harry firmly. Kara paused, and shook her head.

"No, it isn't, but that's not the only reason," said Kara, as she maintained her composure. "He has friends and a life of his own here, for the past eighteen years. I got stuck in my own ship until you rescued me. I'll help him if he asks, but since he's a grown man, I don't think I need to watch over him."

'_If I asks, I'll be there,' _added Kara mentally.

"He'll be fine, if he learns to be a bit more careful," concluded Harry before he switched subjects. "Kara, your father left that crystal. There must be something in there that could give us a hint what he was up to. I've cracked Kryptonian technology before; I think I might be able to do it with that crystal."

"It should still be in my ship," said Kara, but then she grabbed Harry's hand. "It can wait until later; we need to talk about who you really are."

"You know my secret, that I'm…well you saw who I was," said Harry.

"You're the one was sent here by the guardian of the afterlife, to help the man of tomorrow prepare to fight a dangerous force, and lead the world to a new golden age of heroes," recited Kara, and to this statement, Harry looked at her mouth a gap. "Maybe I should explain what I know, I don't know that much, just the basics."

Harry motioned to her to proceed.

"There was a legend as old as time," said Kara, before drawing in a deep breath. "A thousand years ago, there would be four mystics brought together on Earth. For a great dream, to bring youngsters to learn magic together, so they could not be prosecuted for their gifts. The school was said to be built away from the prying eyes of those who did not have these gifts."

Harry nodded, and invited her to continue.

"Time would pass, but then the dark angel of the afterlife would visit three brothers," continued the woman. "She would grant them three keys, one to each. However, the keys would contain a grave curse that would begin a slow decline of the world that the four mystics tried to build. All in the name of finding the one worthy to hold the gifts of the three keys of the afterlife."

"Yes, that sounds about right," agreed Harry.

"The three keys would cause obsession and lead to betrayal, for the single minded pursuit to obtain them and merge them," said Kara. "It was believed to lead to the mastery of death, but that belief would be mistaken. Two young men would be drawn together by a mutual pursuit of the three keys, but their friendship would be torn apart by tragedy. It would spark the first of four great wars that would destroy the hidden world."

She reached forward and grabbed his hand. "The fourth and final war would destroy those who remained, forcing Death's chosen to merge the keys in one last attempt to save all, but it would be all in vain."

Harry nodded.

"That's really all I know," said Kara with a shrug. "Every single drawing I saw depicted a young man with green eyes and dark hair. Last night, I saw you, and then I knew you were the one the legend spoke of."

"Yeah, that's me," said Harry. "A curse seems to follow me, everyone…"

"Ah, yes self-loathing, one of the more frustrating human emotions," said Kara as she rolled her eyes. "It leads to angst, which leads to a miserable and lonely life."

Kara just looked him in the eye.

"Harry, you can live in the past, or you can live in the present," said Kara. "I think I can help you, if you let me. Experiences are best shared, and if you tell me everything, I think it will help you move on and live your life."

Harry looked reluctant. Everything was a lot of things, memories that he wished he could forget. Memories he had buried deep within his subconscious.

"Don't do it right now, just think about it," said Kara as she patted him on the arm. "When you feel comfortable with telling me, just do it. I don't want you to feel any pressure."

"Thanks Kara," said Harry gratefully

"Hey, what are friends for?" asked Kara with a smile, but then she paused to look at him, for confirmation. "We are friends, right?"

"Of course, Kara, if you'll have me," said Harry.

"Hey, I'm living with you," said Kara. "Clark's house, it's nice, but it's not as fun as yours."

"So, you only like me because I have a cool house," joked Harry.

Both of them laughed, and spent the rest of the morning together, brainstorming about the journal.

* * *

Chloe sat in the Talon Apartment, thinking over the events of the past three days. Three days ago, Harry Potter sprinted out of here when she brought up a woman named Rosalina Sinclair. Sinclair seemed to spook the young man. Then Clark returned with the girl, Kara, his apparent cousin. Chloe healed her, because Clark looked so frantic. Then, the mysterious robed man saved her a second time.

The new owner of the Daily Planet got on nerves as well. She tried to be a good cousin, give Lois the help she needed, but it seemed like her contributions were being marginalized by the sensational story Lois did about the space ship.

Her phone rang. Chloe picked it up. "Hello."

"Chloe, this is Harry Potter, are you busy?" asked Harry.

"Harry, you're…I thought something bad might have happened to you," said Chloe quickly.

"I wasn't aware that I made so much of an impression on you during our first meeting," said Harry, in a slow and calculating voice.

"Yeah, you're fine," muttered Chloe, with a roll of her eyes. "Where are you?"

"Just right around the corner, both Kara and I, you know who she is…" started Harry.

"Yeah, Clark's cousin," muttered Chloe, as she remembered all too well. "Yeah, I'm not busy, pop right in; I want to know what happened."

"I'll tell you more when I get there, we could be monitored," said Harry, as the phone on the other end went dead.

'_How paranoid can you get?' _thought Chloe. _'He actually outed himself as a magic user because he's so paranoid. Hopefully he gets a hold on that, for his sake.'_

A moment later, Chloe answered a knock on the door. She pulled it open, and Harry and Kara walked inside.

"Kara, this is Chloe Sullivan, the woman who saved you last night," said Harry.

The two women looked at each other awkwardly, before Kara spoke up.

"Hi, um thanks for saving me," said Kara in a small voice.

"You're welcome," said Chloe, as she remembered saying some not so kind things about this girl a few days ago. She felt a bit of guilt, but shook if off to focus on the matter at hand. "How did you get…"

"I took a shot for my cousin, Clark," said Kara as she recalled it with pain. "That woman was going to kill him if I hadn't jumped in."

"Well you truly are his family if you were willing to risk your life to save his," said Chloe, as she smiled at the girl.

"I wish I could be as good as Clark, but I could have hurt him if Harry hadn't found me first," remarked Kara in a sad voice.

"Why do you say that?" asked Chloe.

Harry paused, as he exchanged a covert glance with Kara. He cleared his throat, and turned towards Chloe. "I trust you won't say a word of this to anyone. Clark knows, but no one else. I don't care who it is. Not one word, I need you to swear that you won't say anything."

"Okay, fine, I won't say anything," said Chloe with a frown. Of course, given that Harry knew about her powers, she was not about to blab anything he told her to anyone.

Harry explained about Kara's father blocking her memories, and the crystal she had, along with the fact she had been sent here to "take care of" Kal-El.

Chloe took a few minutes to take what was said. "Well, at least you're on the right path now. We all make mistakes, it's human after all."

"Yeah, you're right," said Kara who looked a bit happier now. "We would have swung by sooner, but we flew to a place called Godric's Hallow. We needed to check out something."

"Plus, that's where my parents are buried," added Harry.

Chloe understood where he was coming from.

"You two, you are going to attract way too much attention, and the government's going to be interested in you both," said Chloe in a business like tone. "Especially since you're in Smallville, it's not exactly a place that's…well we're not exactly the capital of normal."

The government, Harry had almost forgotten about them. Granted, he had only dealt with the American Government a few times in his role as an advisor to the Prime Minister, but he knew enough to be concerned and weary.

"Here's the thing," said Chloe. "I don't know what happened to you, but you're paranoid."

"I'm not paranoid," argued Harry, who could hardly believe she was saying that. Chloe just looked at him and scoffed. "Okay, fine, I'm paranoid, happy."

"I would suggest being a bit more careful, and stop trying to be jumpy about everything," said Chloe. "Clark won't say anything, I won't say anything, and as for Lois…what she saw could be passed off as her seeing things. After all, your house "disappeared" so it is hard for her to prove it was there at all."

Harry nodded, she had a point.

Chloe added, to switch back. "Both of you however, you still need something out there that doesn't have so many holes in it."

Harry and Kara nodded. He figured she already had something cooked up.

"Harry, your backstory should be easy enough, just fill in the holes," remarked Chloe. "The boarding school was a prestigious institute that shut down years ago. Your family went there for generations. I've got yours rather down pat."

Chloe paused, and regarded Kara. "Now, yours on the other hand, is a bit trickier. Being Clark's cousin is easy enough, I guess. You came from out of town, but to explain your connection to Harry, that might be the tricky part."

The woman looked thoughtful, before she added, "I think the best way to explain this is that you were sent to the same private boarding school as Harry, on a scholarship. You were friends for years, but lost touch. You came to Smallville to look up Clark, but you almost drowned when the dam broke. Then Harry managed to save you, and you reconnected with each other."

"That's actually believable," said Kara with a knowing smile. "I'm living with Harry, because my other family is gone, and I don't want to intrude on Clark's life."

Silence, before she voiced something she had been wondering. "Where did Clark run off to anyway?"

"That's really not my place to say," said Chloe in a brisk manner, before she changed the subject. "So this Shining Light Foundation….it helps people who have been infected by the meteors."

"Yes," said Harry slowly.

"So, I've got these powers, twice I used them, and twice I blacked out," said Chloe. "Do you think that you could…cure them..."

"Chloe, I would advise not hunting down any cures," said Harry sternly. "We offer help, for people to come with terms with and use their great powers with great responsibility. We won't judge people. If you want to stop by, I'll be happy to help."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Chloe, but she was not sure if she wanted to come with terms with her powers. She had seen first-hand some of the cases where the meteor powers warped people.

"You're a reporter, aren't you?" asked Harry.

"Yeah, for the Daily Planet, how did you guess?" asked Chloe.

Harry shrugged, before he said. "You seem to be the type."

Chloe did not know whether that was a compliment or an insult.

He removed a press pass from his jacket and handed it to her. "Here, I'm having a press conference for the Shining Light Foundation in three weeks, swing by and cover it. Then we can discuss things further afterwards."

Chloe just nodded, as she held the press pass.

"So, how did you two hook up anyway?" asked Chloe.

Harry told the story, at least a shortened version, leaving out his alter ego and other details. Plus he fudged the timeline a little bit. Chloe had been right; he needed to be more careful.

"So, I guess that was a good shot in the dark about the drowning thing," she muttered after Harry concluded. "About the journal…do you have any idea what it might look like…"

"Sorry, not a clue," said Harry.

"Well, good luck in finding it, I'll see if any suspicious books have cropped up in town recently, and get back to you," said Chloe, but another knock on the door caused her to look up. "We'll finish this later…LANA!"

Harry's eyes snapped up, and he saw the arrival of Lana Lang. His mood darkened. Chloe and Lana greeted each other. He tried not to listen to the conversation; he hoped that Lana would actually have listened to him. Given that she was back in town proved to be a rather promising start.

"Oh, Harry and Kara, this is Lana Lang," said Chloe as she lead Lana over. "Lana, this is Clark's cousin from out of town, Kara, and her friend Harry Potter."

"Oh, hi," said Lana as she looked at them, with a smile. "Yeah, figure you would be Clark's cousin, given all the primary colors."

"Nice to meet you Lana, but urgent business just came up," said Harry, as he looked at Kara. "Besides, we would hate to intrude on a personal manner."

"Right, see you later Chloe, Lana!" called Kara, as she followed Harry out the doorway.

"He seemed in a hurry to leave," remarked Lana. "Almost like he was avoiding me for some reason…"

"Lana, he's a busy man, he does run an organization," said Chloe, and Lana nodded, that made a lot of sense. "And since you've come back from the dead, you've got some explaining to do."

* * *

"Why did you react the way you did around that Lana woman?" asked Kara the moment they were back in Harry's home.

Harry remained silent, and then spoke. "I want to give her the benefit of the doubt, but she's…I don't know. She faked her own death, and that hurt a lot of people, including Clark and Chloe. I saw some things, when I scanned her mind, her surface thoughts. She's obsessed with getting revenge on Lex Luthor. And Lex, is obsessed with finding out about your cousin."

"Obsession can be dangerous," said Kara.

"Tell me about it," said Harry darkly. "For their sakes, both of them, I hope they just let it go, and move on. I can't babysit them or force them to do anything. I gave them both warnings, my work is done."

They walked through the lower level of Harry's house.

"So how would you like a job?" asked Harry to break the silence. "Official employment, I'll pay you and everything, give you all of the benefits, as a cover for you being with me all of the time."

Kara nodded.

"How would you like to be my personal bodyguard?" asked Harry.

The young woman was dumbstruck by this offer.

"You can take care of yourself fine, you know," said Kara. "I mean, I don't think I could protect you if…"

"Kara, if it wasn't for you, I could have never pulled off that spell to defeat Sinclair's duplicate," said Harry, as they both sat down together in the study. "I can help you with your powers, help you use them better, train you how to fight without them. I've taught people before, and they defended themselves well. You seem like a quick study."

Kara thought about it for a moment, and smiled. She responded. "I accept, I would work for free you know…"

"I know, but it would give you some spending money and it will allow you to mingle with the people more," said Harry. "Something I could work on a bit as well, my people skills aren't the best."

"I've noticed," the girl remarked in amusement.

* * *

Time had passed, as Kara and Harry spent much of the next two weeks together. They trained, watched movies, and explored the wonders of video games and the Internet together. Kara started to teach Harry about Kryptonian culture and science. Harry tried to teach Kara how to best fit in among normal people, even though that was like the blind leading the blind.

The hunt for the journal seemed to be one that was an exercise in frustration, as a couple of potential ideas turned up as duds.

Right now, Harry was focused on the crystal he had found that Kara's father sent with her.

"Okay, you're a tricky one to figure out," muttered Harry as he looked at the crystal. "There's something in there, or maybe even someone. It's complex, and whoever designed it really made it hard to crack."

Kara watched him from the doorway.

"Give it a break for a while," suggested Kara after she had watched Harry for some time.

"Yeah, I guess, I'll figure out this thing eventually," said Harry, as he put it away. "I'd like to figure out what's inside this crystal, but never mind that…you asked me to share with you something, didn't you?"

Kara nodded, as she gazed at him. She stood on the edge of great secrets, and to be honest, she became a tiny bit apprehensive. It seemed like a good idea to ask Harry, to help him, but now she had her doubts.

"What I'm about to show you is not for the weak of heart," warned Harry. "My life was not the happiest one in the world, so if you don't think you can handle it, let me know and we'll stop."

"I can handle it," whispered Kara, as she followed Harry. She saw a large stone bowl with two wires with headbands connecting from it. Harry put one on, and she put the other on.

"Ready," said Harry.

"Ready," agreed Kara.

The room swirled around them. They stepped at a cottage in Godric's Hallow, that they visited a couple of weeks ago, or rather the ruins of it.

"The night before my parents got killed," whispered Harry, as they walked inside the house. They saw baby Harry sit in a playpen, happy, as they saw James watch his son. Then, their eyes averted, to see Lily, hold a red journal with green markings.

"Could that be it?" asked Kara, but she also looked at the woman who held it. Something about her seemed so oddly familiar, like she had met her before.

"Kara, that was a good catch, it just might be," said Harry, who was glad he at least knew what the blasted thing looked like now.

The memories swirled around them. Kara watched Voldemort kill Harry's mother, before he tried to kill Harry. The magic repelled back, and blasted Voldemort out of his body.

Flashes of Harry's childhood played. Kara could see enough of the images to get a good idea that it had not been a happy time. Her stomach turned, as she watched Harry's own relatives, his aunt in particular, treat him like he was something smelly they scraped off of the bottom of their shoe.

Harry, at age five, sat in a cupboard underneath the stairs, with a broken crayon and a dirty napkin. He sloppily scrawled the words "home" and "family" on the napkin, before he crossed them out, and tossed it away, tears in his eyes.

"The last time I cried, ever," commented Harry, as Kara wanted to hug the five year old child, to tell him it was going to be okay, but she remembered it was just a memory.

She noticed the Dursleys never struck Harry. Yet they starved him, yelled at him, and locked him in an enclosed space with no light. She also heard echoes that no one would ever love him, and how he would always be a nothing but a burden. Harry sat, emotionally detached; as they watched the memories go by.

At the age of eleven, Kara shared Harry's happiness when a giant of a man told him he was a wizard, and he would be going off to a magical school called Hogwarts. She watched, as Harry made friends for the first time in his life. Moments of happiness, and also some despair when the monster that killed Harry's parents returned. Harry's heroics were showcased when he had to fight a teacher in a turban, possessed by Voldemort.

'_You should have told him then,' _thought Kara, as she watched Dumbledore evade Harry's question of why Voldemort tried to kill him.

'_It wouldn't have mattered,' _projected Harry.

'_I can hear you, and you can hear me,' _thought Kara.

'_Our minds are linked because that's the best way I can show you,' _thought Harry.

'_Oh, that makes sense,' _thought Kara, who felt stupid.

Kara's mood was spoiled when she saw Harry returned to those monsters he had to live with. They were not his family. She did admire Harry's shrewdness for using the fear that he might perform magic on them as his only leverage. Then, this little creature in his crazed attempt to help Harry, got him in trouble, and removed his only leverage. She watched as Harry was locked in his room, with bars on the window, and food shoved through a little flap on the door.

'_He's not a war criminal you monsters!' _she thought.

'_Kara, relax, it happened a long time ago,' _replied Harry mentally.

'_Doesn't make it right, when my father talked about humans, he must have used these two as his main reference,' _retorted Kara.

Harry was rescued, and then he missed the train.

'_You were twelve years old and scared, what in the name of Rao is wrong with these people?' _thought Kara, as she saw Harry browbeaten and punished for the flying car fiasco.

Harry did not respond, but a slight smile appeared on his face.

"I would have done the same thing you would have done," she added, aloud. "If I was in that situation…"

The entire year, the attacks, and everyone who blamed Harry for it, despite the fact there was no proof other than hearsay. Then, they accused him of being evil just because he could speak to snakes. She watched as Harry risked his life, to save some girl who trusted a magical diary that wrote back.

'_That's how they reward you for nearly dying,' _thought Kara, as she watched Dumbledore award him house points. Her arms wrapped around Harry throughout the second year, half in an attempt to steady herself, and half in an attempt to offer him some comfort.

Third year brought more intrigue. Those Dementors were the worst creatures in the universe. There was a moment of hope, that Harry would get a better life. Then it was dashed at the worst possible time.

Fourth year was when Kara lost her patience with that entire world in general. Well for the most part, she decided there were a few decent people. Ron Weasley in particular showed how loyal he was to Harry, when he abandoned him based off of his jealously. She saw it in his eyes. Hermione was a good friend, who tried to make things work, but Kara could see the strain the poor girl was suffering keeping the ties of friendship together.

* * *

"Greengrass, I'm just showing school unity!" yelled Draco Malfoy, as he grabbed a second year Slytherin by the wrist.

"No, this is just another childish game to discredit Potter," said Astoria Greengrass with disdain. "Well attempt to discredit him, because you don't even know what you're really doing."

Draco looked confused, and Crabbe and Goyle did as well.

"Lucius must have dropped you on your head as an infant," said the second year girl as she rolled her eyes. "You just gave Potter credit for fooling a magical object that most adult witches and wizards couldn't. You said Potter was smarter than you. It's nice to see you've come to terms with that."

Draco was unable to formulate a response.

"I don't have time to deal with some stupid little second year anyway," said Draco after a moment, as he walked off, with Crabbe and Goyle dumbly following him.

Astoria walked away until she bumped into something solid.

"Hello, Potter," said Astoria.

"How?" asked Harry.

"Snape ranted about you and your invisibility cloak a few times, you better be careful with it," said Astoria. "Those things are rare, especially the one you have. It was in your family for a long time."

"What are you trying to say?" asked Harry.

"Something tells me you didn't read many books as a child," said Astoria in a cryptic voice. "I for the record don't believe you entered your name in the Tournament. It's obvious to anyone who has brain cells in the double digits that you hate your fame."

"Right," said Harry.

"Potter…Harry, I think I can help you, if you let me," said Astoria.

"But, you're a Slytherin," said Harry with distrust.

"For the love of…yes I'm aware what house I was sorted into!" yelled Astoria. "Don't try to deny it, the sorting hat wanted to put you in there. Daphne told me, she saw your lips moving."

"Wait, you're Greengrass's sister?" asked Harry.

"Very good, we do look alike," answered Astoria. "Don't judge all Slytherins on Malfoy and his cronies. A lot of us just like to be left alone. The only reason why Malfoy has any pull at all is because his Daddy is wealthy and has blackmail material on half of the families in our house. Take that away, and half of the house would string him up from the Astronomy tower on sheer principle."

"I see," said Harry.

"Just think about it Harry, and find me," said Astoria, before she added. "And good luck in the first task."

* * *

The entire fourth year went by, although Kara found herself quite amused by Harry's misadventures in finding a date for the Yule Ball. He looked like he would rather fight a hundred dragons, then dance. Then the third task, the thrill that the underdog was going to pull it off, the boy who had three years less magical experience than the other three champions.

She smiled at how Harry offered to let the other boy, Cedric, have the cup. Despite all of his bad feelings towards the boy for beating him to the girl he liked, Harry was going to let him win. Eventually, they both took the cup.

Then, she saw a pained emotion flickered on Harry's face. The entire scene of the Graveyard flashed before their eyes. Then Harry returned, with the dead body of his friend. The only witness was disposed of, and once again, Harry was not believed.

'_These people really were too stupid to live,' _thought Kara.

'_Yep,' _projected Harry, as he watched the spectacle.

* * *

Harry sat quietly outside, as Astoria walked up to him.

"So, Diggory died in front of you, I'm sorry," she said in a serious voice, as she sat down next to Harry. "I'm sure nothing you could have done prevented it anyway. Lord Voldemort is back…"

"You said his name," interrupted Harry, in shock.

"Yes, I did," agreed Astoria nonchalantly. "But you are fighting someone with over fifty years of training over you. You need to learn how to think like a Slytherin, and you need to learn to kill if you have a hope of surviving."

"Astoria, I can't do that," said Harry, firmly set in his beliefs against killing.

"Then Voldemort will torture your friends right in front of you, before he kills you," said Astoria. "He had Diggory killed just because he was there."

Astoria looked at Harry. "Do not be afraid to exploit every single advantage you have. Your mother died to protect you…"

"The same blood flows through his veins now," said Harry.

"Then, find a way to make that hurt him," said Astoria, as she handed Harry three books. "Two of these are forbidden by the Ministry, and one is on magical law. I suggest you read all of them."

Harry just looked at the books. They seemed rather dark. This Slytherin girl was trying to turn him towards dark magic, and he knew Dumbledore would not approve.

"And stop following Dumbledore like a dutiful little sheep," added Astoria, before she walked off once again.

Harry put the books into his bag, where he promptly forgot about them.

* * *

Kara watched everything unfold, and Harry just get sent back to the Dursleys.

'_You needed someone to be there for you after what happened, and they sent you back to them,' _thought Kara.

She held Harry closer.

"It gets messy from here," muttered Harry. "It's not too late to…"

"No, I need to know everything," said Kara, as she sighed.

Fifth year caused her anger to rise to its highest levels. Harry was angry at what happened, and his friends chose this Dumbledore over him. At least Hermione felt rather bad, even if Kara was kind of predisposed to not give Ron the benefit of the doubt. She experienced the delight that was Dolores Umbridge. The moment she saw what Umbridge did for her "detention" with Harry, Kara got up, and tried to walk over to strangle the memory version of Umbridge.

"Kara, remember, it's a memory, nothing you can do can change it," said Harry.

Kara, flushed, sat down. She watched as Harry risked his own health to get the truth out there.

"You're a great leader," remarked Kara.

"No, I'm not," argued Harry.

"You can teach fifteen year old children complex magic, how can you be anything else?" asked Kara.

Harry decided not to argue the point any further.

* * *

After the interview with Rita Sweeter in Hogsmeade, Harry was pulled off to the side, right by the Shrieking Shack by Astoria.

"So, I saw Chang run off," said Astoria. "Good, that relationship was doomed to failure. I also would suggest that you wipe both her and her friend's memory, and kick them out of your little club, before they run to Umbridge. But that wouldn't be the Gryffindor thing to do, would it?"

"So, you know about…" said Harry.

"You idiots talk about it where people can hear you," said Astoria, as she slapped her palm to her face. "Harry, remember our conversation at the end of the last year? Think like a Slytherin…a Slytherin would have not held a meeting in Hogsmeade where they could have been overheard. We have our own secret club to practice magic, that's illegal now thanks to you. Umbridge isn't teaching us a blasted thing that can be of use."

"And how is this my fault?" asked Harry.

"It's not, but Harry, ditch them before they sell you out," said Astoria.

Confusion reigned on Harry's face. Astoria looked as if she considered the merits of hexing some sense into him.

"The Weasleys and Dumbledore, they might have the most noble of intentions, but they will sacrifice you if it helps defeat Voldemort and his Death Eaters," said Astoria. "You notice the littlest Weasley seems to be a lot cozier around you. And you notice that Dumbledore's avoiding you, and sending you for "remedial potions" with Snape."

She paused, as she gave Harry the indication she knew exactly what the lessons were. "I wouldn't be surprised if Snape's planting subliminal thoughts in your mind to make you more obedient to Dumbledore's orders. Not to mention what Ronald Weasley did to you last year, and you accepted his fake apology like a sap."

"Astoria, you're being paranoid," said Harry.

"No, I'm being logical, this is happening, you're being set up as a pawn to sacrifice to defeat Voldemort," said Astoria, who kept her face blank. "Dumbledore is a Slytherin wearing the skin of a Gryffindor, can't you see that? You really have been force fed his lies. Look up his family, Harry, or look up his brother, Aberforth…"

"You mean that nutter who got busted for doing charms on goats," replied Harry.

"Harry, just find him, and he'll clue you in on everything," said Astoria.

Harry shook his head.

"The Weasleys won't betray me, they're my family," said Harry. "Ron and Ginny are like the brother and sister I've never had…"

"No, your family is the Potters, who all died," said Astoria. "Hermione Granger might be the closest thing you have to family, and she's just as much of a pawn as you are."

Astoria paused. "Harry, do yourself a favor and check your drinks and your food. Get that house elf that's fond of you to prepare all of your food personally. You're almost of age, witches are going to move in for the kill for your gold and the prestige of marrying the Boy-Who-Lived. And you won't even notice it, because it's obvious you don't have a bloody idea what true love really is."

"You and Moody should hang out sometime," said Harry, with a chuckle.

"Alastor Moody has the right idea about a lot of things," said Astoria, who looked exasperated, and muttered. "Why did she tell me he was the only hope for the world?"

"Who?" asked Harry. "Your mother, your sister…who told you this Astoria?"

"I need to go back to the school, it's getting late, talk to you when I can, remember we never met," said Astoria, as she scrambled up to the school quickly.

Harry just shrugged off her ramblings as paranoia.

* * *

"You do realize she was trying to help you," said Kara.

"Yeah, now I do, and now with the benefit of hindsight, I know who the "she" Astoria was talking about was," said Harry in a dark voice.

More memories flashed by. Then the final battle, Kara watched how Harry led five other students into battle against very dangerous people. He displayed some rough tactical brilliance. He did have the potential to be on par with some of the great military leaders throughout the history of Krypton.

Then things took another turn, as Sirius was sent through the veil. Then Voldemort was back, and now the Ministry believed Harry. Both held each other, as they watched Dumbledore give Harry the information about the Prophecy.

"Too little, too late," whispered Kara.

"I thought if I would have known that a long time ago, I would have been able to save lives," said Harry. "In the end, we were doomed regardless of what was done."

Harry looked, viewing these memories again, with someone there to support him, to share everything with, he found himself finding closure.

Yet, the insanity had just begun.

Sixth year, and Harry watched everything unfold like a car crash.

"A lot of this doesn't add up, now that I'm watching as a third party," said Harry, as he watched his feelings from Ginny go from brotherly love to borderline obsession in a matter of weeks. It seemed to be a slow and subtle burn, so he did not pick up on it at the time.

Then Hermione and her reaction to the Half Blood Prince book did not make any sense. Hermione acted rather unbalanced, and Harry thought that she would have bugged him endlessly to copy the notes so she could improve her work at another time.

"Hormones aren't really this messed up, are they?" asked Kara.

"No, there's almost like there is something in the water," said Harry, who had a bad feeling what happened and really wished he had not brushed off Astoria's warning.

Getting closure was a bad thing, when one began to realize certain people came across in a less than favorable light in hindsight.

* * *

"Malfoy is up to something, you are right, Harry," said Astoria.

"You are the first person to believe me," said Harry as he breathed in relief. "Everyone thinks…"

"Everyone is wrong, and Dumbledore's trying to redeem Malfoy," replied the Slytherin. "He'll let the little bastard murder half of the school, before he's proven wrong. Draco Malfoy is the son of the devil himself, Lucius made a life out of blackmailing his way to the top, and Narcissa is a manipulative shrew. They do care for each other, which might make them more dangerous."

Astoria sighed, but she voiced something.

"Harry, I got a letter today, my family fell on some hard times, so when I turn seventeen, I'm going to marry Draco Malfoy," said Astoria, as she closed her eyes, but then maintained her stoic resolve.

"Can they make you do that?" asked Harry.

"Unless I find a suitable alternative, it's either married or I'll be disowned," said Astoria. "I'll be a no name witch, which is worse than being a Muggleborn in our world."

Harry just nodded, that sucked, but he had his own problems.

"So you and your little sudden infatuation with Ginny Weasley," replied Astoria in disgust. "Are you really that hopeless that you can't see what is going on?"

"Astoria, Ginny's…she's great, I want to be with her, I want a family," said Harry in a shaky voice.

"Adopt a kitten," replied Astoria in a harsh voice, but it then softened. "That family will ruin you Harry. You could be a great leader, but Ginny's stringing you along. She's used to getting her way all of the time. She doesn't want to marry Harry Potter the person; she wants the prestige of marrying the Boy-Who-Lived. She could have gotten to know you any time as a friend over the past five years, but now she's dropped in to mark her territory, right before you become of age."

Harry felt annoyed, how could Astoria say such things?

"I don't know what your game is," said Harry as his anger rose. "The Weasleys have done nothing, but good things for me…"

"Open your eyes Harry, there's a reason why those children move out of the Burrow the first chance they get!" yelled Astoria as she lost her temper. "I warned you last year, but you still don't listen to me. I don't even know why I even bother. For the love of Morgana, if you don't believe me, go to Slughorn. I'm sure he'll happily check you out for potions…"

"No, Ginny wouldn't drug me, she's not that kind of person!" yelled Harry. "You're just jealous of her; you thought I could be your ticket to avoid marrying Malfoy, didn't you?"

"I'm not jealous of that tart!" shouted Astoria. "Harry, I care about you, I want to help you, but you won't let me…"

"You're just like all of the other Slytherins, evil and manipulative!" yelled Harry, as he walked off.

"Fine, go fucking jump in the grave then, see if I care!" shouted Astoria. "If you ever wise up, come find me."

* * *

Harry and Kara both viewed the spectacle. Neither said anything, they both understood. The memories sped through the relationship Harry had with Ginny Weasley. It was just a footnote.

Dumbledore died, and Harry was left with very little knowledge of what he must do. Kara watched, as Harry broke up with Ginny at the funeral.

"If she loved you, she would have fought harder," said Kara as she wrapped her arms tightly around Harry. "If she loved you, she would have stayed with you no matter what, and found a way to join you on your journey. She wasn't being very loyal."

Harry nodded.

The events of what would be Harry's final year of Hogwarts flashed by, and it became obvious how dismal a scenario that was. Ron's latest blow up really showed the kind of person he truly was. Harry and Hermione were there for each other, like a brother and a sister. Everything went by, Harry sacrificing himself to save a world that treated him like dirt. Then he beat Voldemort, or rather Voldemort beat himself.

"The moment I beat Voldemort, was when it was the beginning of the end," whispered Harry.

Kara braced herself for what looked to be the very worst.

* * *

Ginny walked out to face Harry, who made his way to Dumbledore's tomb.

"So, Harry, hi," said Ginny. "I was wondering if you would like to give us another shot, now that you're done with Voldemort and all."

"Ginny, I don't know," said Harry.

"I waited for you an entire year, Harry, and now you don't know," said Ginny, as she tried to reign in her temper.

"We'll both be at Hogwarts next year, we can figure it out then, I need some time to regroup," said Harry.

"Why would you go back to Hogwarts?" demanded Ginny. "You don't need to go back, you can go straight to the Ministry, and use your reputation to rebuild it…"

"I don't want charity, I want to earn everything," said Harry hotly.

"Harry, you can't be this stupid, to pass up a perfect opportunity to fix the Ministry!" cried Ginny. "Harry, just think of us, you can get a good paying job, the best, and when we get married..."

"Ginny, I don't want to get married, not right now," said Harry.

"Well, I guess you're going to be a very lonely man for a while," said Ginny with a knowing smirk. "You're not touching me, until the ring is on my finger. And until you realize your duty, and what your responsibilities are, I'm not speaking to you. You should grow up Harry!"

"You know, Ginny, I thought I liked you, but if you're going to act like a self-entitled brat, then maybe I won't give us getting back together too much consideration," said Harry.

"You son of a bitch, I wasted two years of my life on you!" yelled Ginny, as she slapped Harry across the face. "I wish you stayed dead!"

Ginny stormed off. Harry was left with scratch marks on his cheek from where her nails cut him.

"Female problems, Potter?" said Aberforth Dumbledore, who showed up behind Harry at that moment. "So, after all you were put through, you're just going to put that wand back in my brother's tomb."

"What do you expect me to do?" asked Harry.

"The power is yours, unite the Hallows," said Aberforth. "It's your right to do so."

"No, I just want to be left alone, live a nice and quiet life," said Harry. "Maybe I'll teach here at Hogwarts, I'm sure they could always use a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher…"

"Potter, you don't realize what you're doing," said Aberforth. "One day, you will regret putting that wand back in that tomb."

"I seriously doubt it, go play with your goats or something," said Harry, as he waved Aberforth off.

Without another thought, Harry placed the wand back into Dumbledore's tomb, where he assumed he would never be bothered by it again.

* * *

Kara and Harry watched as another memory flashed by.

"Hermione, I have a bad feeling about this thing, the Muggleborns might not forgive what happened," said Harry in an urgent voice.

"It's nothing, I'm sure they'll listen to reason," persisted Hermione. "They're lost, scared, they spent a year being forced to beg on the street. If someone reaches out to them, the healing can continue. I'll be back Harry, I'll see you later."

* * *

Another memory swirled as three days later, Hermione had not returned. Harry retraced his friend's steps one at a time, and found her at an abandoned library. Hermione used to go here as a child, she told him before. He stepped inside, and saw a grisly sight.

The dismembered body of Hermione was nailed to the wall. On her bare back, a message was burned into her skin.

"**The purebloods will pay for harboring the false Chosen One. All traitors will meet the same end. Our leader will salvage the world. Salvation is at hand, it will never happen again."**

Every window in the library shattered and all of the books burst into flames, as Harry took a deep breath.

Harry just closed his eyes, and sent a messenger Patronus to Kingsley, to have some people investigate who did this to Hermione.

He made a decision to leave the memories of Hermione's parents modified. It was just for the best.

* * *

Kara sniffled, but shook her head. She watched as Harry show mild emotions, but wiped his face blank. They were back at Hogwarts.

"So, I need help if I'm going to stop this little uprising, and I need my army," said Harry. "I'm not sure if the Ministry is on the level…"

"Mr. Potter, you can be a great service for this school, which is why I'm offering you the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for the coming term," said McGonagall. "With You-Know-Who gone, the curse has been lifted, therefore you can teach. Do what you wish for the class, and I will make sure the Board of Governors and the Ministry do not find out."

"They will send someone like Umbridge, won't they?" asked Harry.

"Or Dolores will return, she escaped justice once again," said McGonagall with a sour expression.

"That sinks my chances of ever working for the Ministry," said Harry.

McGonagall nodded, as she made arrangements.

* * *

Harry arrived at the Ministry of Magic, summoned by the Minister for some important news. He looked around.

"Kingsley!" yelled Harry. "Are you…"

"Hem, hem," coughed a very familiar voice. "Welcome to my office, Mr. Potter."

Harry turned around and saw Umbridge, backed up by Twenty Aurors who had their wands pointed on him.

"Your office?" asked Harry as he clutched his wand. "This is the Minister of Magic's office…"

"You're correct, Minister Shacklebolt met a tragic demise just a couple of days ago," said Umbridge as she displayed crocodile tears. "I was sworn in as his replacement. I managed to pardon several respected purebloods who have got locked inside of Azkaban on charges of prosecuting Muggleborns. Given what the Mudbloods are now doing, I fear that we were justified."

"Yeah, because you spent an entire year, persecuting them!" yelled Harry, who readied himself for a fight. He tried to fight his way out, but the Aurors overwhelmed him. Harry found himself nailed with a paralyzing curse.

"You'll regain the use of your body in about one hour, Mr. Potter," said Umbridge. "You must learn to obey. I also must inform you that your little half breed godson and his grandmother met a tragic fate just this morning."

Harry was dragged off, and moved down into the Department of Mysteries, where he was strapped down.

"You will learn obedience, Mr. Potter," said Umbridge. "You can be a valuable tool to serve the Ministry…we just need to change a few memories."

At that moment, a wizard walked up to face Harry. His wand was raised. "Obliviate!"

* * *

"So, they wiped your memories," said Kara in absolute alarm.

"Yes," said Harry, who did not want to recall what the Ministry made him do in that one month period, because it likely escalated Sinclair's hatred towards him further.

The memory version of Harry showed up, cold and lifeless, but four figures showed up to face him.

"Harry, I don't know what happened, but we're bringing you home," said a young scarred man.

"I don't know who you are," said Harry in a cold voice.

"Harry, I'm Neville Longbottom, we shared a dormitory at Hogwarts for six years, we fought together against Death Eaters," said Neville as his voice shook.

"Your memories are still down in there somewhere," encouraged a blonde girl in a dreamy voice.

"I never went to Hogwarts, Dolores Umbridge took me in, raised me as a son," said Harry in a mechanical manner. "I live to serve the Ministry, and you four our on their list of people who must be punished."

"Harry, please fight it!" yelled Astoria. "Luna, Neville, help me…"

The fourth girl flicked her wand and blasted Harry with a dangerous looking curse. Harry fell to the ground, the eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"Greengrass, what did you do?" demanded Neville.

Daphne Greengrass looked at Harry, cold and uncaring. "I just short circuited his brain functions, so we can take him back to Hogwarts…"

"You could have given him brain damage!" yelled Neville.

"Wouldn't make much of a difference," said Daphne with disdain.

Neville was about ready to go toe to toe with Daphne, but Astoria stepped in to break things up.

"Just, enough, get Harry back to Hogwarts, to the Headmaster's office," replied Astoria as she tried to keep her wits about herself.

* * *

"Dumbledore, please tell me you have a way to restore Harry's memories to what they should be," said Astoria as she faced the portrait of Albus Dumbledore.

"Yes, this does seem to be a predicament," said Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye.

Dumbledore remained thoughtful.

"In my cabinet, there is a vial of a white potion, it is a way to separate real memories from the false ones," said Dumbledore.

Astoria grabbed the potion, and walked over, she uncorked it.

"Are you sure it is going to work?" asked Astoria.

"It will either restore his memories or give him permanent brain damage," contributed Snape's portrait dryly. "But given what he's been turned into, permanent brain damage would be an upgrade."

"Just do it, Miss Greengrass, this is the only way," encouraged Dumbledore.

"It's almost like you expected this to happen," commented Astoria, as Daphne help her force Harry's mouth open, as she poured the potion down his throat.

Harry's body went into a violent spasm, as he clutched his head.

"FUCKING UMBRIDGE!" yelled Harry when his ability to speak returned to him.

"Potter's back," said Daphne, as she walked off. "I'll leave you two to catch up."

"You saved me," said Harry, as he looked at Astoria, confused. "After all that happened, you saved me…why…"

"Friends don't abandon each other, Harry," said Astoria. "Plus you did help me in a way; I used the leverage of you saving Draco's life as a well to get Narcissa to void that agreement for us getting married. Plus lack of gold doesn't matter, given the goblins have shut us all off."

"How long was I gone?" asked Harry.

"About a month," said Astoria. "I'll see you in class on Monday, Professor."

She walked off. Harry swallowed his own Gryffindor pride to ask a question of a portrait.

"Professor Snape, can Occlumency protect my memories from being modified?" asked Harry.

"If, you can master it, it will, Mr. Potter," said Snape. "I believe I will teach you the proper way, and Professor Dumbledore may assist me."

"So you were teaching me wrong," said Harry.

"I don't make excuses for what I did when I lived," said Snape as he waved his hand. "As of now, I'm duty bound to help the teachers of Hogwarts, and since you fit that qualification, I have no choice to help you."

* * *

Harry held the goblin known as Griphook captive some months later.

"You've been funding the Muggleborn rebels, haven't you?" asked Harry, as he stared down this nasty little piece of work.

"Yes, it was revenge for you swindling us," replied Griphook, with a nasty grin.

"Well, I've got news for you, your little assassins turned on you, and burned Gringotts to the ground, with all of the goblins inside," said Harry.

Griphook remained silent.

"I made a mistake trusting Rosalina Sinclair," said Griphook simply, and his throat closed up. He had broken the oath and his body stopped, to know no more.

Harry and Kara watched the scene.

"First time that name popped into my life, I never heard of her before then," said Harry. "I wish it stayed that way."

* * *

Back in the Headmaster's Office, Harry faced Dumbledore's portrait.

"Who is Rosalina Sinclair?"

"I have no idea," said Dumbledore after he pondered the matter for a moment.

"She must have been a student at Hogwarts," said Harry as he looked at Dumbledore, pleading.

"She must have been, yes" agreed Dumbledore. "Harry, you must realize that a magical portrait only has the knowledge it has been charmed to have. A lot of non-essential information has been left out. If she was unimportant at Hogwarts, then when my portrait was commissioned, any knowledge of her would have been left out."

"How do the portraits get made?" asked Harry.

"Well, there are orbs containing the full memories previous heads of Hogwarts have had down in the Department of Mysteries, we are to update them every three months," said Dumbledore. "Find my orb, and my full memories will be at your disposal. You might be able to pick out who Rosalina Sinclair was and go from there."

"Wow, that sounds easy enough," remarked Kara back in reality. "But something tells me it wasn't."

"Yeah, that's an understatement," said Harry.

* * *

The orbs burned, as the memories faded away. There were several dead bodies on both sides laid out. Harry had one of the Muggleborn rebels, and removed the mask to reveal a scarred man in his middle thirties.

"Our leader will rise, Harry Potter, you have gotten salvation while we have suffered!" yelled the man.

"Who is Rosalina Sinclair?" demanded Harry, as he shook the man. "Where is she?"

The man just bit down, and his eyes went blank. Harry tried to snap his fingers, but there was no one home.

Astoria, Luna, Neville, and Gabrielle Delacour showed up, all to face Harry. They were the only ones who survived the battle.

"Harry, they stole something from the Department of Mysteries, something dangerous!" yelled Luna. "I don't know what it is…"

"We're going to figure this out, one way or another," said Astoria. "Everyone, we need to get back to base, before Umbridge catches us down here."

Harry nodded.

* * *

"We're almost there, right," said Kara.

"Yeah, it'll be over soon," said Harry.

Harry took out Umbridge with one spell. He must not tell lies; he always found that memory worth relieving.

Then Harry Potter came face to face with Rosalina Sinclair in Godric's Hallow, right by Lily Potter's grave.

"I've finally found you," said Harry as he held his wand. His eyes had dark rings under them, said eyes were bloodshot, and he looked rather pale.

"No, I finally lead you to where I wanted you to be," said Sinclair, as she fired a purple flame at Harry from her wand. Harry ducked and rolled immediately. "Your lies begin, and end in the same place, Godric's Hallow, right on the grave of your mother. The mother who protected you! I didn't have that protection from anyone, the entire world spurned me!"

The battle continued, as Harry blasted the wand out of her hand, but Sinclair began to fire spells out of her hand.

"I don't need a wand, you diseased child," said Sinclair. "My powers are far greater than yours, I was special, your life could have been mine, but I was tossed aside like an inconvenience…"

Harry returned fire, and managed to hit Sinclair. She hit Harry with a spell that made it feel like he had suffered a thousand paper cuts at once. Harry pressed on; despite the fact he had lost a lot of blood.

"I was given a gift, a green meteor rock from above, that unlocked my full potential," whispered Sinclair, as she tried to burn Harry's lungs out, but he avoided the attack. "I was chosen to lead my people, and to triumph over the false savior. If I had not forced the issue, this world would have remained the same. The purebloods ruled all and the half-bloods got what was left, leaving nothing for my kind!"

The battle continued, blood spilled, but Harry closed his eyes, before he muttered a spell.

Sinclair stopped, as she clutched her chest. The woman dropped to the ground.

"No, I might die, but my crusade will live on through my children," she gasped with her final breath.

Harry passed out from the blood loss at that point.

* * *

"Unite the Hallows, Harry, I think this is the only way you can defeat them," said Astoria, as she sat with Harry.

"Astoria, the Hallows are cursed, they drove everyone to madness," argued Harry, who had a few new scars to add to his collection based off the battles with the Muggleborn rebels. "Sinclair, her followers have gotten worse, not better since she died. They think by killing everyone, she'll be brought back somehow."

Harry left her, and returned to the Headmaster's office. He knew the next time he left Hogwarts; it would be do or die. There was only one thing left to do.

"Snape, I need to suppress my emotions, they're making me unable to defeat Sinclair's remaining followers," said Harry. "I keep trying to save innocents, and they keep getting away. I need to stop caring."

"Mr. Potter, you could not suppress your emotions without a severe personality rewrite," said Snape without a thought. "For some emotions are a weakness, but for others…not so much."

Harry turned and walked off, no words.

"He may have had all of the emotions beaten out of him," concluded Snape to the other portraits.

* * *

Kara and Harry sat, as the memories broke up, and Harry slid back. They were detached from the memory viewer.

"I've come to terms with what happened," said Harry. "That final battle…I just can't face it right now."

"Just tell me about it instead," said Kara.

"I united the keys," said Harry. "Right when I was the only one left. It enabled me to tap into their full powers, and I destroyed Sinclair's followers, despite them being upgraded by dangerous artifacts in the Department of Mysteries."

Harry took a deep breath. He also remembered Astoria dying on the ground, taking a dangerous curse meant for him. She managed to breath out the word "Veritas", before she died. Harry really didn't think much about it until now.

"Good, I've faced my demons, and now it's a new day tomorrow," said Harry. "I couldn't have done this alone; I would have tried to bury these memories. It's just, my emotions made me so weak…"

"No, Harry, they didn't," said Kara, as she gently helped him off of the ground. "Let's get you off to bed, you need rest. I'm sorry you had to relieve that all over again…"

"I needed to, when I wake up tomorrow, I'm going to be a lot better off," said Harry. "Besides, you were supposed to know me for my entire life…"

"Now, I feel like I do, in a way," said Kara, as they walked up to Harry's room.

Harry collapsed on the bed, and Kara left. Once again, he was all alone.

She returned a couple of minutes later, as Harry rested in his bed.

"Kara, is there a problem?" asked Harry, but Kara climbed into his bed with him.

"I'm not leaving you alone," she said in a firm voice. "You've been alone for too long, and I wouldn't be a good friend if I left you alone after all that."

Harry looked at her, in surprise. "First time a girl ever climbed into bed with me, you know…"

"Well, that's their loss, isn't it," said Kara. "So that means you're…"

"Yeah, that means I am," said Harry, as he shifted in shame, but she wrapped her arms around him, to reassure him.

"Me too," said Kara, as the covers were pulled up over the top of both of them. "Nothing to be ashamed of, it should be with the right person, and something special you share….you just haven't found the one yet."

Kara paused. "Or maybe you have, I don't know. I guess that's something to think about for later."

The two drifted off to sleep, holding each other as they did so.

**To Be Continued in Chapter Seven "Conference."**


	7. Chapter 7: Conference

_So let's dive into Chapter Seven, where a lot happens.. _

**Chapter 7: Conference**

"Chloe, you got to get me into the press area, I've tried to get clearance, but I was shut down!" yelled Lois, as she followed Chloe on her way to the Shining Light Press Conference. She tugged at the sleeve of her cousin's jacket "It's almost like this guy is holding a grudge against me for what I did a long time again!"

Chloe shook her head.

"Lois, if Harry says it's closed off…"

"Harry, on a first name basis with him?" demanded Lois, as she looked about ready to drop to her knees and plead.

"Well, I've met him, he's friends with Clark's cousin, Kara, they went to school together," said Chloe in a quick voice.

"So, they say," said Lois, skepticism apparent in her voice.

"The story checks out Lois, do you think I wouldn't have looked into them?" asked Chloe, and Lois reluctantly shook her head. "Look Harry's a normal guy, a bit eccentric, but if you've seen some of the things he has, you would be too."

'_He could stand to be a little less paranoid, and be a little more discreet,' _thought Chloe to herself, as she showed her press pass.

Two large security guards moved in and grabbed Lois roughly by the shoulders.

"Hey, hands off, buster!" yelled Lois.

"Sorry ma'am you can only go this far unless you've been granted a pass by Mr. Potter," said the security guard. "So, why don't you sit up in the general admission or something?"

Lois turned, defeated for now, and walked off to sit up in the general admission area among the rabble. She watched, but saw Clark move his way from the crowd.

"Hey, Smallville, I tried, I think it's blocked off to anyone who doesn't have clearance!" yelled Lois.

"I just need to speak to Kara and Harry, I haven't been able to get ahold of them for three weeks," said Clark in a half distracted voice. "Excuse me…I'm looking for Harry Potter and Kara Kent, she's my cousin…"

"Yeah, a lot of people are looking for them," said a security guard in a bored tone of voice. "What's your name?"

"Clark Kent," replied the young man.

The security guard checked the clipboard. "Oh, that's fortunate for you; Mr. Potter actually wanted to speak with you after the fact if you showed up, both himself and his bodyguard. So sit down, with the press, and he'll be with you afterwards."

Clark moved down, and saw that there was a seat open next to Chloe. He sat down next to her.

"Clark, long time, no see," said Chloe, in an even voice. She could sense Clark likely had an explanation, she knew him too well.

"Sorry, about that, I'm just having Lana settle in at the farm house, she's moved in," said Clark who looked pleased at the situation. "She's here somewhere, in the crowd…."

"Did she tell you about what happened with her?" asked Chloe.

"Yeah, she got away from Lex, and then she came back, to make amends," said Clark. "I'm sure she's happy to put it all behind her."

"Let's hope so," said Chloe in a low voice, as she waited for the press conference to begin. "Just with everything that's happened…I'm not sure. I'm happy Lana's back, but…"

"Yeah, she's back and everything's going to be alright," said Clark in a jubilant voice, as he looked off to watch what Harry had to say. He was oddly intrigued. The cryptic warning Jor-El gave him rang in his mind regarding the young man.

In the back of his mind, Clark hoped he wasn't dealing with another situation liked what happened with Lex. Yet, Kara trusted Harry, and he supposed that should be good enough for him.

Harry Potter arrived at the podium, as he looked at the assembled crowd. He tapped on the microphone and cleared his throat.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you for coming out today," said Harry in a booming voice. "For the past six years, I have traveled the world, learning all I could. Yet one place captured my attention, and that was Smallville. Throughout the past several years, there have been a number of incidents in this city. These meteor freaks as they have been dubbed have terrorized the people."

Harry heard some yells, but he waved his hand. "People, some of them, I do not deny, likely were twisted because of their powers. Yet, some of them allowed themselves to descend into full madness, because everyone brushed them off as hopeless. They shunned them, and thought that they would never fit in. It doesn't matter where you came from or what your powers are. It's the choices that you make how to use power in the most responsible manner possible!"

A mixed reaction rang out from the crowd.

Harry just looked at them. He could not afford to tip his hat that he had powers to anyone else. Chloe knew, but since Harry also knew about her powers, there was an unspoken agreement not to say one word. The same thing with Clark as well, but Harry knew that if anyone else found out, he would be playing with fire.

He stood on the stage, wearing the most absurd suit possible, his eyes were now blue instead of green, and his hair was straight. He wore a pair of furry boots to add to the absurdity.

Kara stood off to the side, dressed in a black top, black jacket, black pants, and black shoes, with sunglasses on and her hair clipped back. She folded her arms, and her face was stoic. Harry showed her pictures of the guards at Buckingham Palace so she could get the right facial reaction or non-reaction.

"I've studied the situation throughly, and if anyone has powers, and wants help, just come to the Shining Light Foundation," said Harry in a warm voice. "Even if your friends, your family, and your neighbors have forsaken you, we're here to help. I know how much it sounds like the usual spin, but our people are trained to help with special cases."

There was clapping as Harry walked around. "Now, I will open up questions to members of the press."

"Mr. Potter, you've been in hiding for so long, why come out now?"

"I've felt it is time to come out of the shadows, and face the world at large," said Harry. "A lot of the time I've spent in seclusion was me researching, studying, and following up on leads. All roads lead to right here, in Smallville, and this is where I needed to be."

"Do you have any special powers?"

"I have a bad habit of making my car keys and my socks disappear," said Harry, which caused the crowd to laugh. He allowed the laughter to die down, before he went into an anecdote. "You see, a friend of mine from school had a theory that those socks that come up missing, are actually taken through worm holes to another dimension. In that dimension, there is an evil monster who feasts on socks, and plots to one day go strong enough to take over the world through never ending static cling."

Everyone found some amusement to that. Another question was asked. "Mr. Potter, are you really an alien?"

"I think you'll find that all of my papers are in order, and believe me, the experience to get inside this country was an interesting one," said Harry dryly.

"The Daily Planet claims that you had a house that just disappeared," said another member of the press.

"Well, I'm sure the woman who wrote that story thought she saw something there," said Harry. "She was having a bad day I'd imagine, and saw something that was not there. Maybe she should keep hydrated, I heard many people often hallucinate when they are dehydrated as I found out one time."

Harry fielded more questions.

* * *

Lex Luthor walked within the crowd. He faded into the crowd, incognito, wearing a brown wig and glasses. He spotted Lana three rows ahead of him. If he was inclined to do so, he could easily shoot her in the back of the head.

Yet this was night why he was here, and he wished to put what happened behind him.

This new guy in town, this Harry Potter intrigued him.

The fact he seemed to be a normal guy, really made Lex suspicious. It was just like Clark all over again, the potential for secrets and lies all around. No one could be this altruistic without any motive.

'_What's drives you, Mr. Potter?' _thought Lex. _'What is the journal? I must find out more about him…"_

A voice flashed in Lex's head, and he remembered the warning about letting go of his obsessions. He watched the press conference for another moment. Perhaps a face to face meeting would be something that would give him a chance to better get a feel for the former recluse.

* * *

Across from the Shining Light Press Conference, three young people stepped into view, watching from the distance.

"Mere lies," muttered a girl with a buzzcut, scars on her face, and a nose ring, dressed like something out of a punk rock concert. Her name was Grace Prescott. She could tamper with people's emotions, and get them to do anything she wanted to. Her voice sounded like an extra from the Children of the Corn. "Our mother told us this is a foundation of lies."

"He seems sincere," said a younger girl of about ten years old with fiery red hair, dressed in black. Her name was Claire Selton. She could start fires with her mind, but controlling them was another matter. "I don't know…"

"The greatest manipulators are," said Grace, as she looked at the younger girl, and just patted her on the head. "Our mother saved us, protected us, gave us a home…"

"That woman ain't my mother," grunted the oldest of the group, a surly young man with a bad attitude and ripped muscles. His name was Joseph Martin, and he had a hard head, that could also emit a radiation blast. "Bitch has a few screws loose if you ask me, but that guy looks like a scrawny little weakling. I'm going to enjoy beating him up, and breaking him."

Joseph turned to Grace, rage in his eyes. "But let's make one thing clear, that woman isn't my mother and she isn't the boss of me. I'll beat her up all the same if she tries to control me."

"She gave us all a purpose," said Grace in a cryptic voice. "I could convince you to stop breathing if you wish to forsake her as such."

Grace turned to both of them. They needed to learn to obey their mother, the woman who rescued them, who had given them a second chance. They would be in a cage, to be prodded and used as weapons, if it was not for her.

The trio approached the press conference.

"Claire, sweetie, get their attention," said Grace with a smile, as Claire closed her eyes. The brush around them burst into flames, which caused the crowd to scream in terror. Security moved over, to try and get a hold of the situation.

Joseph rushed over, and knocked down the security with a series of violent headbutts. Security crumbled to the ground.

"Out of my way!" snapped Joseph, eyes bulged out in rage, as his hands was wrapped around the throat of the man.

A figure moved over, and pushed him to the ground.

Clark stood and faced this young man. Kara and Harry disappeared to God only knows well when all of the chaos that had occurred.

"Well, guess who just volunteered to stop breathing," grunted Joseph, as he grabbed Clark and tussled with him. "You look strong, and here I was thinking this day would be too easy."

Clark punched him away, but Joseph just stood on his feet, before he emitted a large radiation blast from his head. The radiation burned away most of Joseph Martin's hair. The impact sent Clark spiraling to the ground.

The young man winced from the pain he suffered. He could barely breath; this new threat could blast Kryptonite radiation from his head.

Suddenly, Joseph had been tripped up by one blur. Another blur grabbed Clark off of the ground, and flew him up into the air, out of safety.

Clark rubbed his head, as he was safely on top of a water tower. His vision worked, just in time to see Kara hovering right next to him. She wore a blue top, a red skirt, red boots, and topped off the ensemble with a red cape.

"Kara, what are you wearing?" asked Clark in a bemused voice, as he caught sight of the cape.

"No time to explain, there are people down there, you just rest up here, and come down when you're ready," said Kara, as she flew back down to help.

Clark was left alone, high above the ground. Still could not fly, and he had to climb down, carefully, one rung at a time.

She stood, and waited for a rush of water to be conjured over. She blew the water, causing a sprinkler effect to douse the flames. She rushed over, to traffic as many people out of there as she could. One of her rescue victims included that Lois woman she punched out for trying to with her ship. Thankfully she had been knocked unconscious in the chaos, and Kara was not about to wake her up.

Harry watched Kara save the people, as he dealt with these new threats. The wizard now was dressed in black and white robes. The robes where charmed with a modified Confundus Charm. The only people who could see his true face were the people he trusted. All would be compelled to look away.

"I don't know who you think you are but…" said Joseph, but Harry blasted him backwards before he could finish. Grace stepped and eyes narrowed.

"Claire burn him," demanded Grace to the younger girl.

"I don't…it's not," stammered Claire, but Grace grabbed her by the arm, and twisted it.

"Do you want to go back in that cage?" asked Grace, her teeth gritted, as the young girl trembled . "Mother told me to keep an eye on you, and help you along the path…"

In that time, Harry levitated Claire off to the side safely, and placed her down on the ground. Grace turned, as she saw Joseph get nailed in the face by a flying blonde girl.

"You're just like the other dork I pummeled," grunted the ripped young man, but Kara punched him back again. "My head's hard…"

Kara decided to aim her kick below the belt. He was doubled over, in pain.

"That's not," said Kara smugly, as she dodged an attack, before she knocked the wind out of him with a haymaker punch.

"No little girl in a cape touches me!" growled Joseph as he moved forward, but Clark had finally come down, and knocked Joseph to the ground.

"Grace, you're in a charge, what now?" asked Claire, trembling in fear at the thought of being brought back to that government lab.

"Time for a change of strategy," said the girl, a diabolical grin on her face. Her eyes glowed white and she projected her will upon the entire crowd. "Look, those three meteor freaks, they tried to attack us today!"

"What?" asked Chloe as she looked up, eyes blinking. "They saved…"

"And look, there's an accomplice," said Grace as she pointed straight at Chloe. "Let's show them what the people of Smallville can do. We can't let these super powered bullies push us around any longer."

Joseph stood, arms folded, as Claire looked from the crowd, and to Grace.

"Is there a problem?" asked Grace to Claire. She shook her head. Grace looked her in the eye. "I thought not. Mother will be pleased you're learning to behave."

The angry mob started to advance on Kara, Harry, Clark, and Chloe. The quartet took a few strategic steps back.

"Someone could make a lot of money right now if they started to sell torches and pitchforks," said Chloe, as she backed off with them. "And give them a castle to storm, and they'd really just top it all off."

"Chloe, don't give that woman suggestions," whispered Harry in an exasperated voice.

"Look we weren't…" said Clark, but Harry just shook his head.

"Clark, reasoning, they're beyond it right now, that girl can manipulate their emotions, turning their fear into hate," said Harry in undertone, as he closed his eyes, and created an illusion they were there. "Everyone, hang on and stay calm."

Harry transported them all away from the riot before any of them could be hurt.

"Now, they hate them," whispered Grace, as a triumphant grin appeared on her face. "They hate them just like they hate us. They would have never saved us, our mother told me as much after all. They are a threat to our kind."

Joseph followed, and Claire reluctantly followed their suit, not wanting to be left alone again. The ten year old girl was lost and had nowhere to turn, except follow her older "sister" and their "mother" and obey what they told her.

Since the age of seven, Claire had been shunted along by people who could barely look at her. Who talked about how she was a freak, and how her powers were unnatural. Then there was a government agent who conducted experiments on her with her powers, and locked her in a closed room when they weren't using her. There were other children there, but she had been one of the lucky ones to be freed.

* * *

"Out of the sake of curiosity, where are we?" asked Chloe, as she looked around.

"Shining Light Foundation, main headquarters, basement level," said Harry as he looked around, doing a mental inventory on body parts. "Everyone's in one piece, that's always a good thing…"

"What do you mean everyone's in one piece?" asked Chloe, her voice raising.

"You see, side along Apparation, that is to say appearing and disappearing at will, requires a lot of concentration and energy," explained Harry as if he was discussing the latest weather forecast. "The fact I was transporting three people, and had the angry mob breathing down my neck, it complicated things. Not to mention the illusion spell I had to maintain, and…there were just so many things that could go wrong."

Chloe looked at him. She both wanted to know, and did not want to know at the same time. Harry moved over, and pressed a button, to an elevator. The doors slid open, and the four stepped in.

"This might be a couple minutes, I still haven't fixed these things to work in a speedy manner," said Harry, as he turned to face all of them. "Top floor is where my central computers are located; hopefully we'll find a match on these three…"

"Yeah, maybe we can find out why that girl wanted to have half of the town put us in stocks," said Chloe, as she leaned back. "I wonder why her little mind control trick didn't work on me."

"Mind control doesn't work on people who can think," said Kara with a smile. Clark looked at her, and began to admonish her.

"Kara, you shouldn't judge them, they were scared…" started Clark, but Kara cut her cousin off.

"I heard some of the things they said about the meteor infected, Clark," argued the girl. "Some of them didn't need to be prodded too much."

Kara, Clark, Chloe, and Harry all walked out of the elevator, and into the computer console room.

Chloe stopped in her tracks.

She looked up, and saw the impressive state of the art and rather high tech computer system right before her. She looked over it, eyes glazed over.

Chloe Sullivan had just died and went to computer geek heaven.

"I think you broke her, Harry," giggled Kara, as Clark started to snap his fingers.

"Sorry, lost focus…right," said Chloe, apologetically.

She walked over with Harry, as he explained the system to her. This left Kara and Clark alone.

"You know, I think this is the second time I had to save you," said Kara, breaking the silence.

"I could have handled it, Kara," said Clark, but he looked at her. "Seriously, Kara what are you wearing?"

"It's my new costume," said Kara as she turned around. "If I'm going to save people, I'm going to have to have my own look, aren't I?"

"Kara, you're…." started Clark.

"Not ready, no Kal-El, I'm more than ready," said Kara, as she looked her cousin in the eye. "It might be well and good for some of us to pretend we're something we're not, but I fully embrace everything that I am."

"You should blend in more, Kara," argued Clark, but Kara just bit her lip in frustration.

"I am blending in, Kara Kent, normal girl, best friends with Harry Potter, works for the Shining Light Foundation to help people, that's me blending," said Kara as she looked him right in the eye, as if daring him to contradict her. "Supergirl on the other hand, she can be a positive role model, and a symbol…"

"Supergirl?" mouthed Clark in confusion.

"I have super powers and I'm a girl," said Kara, as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

It was not the first time where she wondered if when that rocket ship landed, Kal-El went head first.

"It's just, there's just a lot wrong with the outfit," argued Clark, as he found his voice. "The cape, the skirt…"

"The cape is specially designed to help with my meteor allegory problem," said Kara, as she looked at Clark, before she added, "And it looks cool, you have to admit that."

Clark just had no words. Kara was not done. "And what is wrong with my skirt?"

He knew he was doomed, and had dug his own grave. Clark tried to back off, but Kara grabbed him by the wrist.

"I asked you a question, Kal-El," said Kara in a sweet voice, as she looked him right in the eyes.

"It's a bit too short," mumbled Clark.

"Well, you learn to fly, and maybe we'll talk about my fashion choices," said Kara. "Harry liked it; he said it made my legs stand out nicely."

Clark was about ready to open his mouth for another protest.

"You know, Kal-El, I used to change your diapers when you were a baby, so perhaps you should just quit why you're ahead," added Kara smugly, as Chloe and Harry both snickered in amusement from the other side of the room. "You let that Lana girl move in with you, didn't you?"

"Yeah, she needs a place," said Clark.

Kara frowned at him before she replied in a gentle voice. "She's not going to be around forever, Kal-El. She'll grow old one day, and die, but you'll still be around. Well at least I hope you will be. But she'll be long gone before you. If she doesn't leave you again before then that is."

Without another word, Kara moved over to be with Chloe and Harry.

'_Harry, Kal-El, and I, we're going to outlive them all,' _thought Kara. _'And I'm glad I decided to stay with Harry. At least he respects me like an equal.' _

"Just about got something, I think," said Chloe as she broke a long silence. "And we have our three attackers right here. First, let's deal with Miss Mind Control here."

"Grace Prescott," read Harry.

"Yeah, she was kicked out of five different private schools," said Chloe. "She has a track record for bullying. She was sent to a public school, but she was charged for murdering her principal after she shoved him out a window. Prescott was acquitted, when evidence came out that the principal jumped out the window on his own accord."

Kara and Harry exchanged a look. They thought the same thing.

"Joseph Martin is our second one," read Harry.

"Yeah he was a rather big name in the underground caged fighting circuit a few years back," said Chloe. "Here's a picture of him, five years ago."

Chloe showed them a picture of a scrawny beanpole of a man with buck teeth.

"So, he's trained, said his prayers, and took his vitamins, I take it," summarized Harry.

"If by vitamins you mean illegal performance enhancing drugs, then yes," said Chloe, as she bit her lip and clicked through. "Steroids, with a little bit of crystalized Kryptonite mixed in for that added kick. He went through the underground caged fighting circuit, and beat everyone. He got the name the atomic skull because of his really hard head. No one could knock him out, ever."

"So how did he get caught?" asked Clark.

Chloe paused. "He tried to move up to the professional leagues, but got busted before his first fight. His T:E levels broke the scale. He did some time for some robberies, and then the government picked him up."

"So, what about the third one?" prompted Kara, as she leaned against Harry.

"Third one is named Claire Selton," she concluded. "No criminal charges at all, well not as much as the first two. She accidentally set her parent's house on fire with her powers, and she couldn't control it. She bumped around from foster home, to foster home…but she didn't stay very long. Until she got lost in the system, and the government grabbed her."

"She didn't seem too bad," said Kara, as Clark and Chloe just looked at her. They shook their heads. They hoped she was right.

"Yeah, that other girl, Grace, seemed to be the ring leader," said Harry. "Of course, she's a pawn in this as well I think."

Kara understood immediately.

"She talked about her mother," muttered Clark. "Who…"

Harry did not say anything, but he knew. She was up to her old tricks again.

He would make sure she would stay dead this time once he got his hands on her, wherever the real version of that woman was.

It was for the first time where Harry wondered if she was really back, or someone just unearthed her remains to experiment with them. Which could be playing with an entirely different type of fire, but he shook his head to focus on the three meteor infected people he knew existed.

He barely had time to think, as he heard Clark answer his cell phone. "Yeah…Lana, I got out of there, barely, so did Chloe, Harry, and Kara…your back on the farm house, good…I'll be right back there in a little bit. Did you get out of there alright? Okay, talk to you later, you too, by."

"Clark, you do realize that Lana is likely under Prescott's thrall," said Harry without any sense of tact whatsoever.

"Harry's got a point, Lana was there at the press conference in the crowd," contributed Chloe, as her eyes widened, but she maintained her composure.

"Look, I know what you're trying to say, but it's not like whoever sent these three are going to be after Lana," said Clark, as he shook his head.

"What if she was their real target all along?" piped up Kara.

Everything clicked, and Harry almost admired Sinclair's brilliance.

'_A carefully orchestrated feint to direct us away from the real objective,' _concluded Harry. _'Okay, Rosalina, you win this round, I'll give you credit for that, but why her? Unless…'_

"Clark, did anything supernatural happen to Lana?" asked Harry. "Anything in the sense of magic, or possession or anything…"

Clark stopped, and considered, as he wrestled with his shaky trust of Harry. "She was possessed by the spirit of a witch named Margaret Isobel Thoreux, but that was years ago and the woman left her body."

"Doesn't matter, magic always leaves something behind," said Harry, as he recalled Dumbledore's words to him. "And there might have been enough of something left over to put Sinclair right onto Lana…"

"So your little zombie sorceress is after Lana!" yelled Chloe, nearly jumping to her feet, but she restrained herself.

"Yes, glad we're all on the same page," said Harry dryly, but he looked up. "And there goes Clark, to save the day."

In spite the situation, he smiled, even if it would likely make his life a bit more trickery.

"Come on," sighed Kara as an exasperated voice, as she grabbed Harry's hand, and the two flew off, leaving Chloe alone with the high tech computer equipment.

'_If she's using an intermediary that means her actual form is weak,' _thought Harry. _'If I can find her, before she returns fully to life, I can stop her.'_

* * *

Lana sat, arms folded, as she looked out the window into the corn fields.

'_Lana,' _whispered a voice in her head. _'Lana. Come to me Lana."_

The woman looked, and a feeling of obedience washed over her. Opening the door, She walked outside the Kent Farm, arms like a zombie, as Grace sat outside, with Joseph right beside her and Claire at the edge of the fence, as a look out.

'_That's it, Lana, come to me,' _said the voice. _'I'm not like Clark or Lex, I won't lie to you. I'm your friend, don't worry Lana, I'm here for you.'_

"Think the boss lady might let her keep what's left of her after she's done," said Joseph as he looked over Lana, with a lecherous grin.

"We're going to let her go, we can't just keep her," said Claire in a shaky voice.

"Claire, dear, just keep watch," said Grace in a warning tone, and Claire turned to peer over the fence. "If you play your part, I might persuade mother to let you keep her as a souvenir."

Joseph nodded, as he eyed the merchandise.

"That's it Lana, just relax, let all movement leave yourself," narrated Grace in a misty voice. "I can make you do anything, Lana, but all I want you to do is to relax and let me speak to the echoes of Isobel deep within you."

"She left!" managed Lana. "What do you want…"

"I don't want anything, for you to remain silent," said Grace, as she exerted more pressure. Lana seemed paralyzed. "Our mother said you might try, and lie. But she knows all, the residual magic deep within you is all she wants…just let her go…"

"Grace, he's…" started Claire, but Clark picked up Claire, put her down off to the side, and knocked Grace over in one fluid movement.

The girl's thrall was broken, but she just looked at Clark, and turned to Joseph Martin.

"Joseph, dispatch of this overgrown weakling, and I'll hand deliver the girl to your quarters by morning," said Grace with a sweet smile.

Joseph cracked his knuckles. An actual prize fight for a change, and his first bout with this hayseed had been cut short.

"Alright, wimp, me and you, one on one," said Joseph, as Clark tried to punch him, but his fist did not even leave a mark. The powerful young man tossed Clark to the ground with ease. Clark bounced up, and tried to punch him again, but the blows were shrugged off. "They called me the atomic skull. Nothing could knock me out…including solid steel."

The violent young man headbutted Clark, and knocked him for a loop. He summoned his powers, before a radiation blast spiraled towards Clark. Clark dodged the attack, but Joseph closed his eyes.

"You need time to recharge, don't you?" said Clark, as he blew Joseph off of his feet, before he nailed him with a blast of heat vision. The young man ducked, and picked up a trash can lid. He rushed like a raging bull, and swung it towards Clark.

"I don't need my powers to defeat some yokel from the corn fields," said the crazed young man, but Clark wrestled it away from him. The two continued to stagger into the cornfield, as Claire watched. Grace had Lana's arms and legs twitching, as she gave a blood curdling shriek.

"Stop, it looks like you're hurting her!" yelled the red head girl, her lip trembling.

Grace dropped Lana on the ground, not bothering to protect her. Lana had a pained expression on her face, as Grace turned slowly towards Claire. Claire stood her ground as the older girl towered over her.

"It seems a stronger hand is needed to dealing with you, for being a disobedient little brat!" yelled Grace, as she backhanded Claire across the face and knocked her to the ground. "Now, keep an eye out for the other two, and let me finish my job."

Grace turned to face the woman, to try and dig other parts of her personality out.

* * *

Above the Kent Farm House, invisible, Harry and Kara watched, hands held.

"Okay, two are bonkers, one might not be beyond help," concluded Harry, as the brawl between Joseph and Clark continued on the field.

"That guy doesn't look too good," said Kara, as she saw half of the face and all of the hair burned off Joseph Martin.

Harry got a reading, and his heart sped up. "Kara, he doesn't look good, because he's reaching critical mass!"

Kara's eyes widened, but she had an idea.

"So, let's try the move we practiced the other day," suggested the girl.

* * *

"You need to go to the hospital," said Clark, as he saw the disgusting visual before him. His face was completely burned off, and he could feel the radiation.

"No, you need to go to the morgue!" yelled Joseph, as he tried to strangle Clark, but at that moment, a large whirlwind kicked up, which knocked Joseph off of his feet. A double attack punched him back. "Show yourself, I don't care who you are, my head can take…"

Clark lifted a tractor off of the ground, before he slammed it into Joseph's head. The meteor freak dropped, down for the count, but then he vanished before Clark's eyes.

* * *

Joseph Martin stood surrounded by nothing but black.

"You better tell me where I am now!" he shouted, as he reached forward.

"The one prison where you can't get out of," said a voice, as Joseph fell to the ground, his head swelling.

He was alone, right the second he went into nuclear powered roid rage, before he blew his top, and nothing but a bloody stain was left.

* * *

Grace had Lana on her feet, but dropped her in disgust.

"Nothing, mother made a rare error," muttered the woman in disdain. "I for one will not be punished for this…"

Grace turned to face Lana. "Take your hands and wrap them around your own throat. Strangle yourself to death."

Lana tried to fight it, but Grace exerted more of her will.

"Clark, I need you!" shrieked Lana, as her hands lifted up, before they wrapped around her own throat to strangle herself.

"Lana!" yelled Clark as he rushed over, to grab her, and try and yank her hands off of throat, without hurting her. It was a struggle.

Grace turned around, before a flying girl kicked her directly in the face, and she was tripped up by an unseen force.

"No one touches me!" yelled Grace, but Kara flew around, and flicked her finger, which caused Grace to fly back. "Claire, fry her!"

Claire's hands trembled.

"Claire, if you don't help me, you're getting sent back to the government, do you hear me?" asked Grace, as she struggled with Kara. A kick to the face sent the crazed meteor freak down.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," whispered Claire, as she closed her eyes.

"You don't have to do this!" yelled Harry becoming visible as he gently grabbed her arm. "There are people out there that can help you. I'm one of there."

Claire looked from Harry, to her "sister". This was the monster that her mother talked about, but he didn't seem so bad. Yet, he didn't save her. She watched the continued struggle as Grace tried to pull Kara's hair, but the Kryptonian returned fire by yanking the nose ring out with full strength.

Grace screamed, and looked at Claire, nodding. A fearful expression appeared on the young girl's face.

"Sorry, I have no choice!" yelled Claire, but in her fear, she lit up the cornfield. She screamed, as she fell backwards and hit her head. Harry levitated her out before she would be burned in her own creation.

"Kara, help me put out the fire!" yelled Harry and Kara let Grace go, before they did their tandem effort again.

Clark ripped Lana's hands from around her neck, and she staggered back, dazed and confused.

"Lana, in front of me!" called Grace, blood gushing from her nose, as Lana moved herself in front of Grace. "You can't hurt me without hurting you, and I know you won't do that, will you?"

Clark stood, and Harry moved forward, as he calculated if he would have to sacrifice Lana to defeat Prescott.

"Come on Claire, I'm taking you home to mother, she'll know how to deal with you!" yelled Grace, as Lana remained a human shield.

"You don't have to go with her!" yelled Harry at the girl, before his tone softened. "Claire, you're not a bad person, you're just lost, you're not a freak…"

"He's trying to manipulate you, and you're letting him!" argued Grace, as Claire looked back and forth at them. "He killed mother's family before…"

"Rosalina Sinclair is a serial killer, she's lying to you," contributed Clark in a kind voice. "Just let Harry help you…

"Claire, you're a good girl, come with us, we'll help you," added Kara.

The red head looked from one, to the other.

"Just fry them, and all will be forgiven," said Grace. "Use your powers, and use them right for once."

Claire's hands trembled, but she turned.

With a fluid blast, she scorched Grace Prescott's face. This allowed Clark to sprint in and take Lana out of harm's way.

"You disobedient, little bitch!" howled Grace at the top of her lungs. "You'll wish you'd be a pet of some old government…"

Kara punched Grace in the face to shut her up, and Harry grabbed the woman.

"No, mother will kill you if you hurt me!" yelled Grace.

"That woman is not your mother," said Harry, as he forcefully apparated her away.

Harry returned a moment later.

"I brought her before our robed associate, it's in his hands now," said Harry.

Clark nodded, as Claire sat on the ground, as she looked at Lana.

"Your friend will be okay, won't she?" asked Claire as she bit her lip and eyes widened.

"Harry?" asked Clark, as he clutched his burnt jacket in his hands.

Harry looked at Lana, who breathed shallowly, and scanned her. He gave his assessment "She'll be fine, just some bed rest, some soup, plenty of fluids, and she'll be back on her feet."

"She didn't have what Sinclair wanted after all," said Clark, and Harry scanned her.

"Yes, no powers, no residual traces, not a thing," confirmed Harry, as he looked at Lana. "She's completely unremarkable in every way."

Clark looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow, before Harry added. "As in she has no special powers, I wouldn't know anything about her personality."

Kara knew what Harry meant, and she would have to agree. She looked at this girl, who Clark risked his life for again.

'_She better not betray him,' _thought Kara in a savage and protective manner.

"You were brilliant out there, Kara," said Harry. "You're a true hero, and deserve a lot of the credit for our victory.

The blonde Kryptonian did not know what to say. She looked at Harry, and stepped forward, to look in his eyes.

"Yeah, you were the best!" yelled Claire as Kara turned around, before red head blushed, and asked in a small voice. "Um, can I have your autograph…"

Kara was taken aback by this. She nodded, as Harry got her a piece of paper and a pen. She scrawled a message.

_Stay strong, and you could do some good too._

_Supergirl. _

Claire took the piece of paper, like a treasured possession.

"Thank you, both, I better get going," said Claire, as she looked at them. "Bye."

"Where are you going?" asked Kara.

Claire paused, and she said in a small voice. "I'll be somewhere…"

"Claire, take this before you leave, and just think about it," said Harry in a gentle voice, and the younger girl turned to him, before he handed her a folded piece of paper. He handed her a little pendant. "This will take you right to this place, if you want to go."

Harry made sure both of the items were safely in the girl's hand, before he adjusted her jacket and patted her on the head. "Stay safe…"

The girl hugged Harry right around the waist, which caught him completely off guard. Harry awkwardly returned it. Kara and Clark both smiled, as the red head moved away.

"Thank you for everything, she was wrong, you're not a monster," said Claire with a shy smile. She turned and walked down the streets away from the Kent Farm.

"Do you think we should have had her stay?" asked Clark, as he hoisted up Lana in his arms, as she stirred.

"She's going to a safe place I think," replied Harry, as he watched Clark help Lana inside.

Kara and Harry sat on the back porch, and watched the sunset.

"We make a great team," said Kara.

"Yeah," said Harry, as he looked at her, and placed an arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I think we better get Chloe," said Kara suddenly, and Harry almost forgot that he had left Chloe alone with his computer system.

Harry grabbed her hand, and the two became invisible, as they flew off back to the Shining Light Foundation.

* * *

"C'mon Harry, just ten more minutes!"

Harry looked at Chloe, as he gently helped her up and pulled her away from the computer.

"Chloe, if you come back and let me help you with your powers, I'll let you use my computer, all you want," said Harry, in amusement.

Chloe looked at Harry. She considered the matter.

"I'll think about it," said Chloe trying not to sound too eager, as she walked off, in a daze, as Kara walked by her to make sure she made it safely out.

"Lois should be out of the hospital by now," said Kara, but Chloe looked at her in confusion. "She took a hit at the Press Conference, she needs to learn when to run…"

"Yeah, that's not going to happen," said Chloe, who tried to figure out whether or not Lois would have been released officially or had left after fighting half of the staff.

Chloe stopped, as she came face to face with the red haired girl who attacked at the press conference.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Harry Potter," said Claire in a small voice. "My name is Claire Selton and I want to learn how about how to use my powers."

"He's right over there," said Chloe.

"Thanks!" said Claire in a happy voice, before she rushed off to great Harry. "Harry, I thought about it, and I came to you right away, I'm so glad you're here!"

"Glad to help you, Claire," said Harry as he looked at her with a smile. "Here's some information about some of the programs offered here, and some of the activities. If you have any questions, ask, now Kara, would you like to show Claire where she'd be staying?"

"Of course," said Kara, as she helped Claire get settled in.

Chloe looked at Harry, confused, about him. This was the person who just a month ago was terrorizing pre-school children?

"I really don't get you sometimes," said Chloe, but she shook her head. "So, see you around Harry."

"Bye, Chloe," said Harry, as he walked off, to see Kara show Claire around her room. The girl looked overwhelmed with joy.

"This is all mine?" asked Claire, she had never gotten her own room since her parents died. People were afraid she'd set one on fire.

"Of course, dinner will be served in an hour," said Harry. "Make yourself at home, you're the first person to come here, but I'm sure you'll make the most out of until more come here."

Claire nodded, as she just explored her room. It could be four blank walls and a bed, as long as it was hers, she was happy.

Kara and Harry moved off to get back to the Kent Farmhouse. She was in good hands, and Sinclair could not touch her again.

Harry felt he accomplished some kind of great victory on that regard.

* * *

Rosalina Sinclair sat inside a laboratory as Curtis Knox stepped to face her, as she remained still inside a tube.

"Doctor Knox, I grow tired of this go around," whispered Rosalina, as she drew breath. "My blood boils!"

"Rosalina, it's not your blood that's boiling," said Knox, as he studied the results of the latest decomposition from her clone. "Nothing is yours; all have been harvested organs that your body keeps rejecting. You need a component to heal yourself permanently; you need organs closer to yours."

"I thought for sure the woman who was once possessed in this town would hold the key," whispered Sinclair as she clenched her fists in fury. Once again the false Chosen One got in her way.

"I managed to unearth this little anchor your created, and kept it sealed up tight," said Knox as he held up a gold necklace. "It contains half of your soul in it, you say?"

"Yes, the transference will be risky without a stable body," said Sinclair, as she was bombarded by meteor radiation. "Death has half of my soul, I wish to gain enough power to reclaim it, and I'll be whole again."

Knox looked at her, eyes narrowed. "Just remember, we have a deal, as I transfer your memories into another body. I didn't dig you up to become a modern day Dr. Frankenstein."

"You allow me to defeat Harry Potter, and I'll give you the key to granting others immorality," said Sinclair as she eyed Knox. "The Philosopher's Stone…"

"I worked with Flamel, and heard of his fabled stone," interrupted Knox, who had been around the block several times. Curtis Knox was merely the latest alias he had taken. "I managed to gather an incomplete copy of his notes, but I could never fashion an exact duplicate. No one in living memory has seen it."

"You are mistaken, Doctor Knox," whispered Sinclair, as she felt her body return, at least for the next seventy two hours. "There is one person who knows how to make one."

"Who?" demanded Knox.

"Once I locate the person, I'll bring him before you," said Sinclair. "In the meantime, I'll bring you a temporary measure."

Knox looked at Sinclair, and released her. "Just remember…"

"I remember, I help you obtain immortality for your wife and you will in turn help me achieve my destiny," said Sinclair, but she paused as something washed over her.

* * *

The woman's mind flashed back to the streets of London, in 1978. A frigid blizzard blew snow and cold wind throughout the street.

A car door slammed, and a harsh blonde woman dragged a scared and sickly red haired girl onto the road, before she shoved her down onto the frozen ground without any remorse.

"Tuney, please, wait!" shrieked the girl, as she sobbed. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Mother and father are dead because of freaks like you," said the woman in a harsh voice, as she turned her back to leave the girl stranded. "You'll never fit in anywhere."

"Don't leave me here, it's not my fault!" yelled the girl, as she shivered, the cold winds nipping at her arms. She did not even have a coat on. "You're my family….sisters don't do this…"

"I'm not your sister, Rose, you're just an accident that never was supposed to happen," said the woman harshly. "Even Lily doesn't want you; you're too big of a freak for her!"

"Petunia, I love you, you're my sister!" shouted Rose, as she shivered, as she beat on the doors of the car with her little fists, but she collapsed onto the ground, lungs hurting.

The car started back up. The man driving it, a burly man with a mustache looked out for a moment. "Petunia dear…"

"Drive Vernon," said Petunia in a cold voice, and Vernon fell back into line. "I'll never take in a freak like her. Now we're late for a dinner party with the Teagues, so let's go."

The car drove off. The six year old girl collapsed in the snow, as her fingers felt numb. She was so weak.

She was going to die out here, forsaken by her family. Lily didn't want her, Petunia didn't want her, and her parents were dead.

Tears flowed down her cheeks.

* * *

Rosalina's eyes glazed over from the recall.

"A problem?" asked Knox.

"Just a dream I had once, a side effect of the transference," said Rosalina, a bit of emotion creeping in, but she squashed it.

Curtis Knox sat as he watched this woman who he had reservations about reviving leave. She assisted him, and lured many meteor freaks to his doorstep, to help with his wife.

Knox looked at the machines his wife was hooked up to sustain her. He had little choice, but to trust Sinclair.

* * *

Lana sat at the kitchen table, and typed away on a laptop.

"What are you doing?" asked Kara, and Lana looked up, before she shut the laptop.

"Nothing, Kara, just surfing online," said Lana with a dazzling smile towards the other girl, but it faded, when Kara looked at her, arms crossed over her chest.

Kara narrowed her eyes, suspiciously, and looked at Lana, before she spoke in a low voice. "I know what happened with you and Clark before. And if you hurt my cousin again, you and I will have problems."

Lana just shook her head, and shrugged off the warning. She covered her tracks well. This was being done to help Clark.

* * *

Harry waited outside, as he saw the door of the barn cracked open. He saw Kara, but grabbed her hand, and put a privacy barrier around them.

"…Kal-El, you must be weary around Kara, you know who her father is, he plotted to murder yours. His daughter would be just like him and has been sent here to…"

"Kara was an unwitting pawn," argued Clark. "Harry unblocked Kara's memories…"

"Jor-El would want me to tell you to steer clear of both of them," said the first voice.

"Who is that?" whispered Harry, as he spotted the look of despair on Kara's face.

"That's the Martian Manhunter," whispered Kara, as she clenched her fists for a moment, before she faced Harry. "He was a friend of Jor-El's…Harry you can trust me, but you can't trust him."

"I know I can trust you," said Harry as he held both of her hands, and looked her in the eyes, without blinking. He then decided to voice a response. "Why don't…"

"I don't excuse what my father did, but…Jor-El isn't exactly the model of decency either," said Kara, as her eyes flared up at the memory.

"Kara, control," warned Harry, as he pulled her into a comforting hug.

"Jor-El was more concerned with forcing my father and me out of our house, with the help of his little pet Martian, than saving a life," said Kara, as she returned the hug. It gave her courage.

"Whose life?" asked Harry, and Kara took a step back, as she tried to maintain her composure.

"My mother, Alura, she laid on the floor, bleeding to death," said Kara hotly, but her voice broke and she allowed Harry to pull her back into his arms. "Jor-El just let it happen; he didn't offer her one bit of help! She was an innocent caught in the crossfire! She had no part of their little squabble."

"Kara, calm down, please," said Harry, as he held her tight.

"Sorry, it's just my entire family is messed up," said Kara, as she buried her face in Harry's chest.

"I understand," said Harry, as he rubbed her neck. "It's going to be okay, Kara. I saw the kind of person your father was. I saw bits of that argument when I fixed your memories. Everyone involved was in the wrong, and it's…not good your mother had to suffer because of some petty feud."

Kara's voice softened, as she looked up. "Kal-El gets any decency he has from his mother; Aunt Lara was a good person. Jor-El on the other hand, he's…"

Kara just buried her head back into Harry's chest, and seemed beyond words.

"I see," said Harry darkly, as he rubbed the back of her neck once again. Kara thought if felt nice, Harry had skilled hands. "Jor-El's all gone now; he's not going to cause any more damage…"

Harry's attention was caught by something.

"Potter might be powerful, but the girl's got him wrapped around her little finger," said the Martian Manhunter, in a warning voice from inside the barn. "It's imperative you find the crystal sent with the daughter of Zor-El, before they find a way to access who is inside it. Plus given the danger Harry Potter has brought into your life, he could prevent you from achieving your destiny. Anyone that Sinclair woman murders is because he chose to come here."

Kara broke off from Harry. The Martian Manhunter could slander her all he wanted, but no one talked about her friend like that!

'_Jackpot,' _thought Harry, as he held his friend back, so she did not cause a scene. He pulled her into a warm embrace, which she returned.

"Kara, I like you a lot and I trust you one hundred percent," said Harry, as he reached forward, and brushed her hair back, before he wiped the tears from her face.

"Thanks Harry, I'm glad someone does," whispered Kara, as they held each other. She looked at him with a smile.

"You're a lot prettier when you smile, you know," said Harry, as Kara remained in his arms, embraced. "Of course, you're still beautiful regardless."

Kara and Harry stared into each other's eyes. They leaned forward, their lips about eight or so inches apart, and the two drew closer, a mere instant away from joining.

Clark stormed out of the barn in a temper causing Kara and Harry to be brought out of reality. The Martian Manhunter watched him go, and Kara backed off. She saw Clark's mood, and jumped to the worst possible conclusion.

"I think I want to go home now," whispered Kara, as Harry just draped his arm over her waist.

"Of course, Kara," said Harry, his face neutral, as he transported them to his house.

'_Good timing, Clark,' _thought Harry sarcastically, as he led Kara into the house. _'Then again…maybe it's for the best…"_

Harry helped Kara to her room. There was only so much to be said right about now.

Kara was dressed, and she followed Harry back into his bedroom. They both fell asleep, without any further words.

Both of them knew what almost happened.

* * *

Lex sat, and pondered, before he tapped the side of his desk.

He would have to arrange a meeting with this Harry Potter, under the guise of business. Then he would know what step to take next regarding the journal. This entire mysterious messenger of death thing seemed shady, but so did Potter's entire operation.

Given whom his father was, Lex could smell a rat a mile away, but he had find out for sure.

**To Be Continued in Chapter Eight "Immortal". **


	8. Chapter 8: Immortal

_So…I really have nothing to say, other than here's the next chapter of Herald of Death. _

**Chapter Eight: Immortal. **

The wind blew in London, as two figures showed up, cloaked in a field of invisibility. They walked through the city street, having flown halfway across the world to be here. Harry looked around, to see if the coast was clear. He waved his hand, and Kara followed him.

They remained silent until they moved from the streets and into the nearby building. Kara's eyes widened, as she turned her head from side to side.

"So, why are we going around in some building that hasn't been used in years?" questioned Kara, before she coughed at the heavy cloud of dust inside the building.

Harry waved his hand, to clear away the accumulation of dust and brought fresh air into the building. He shook his head, and spoke in a low voice. "Because…this is the former government headquarters of my world, or rather what's left of it."

Harry blasted the termite eaten doors opened, and Kara followed him through the doorway. He moved instinctively, but allowed Kara to maintain the pace. The door pushed open, and shut it behind them. They reached a room with rows of filing cabinets lined across the wall.

"The enchantments are long since burned out," explained Harry, as he waved his hand. "No one has showed up to work since about January 2001, but the records are still intact. Yeah, here I am right now."

Kara looked at a faded picture with Harry. Underneath the photo were the words "Undesirable Number One."

She shook her head, and just sighed. "Not your best picture Harry."

"Agreed, figured the Ministry would get the worst photo of me ever," said Harry, as he looked through the cabinets. He stepped over cracked plates with pictures of wide eyed fluffy kittens on them. "Now we're looking for a man named Mundungus Fletcher. He's long dead, but if we find this address, we might find Mum's journal."

"What makes you think this guy had the journal?" asked Kara.

Harry continued to look, and then he responded in a low voice.

"He has a very nasty habit of taking family heirlooms. I wouldn't be surprised if he raided my house after I was taken to the Dursleys."

Kara jumped at a jubilant noise, but Harry found what he was looking for after an intense search.

'_Bloody lifeline tracker thing only works when it wants to work," _thought Harry. _'Fine, it's just like old times. Only without Hermione hissing a bunch of overly complicated magical theory in my ear. Looking for the blasted journal is not going to be the easiest thing in the world.'_

They spread out the records, and shifted through them. After a minute, Mundungus Fletcher's last known address was located, and Harry grabbed Kara's hand.

With another pop, they transported to the hovel. Without any tact, Harry bust down the doors.

Kara scanned the property for anything, a journal.

"Sorry," she whispered, but Harry grabbed her hand to calm her.

"Not your fault, Kara," said Harry. A frown appeared on his face, and his teeth clenched. He began to think.

"_Yeah, it was a fluke, and a shot in the dark," _thought Harry _"I thought it was right, this can't be the one percent of the time where my instincts are buggered.'_

After a moment, he was visited by a burst of inspiration.

"Kara, I've got another idea," interjected Harry, and Kara's eyes snapped up to look in his face. "Please try, and help me find anything…receipts, any records…"

She hastened for the search. The two of them managed to scan the house in record time, and Harry located a battered file box. The enchantments long since faded, so he busted it open.

The two shifted through the receipts, and finally struck pay dirt.

"Good thing Dung kept records of all of his illegal dealings for tax purposes," said Harry in a soft voice, and then his heart skipped a beat. "Kara, he had the journal, and he sold it."

"To whom?" she asked.

Harry paused, and read it aloud to her, "Fifteen years ago, he sold it to a man named Lionel Luthor."

* * *

Clark stood outside the barn. He pondered about what he had learned recently. Three days ago he had the conversation with the Martian Manhunter about Kara, and he did not know what to believe. He wanted to believe his cousin was someone he could trust. Then again, it was almost like that they were from different worlds, for lack of a better term.

His earth upbringing kept him grounded in more ways than one. Clark was so far gone in his thoughts about Kara and Harry that he did not hear the footsteps behind him. Lana approached him, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hi," said Lana, bringing Clark out of his thoughts.

"Oh, hi, Lana," said Clark as he turned to face her. "How are you holding up?"

"Well, I've been through this song and dance before," said Lana, as she shrugged her shoulders. "You look like you haven't gotten enough sleep lately."

Clark walked over, and Lana followed him. He looked over his shoulder, every few seconds to make sure she was still there.

"I'm much better now," said Lana as they entered the house, and sat down at the kitchen table. "I guess after what happened, you learn to take these things in stride."

Clark nodded.

"After all we've been through Clark; you know you can tell me anything."

Clark just regarded the woman, as she gave him a smile. She did have that effect on him, where he felt he could tell her anything.

"Did you ever feel as if you couldn't identify with someone you should?" asked Clark, and Lana invited him to continue. "Kara…she came to town, for a second I thought I had found a blood relative. Yet, it's…she's just fiercely independent and doesn't seem to understand that there are certain ways she should act, so she doesn't draw attention to herself."

Lana took a cup of coffee, and drank it. She chose her next words rather carefully. "Your cousin has a bit of an attitude on her."

Clark raised an eyebrow.

"Well, she threatened me the other day," said Lana, who tried to brush it off with a chuckle and a smile. "She seems to think that I'm out to get you or something."

"Kara's just adjusting," said Clark after a moment's thought.

He looked outside. She had been back, and then she was gone.

"_She does identify with Harry a lot more,' _thought Clark, as he looked out into the distance and out the window.

"So what do you think of her friend?" asked Lana as she looked directly at Clark.

There was a long pause, before he answered the question.

"He's something," said Clark. "He's adapting from his own loss, in his own way."

"I don't know, there's just something about him that seems rather suspicious," said Lana, as she shook her head and frowned. "I don't know both of them just seem to be up to something a lot of the time. And they are living together you said."

"Kara can make her own decisions," said Clark, as he turned to walk, as his thoughts stirred in his mind.

'_She came here, expecting to find a baby, and found a twenty one year old man,' _thought Clark. _'Not to mention what her father did, she's got to have some guilt when she found out the reason why she was sent here. It's a wonder she didn't just run far away, and never speak to you again.'_

Treating Kara like she was a teenager who needed discipline would not go over well. He got shut down every time he tried. Then again, Clark admired his father for what he put up with. He wondered if he could ever be Jonathan Kent.

He suspected he might never know.

"I'll be back Clark, I need to check on something," said Lana in an abrupt fashion.

Clark just nodded, and waved her off.

Lana moved off. She checked the monitoring she set up of all of Lex Luthor's incoming messages.

She spotted one of the messages; it was a request to meet with Harry Potter. Potter had accepted.

'_So, he's up to something,' _she thought to herself, with a triumphant smile on her face.

She also noticed Lex Luthor seemed to be interested in keeping something really safe. Lana bit her lip, and prepared to investigate that matter more.

* * *

Kara and Harry arrived, to speak with Chloe.

"So, what do you know about a man named Lionel Luthor?" asked Harry without any preamble.

"Yeah, I'm fine Harry, thanks for asking," said Chloe sharply, before she looked up, and turned to them. "Lionel, well he's current missing in action. It appears with the entire incident with the dam, someone picked him up and walked him into the night."

Harry just looked at her, frustrated, as he and Kara sat down.

"Why do you want to talk to him of all people?" asked Chloe.

"We found evidence that he has the journal," said Harry.

Chloe just let that sink in for about a second. "On a scale of one to ten, your bad luck must range on about a twelve. A Luthor has this mystical magical journal?"

"No one can access it but Harry," argued Kara, but Chloe was silent before she spoke.

"Well that's only a small relief," countered Chloe, as she got up to start pacing. She sat back down after a minute "Lionel has the journal, or at least he did. If Lionel's been missing for this long, who knows who has been going through his things? I wonder if Lex knows anything about it."

Harry and Kara looked at each other, before Harry's head slowly turned to Chloe.

"That's a happy coincidence," said Harry. "I'm meeting with Lex Luthor today."

"He seems rather insistent, almost kind of pushy," chimed in Kara, as a frown appeared on her face. "I don't know...about that guy, something about him seems untrustworthy."

"That's a pretty good instinct Kara, a lot is off about Lex," said Chloe, as she leaned back for a minute. Then she looked at Harry, serious. "If you're meeting with Lex today, I'd keep both eyes on him at all times. Don't tell him any more than he needs to know. If he gets a reason to be curious about you, he'll obsess over you until the end."

"_I warned him,' _thought Harry in an exasperated manner.

"I'll be as discreet as I can," said Harry, dismissively waving off her warnings.

"Try to and be careful around anyone with the surname Luthor," said Chloe, as she looked at Harry, without blinking. "I know the journal means a lot to you, so I can't advise you to steer clear…but just don't give Lex a reason to start looking into you. He did it to Clark."

"What did he do to Clark?" asked Kara, as she got up to her feet.

"Kara, don't worry about it," said Chloe, as she looked at the other girl. "Clark's a big boy, he can handle himself. "

Kara just blushed, and then continued in a quiet voice. "Yeah I know, it's just hard not to see him as this little cute baby after all of this time. When I went out, that's what I see and now…he can handle himself I'm sure."

'_He doesn't need me,' _thought Kara. _'He's just too different. His Earth upbringing is both a blessing and a curse.'_

"Thanks, Chloe, we've got to run," said Harry, as the two left without another word.

When the two were safely behind a privacy barrier, Harry talked to her. "Just talk to Clark about what you heard, if it's bothering you. The longer you wait, the worse it will be. I can handle Lex on my own."

"Be careful," breathed Kara, as she hugged Harry good bye. The two lingered in each other's arms, and Kara lightly kissed him on the cheek. Surprised at her own daring, she flew off to meet with Clark.

Harry stood there for a moment. He shook himself back to reality. With a shrug, he turned invisible and went off for his meeting with one Lex Luthor.

* * *

Clark walked around to get a good start on the day's chores. A pair of hands grabbed him around the shoulders, and forcefully yanked him through the opened doors of the bar.

He staggered, before he saw Kara hovering in the air, staring down at him.

"You and I need to talk," said Kara, peering down at Clark. Her voice was firm, and hinted a bit of danger to it.

Clark was confused, her tone indicated that she was not about to argue with him.

"Kara, where have you been?" asked Clark.

Kara folded her arms, and answered him. "Well, I've had my own things to do. You know, I have a life that doesn't revolve around the whims of the son of Jor-El. So, I didn't bother to clear my schedule with you, Kal-El. I'm sure you had some visitors around here to occupy your time. You know, like bill collectors or neighbors or Martians."

Clark's mouth went dry. She had heard his argument with the Martian Manhunter the other night.

"Kara, I…he just said some things," said Clark.

"Who do you trust, Clark?" asked Kara abruptly. "The Martian or me?"

Clark stammered, but he was at a loss for words.

"I asked you a question, Kal-El!" yelled Kara as her voice rose, and her eyes flared up. "You see, the Martian Manhunter, he's nothing but trouble. My father was someone who didn't win the prize for decency, but Jor-El was no better!"

Clark felt inclined to defend the Martian Manhunter, since he was not here to offer a defense, "Now, Kara, he's helped me…."

She dropped down and snatched her cousin by the jacket. "Kal-El, listen to me. The Martian is nothing, but trouble! He stood there, and watched as my mother as she bled to death on the floor. She was caught in the middle between Zor-El and Jor-El!"

That comment caught Clark's attention. He opened and shut his mouth. "I'm…sorry about that."

"Not your problem, it happened long before you were even a thought," said Kara, as she looked at him. Her tone softened slightly. "But you need to figure out where your trust lies. I've done nothing, but try to help you."

Kara turned, as her arms folded and her head inclined. "Just think about what I said Kal-El. Trust me or trust the Martian. Harry trusts me, and gave me somewhere where I could fit in."

"About Harry, are you sure you can trust him?" asked Clark, but Kara had lost her temper at that moment. She grabbed Clark, and flew him over, before she pinned him against the wall of the barn. Her eyes glowed, as she stared him down.

It was twenty seconds before her eyes returned to normal, but her strong grip tightened on his arms.

"I…trust…Harry…okay!" she spat, before she backed off. "You're going to become exactly like your father if you're not careful!"

Silence, but Clark then spoke up in defense of the man who raised him.

"There's nothing wrong with being anything like Jonathan Kent," said Clark, as he looked at his cousin, as her fingernails tore through his jacket. "He was a good man..

"I don't doubt that," said Kara, as she relaxed her grip. She flew back, to give Clark room to breathe. "But I was referring to Jor-El. You don't want to become like him."

Kara backed off, as she flew towards the opened doors. She spoke to him as he left. "Clark, you had a good home. A good childhood, and friends here, it's both a blessing and a curse for you. You had two parents, I did too! I hope you're like Lara more than Jor-El. And I hope you understand something…I'm not my father!"

Clark stood, dumbstruck, as she flew into the air. He rushed out the barn, where Kara floated out of reach, and she got further away. She paused to say one last thing.

"If you don't want me around, I understand," continued Kara softly, as she hid the tears in her eyes. Her back was turned for a second, before she looked over her shoulder towards Clark. "Just at least think about what I said long and hard, if nothing else. Good bye Kal-El, maybe I'll see you around."

Kara flew off as Clark tried to chase off after her. Yet, with her ability to fly, she was long gone before he could make it to the end of the driveway.

Of course, it gave Clark a lot to think about. It was a good thing Lana was inside, because he did not feel comfortable bringing this up to her.

Clark decided to take a long walk. Perhaps that would clear his head, and give him some time to think. He slipped inside and saw Lana was still in bed. Then, Clark scrawled a note to her, that he was going to be gone for a couple of hours. He bolted outside, and into Smallville.

* * *

Two young men stared down each other for a moment. Then the dark haired young man broke the ice, speaking to the bald young man.

"Harry Potter."

"Lex Luthor."

Both men shook hands, in an attempt to get a feel for each other. They maintained eye contact, a firm grip, and did not flinch.

"Nice to see you in the flesh at last," said Lex, as he broke the silence.

Harry just nodded. "So you wanted to see me."

"I did," said Lex as he kept his voice low and neutral. "My study is on the next floor; my employees know better than to disturb me when I'm conducting business there."

The two young men walked off. Lex opened the door, and invited Harry inside. Harry looked around, to discreetly conduct some scanning spells.

'_Three listening devices, just on a basic scan," _thought Harry. _'Choose you words carefully, Mr. Potter.'_

Lex closed the door, and bolted it shut, before his eyes traveled to a chess table.

"You play, Mr. Potter?" inquired Lex as he looked at the young man, waiting for a reaction.

"A bit here or there," said Harry, as he sat down on one side of the chessboard and Lex sat down on the other side of the board. Both men maintained eye contact, neither taking an eye off of the other.

"Well, I've been schooled by the best at the art of chess," said Lex, as the pieces were set up. "My father, Lionel, was a chess master."

"Was?" asked Harry, as he began to make his first move.

"He's missing in action," said Lex, dismissive and uncaring. "One of his many enemies likely finally caught him. It was bound to happen."

They remained silent, as they continued the game.

"So, your father, did he collect any oddities?" asked Harry.

"Well, he did have some interesting hobbies," said Lex, as wondered where this was going. The players continued to move their pawns into place.

Harry paused, and continued in a casual voice, "My mother had a journal, and I have received intelligence your father might have purchased it, about fifteen or so years ago."

"Well, if he did, he long since threw it out," said Lex, as he prepared to trap his opponent in the corner. "I wouldn't know anything about it."

"Oh, you wouldn't?" asked Harry, with a raised eyebrow, as he managed to outmaneuver Lex. "What was the purpose of you asking to meet me?"

There was silence as the game continued.

"Your work and your intentions perplex me," said Lex, as he continued to look at Harry. "A non-profit charity organization just randomly shows up in Smallville, to help people infected by the meteor show. Some people might think that you're up to something suspicious."

"Well people will think a lot of things," said Harry, as the game continued. "It doesn't make them true."

"Point well taken," conceded Lex, as he concentrated on the game. "Still, there are many of these people who have been warped by their powers."

"One could argue they are products of their environment," commented Harry lightly. "After all, a person's upbringing can have an effect on people, wouldn't you agree, Lex?"

Lex just nodded in a stiff manner, before he changed tactics. "So…do you know Clark Kent?"

"Why do you want to know?" questioned Harry, as the game continued.

"Well, I assumed you would have come across him," said Lex, as the game kicked up. "We used to be friends, until I grew up and grew beyond him."

"I see," said Harry. "I met him only briefly, through his cousin. She was my friend for years."

Lex just nodded, feeling compelled to give Harry the head's up about Clark. "Just a word to the wise, Harry, Clark tends to be about secrets. He will use you just like you used me. He's not exactly the all American boy scout he portrays himself to be."

"Well, that's an intriguing interpretation," said Harry, as he continued to concentrate. "Well, this was an illuminating meeting."

"I guess I'm not the only one capable of intriguing interpretations," said Lex, as he found himself in a bind.

"Checkmate," answered Harry, his voice rising a little bit and showing a slight bit of emotion. "Well it was interesting meeting you, Lex, but business calls, I'm sure for both of us."

Lex nodded, unable to believe he had lost this game of chess.

"So, until next time, best of luck to you in all of your business endeavors," said Harry, as both men got off their feet, and shook hands.

"Likewise," responded Lex.

Harry walked off, as he had planted his own monitoring device inside of Lex's study which would be able to monitor the entire building.

Lex sat down, and pondered his meeting with Harry.

'_Looks like I'm not the only one who learned a few tricks from a master chessmaster,' _mused Lex.

He returned to his daily activities, but he looked forward to a return match someday.

* * *

"I'm three blocks away from Shining Light main HQ, I'll be there in a few seconds," said Harry.

The ear pieces that he and Kara used to communicate worked out rather well. They could not be tapped in by any force. Given the government seemed to always listen in on every communication, Harry felt the need to have his business remain discreet. His systems directed a bunch of mindless small talk and chatter, nothing the government would be concerned about, and get him branded as a potential terrorist.

Harry moved up, and met Kara inside the lobby. She was now dressed in business attire, although she seemed rather flustered at the moment. Without a word, Harry directed Kara into his private office, so they could sit and talk.

The door was shut behind him. Harry poured her a glass of water, and she took it. He poured one for himself.

"I'm guessing that your meeting with Clark didn't go as planned," said Harry with a frown.

"That's putting it mildly," said Kara, as she leaned back in her chair and sighed. Harry looked at her, but Kara shook her head. "Just drop it, please; I don't want to talk about it."

Harry respectively understood, and knew she was upset.

"When you're ready to talk about it, I'll be ready to listen," said Harry before he changed tracks. "So, I'm pretty sure Lex knows something about the journal."

"That's great Harry!" cried Kara her mood improving, as she jumped up, and hugged him in triumph. She broke apart from him and sat back down.

"I wouldn't be cheering yet," said Harry in a firm voice. "We still have to find the thing first. I was able to slip a bug, for lack of a better term, inside Lex's study."

Kara nodded. She could wait. It almost seemed the journal was right in Harry's fingertips. She did wonder if Harry would want her around after he had found the journal.

Her head shook as she rid herself of those negative thoughts. They were friends, after all.

'_Maybe more one day," _she thought, before she shook her head at those thoughts. _"No, he's cute, but it just wouldn't work out…then again, maybe I can…just focus on your job, Kara!"_

"I find myself rather curious about what's in it," said Harry. "What did Mum leave me? It better be good for all of the trouble it's caused me."

Kara just leaned over, putting her hand on his knee. She looked in his eyes, before she spoke in a soothing manner, "I'm sure it must be vital, and it will be worth everything you're went through."

Harry nodded, as they sat. He absent mindedly shuffled through papers. He was not about to bring up what almost happened the other night, and Kara was not either.

The phone rang, and Harry picked it up immediately

"Harry, thank God!" yelled Chloe over the phone. "Sinclair, there's someone who looks like Sinclair, she's outside…"

A loud scream echoed in his ear, and the phone line went dead.

"Chloe, stay there, we'll be right over!" yelled Harry, but he had no response on the other end of the phone.

In a flash, Kara and Harry moved off, hoping they would not be too late.

'_It ends tonight, you and I, for good,' _thought Harry, but he reminded himself. _'Don't get fixated, innocent people are in danger. Take care of her, when you're sure innocents are safe.'_

* * *

Chloe tried to move out the nearest exit, but she was trapped. Against the wall, she breathed heavily, and she seemed beyond words. From the shadows appeared a gaunt figure, with sunken in eyes, scarred face, and the smell of decay filled her nostrils.

"Get…get…GET BACK!" managed Chloe, but Sinclair grabbed her roughly by the arm.

"At ease, my child," whispered Sinclair, as she used one hand to snap her own jaw back into place. "Relax, I'm here to liberate you from the shackles that you have been placed in…the house of lies you have been trapped in."

Chloe broke free, and knocked Sinclair down with her efforts. She tried to get through the door, but it jammed shut.

Without another word, Sinclair threw Chloe to the ground.

"Why do you fight me?" asked Sinclair as she looked at Chloe. "I'm only here to protect you. The other three, they don't have your best interests in mind. You will be part of a new order, the world will be a better place when those who have been gifted rise above their oppressors."

'_Insane, she's nuts, completely bent,' _thought Chloe as she began to lose her nerve.

Chloe tried to pull herself away, but Sinclair tightened her grip around the woman's arm.

"What are you?" asked Chloe, as she found her voice. "I've seen some weird stuff before, weirder than you'd believe, but you're…not really alive are you?"

"I can draw breath, my organs…work," said Sinclair, as she shut out the pain. "Blood flows through my veins; I am capable of human emotion."

"Yeah, well you're supposed to be dead…deader than dead," whispered Chloe, but she was choked by the woman.

"I decay, that fool Knox didn't do his job properly," said Sinclair as she felt her heart struggle to draw blood. "HEAL ME!"

Chloe's eyes watered, as Sinclair's grip around her throat relaxed.

"N-no I can't, it could…" started Chloe, but Sinclair just threw her to the ground and pinned her by the arms.

"Either heal me with your powers, or I'll finish the job I started a month ago," said Sinclair through gritted, rotting teeth, as Chloe struggled. "Your friend, Clark isn't it? He nearly wilted like a rose trapped in nuclear fallout around me. My very breath contaminates him, he can't save you."

"Don't hurt Clark, and I promise I'll help you," whispered Chloe, and Sinclair gazed at her.

"You're a good child, Chloe Sullivan, do what's best to heal your mother," said Sinclair, with a twisted grin, to show off her decayed teeth.

Chloe closed her eyes. This was going to hurt. She touched Sinclair, and felt unbearable pain before she blacked out.

Rosalina Sinclair performed some basic healing charms to ensure Chloe did not die. Sinclair was whole again. She took out her phone, and dialed her partner up.

"Knox, I have your guinea pig, your temporary solution as I promised," said Sinclair, shortly, as she scooped up Chloe gently in her arms, and left a little message for her hated enemy to find when he arrived.

As Sinclair left, she was visited with another flashback.

* * *

"ROSALINA SINCLAIR!"

A shy eleven, nearly twelve year old girl with auburn hair and green eyes made her way up to the Hogwarts Sorting Hat. She heard mutterings over at the house tables.

"Blimey, she looks almost like Lily Potter…"

"…yeah, she sacrificed her life so the Boy-Who-Lived could survive…"

"I wonder if they're related…"

"I wonder if she knows where Harry Potter is."

Rosalina just blocked all of those words, and sat on the three legged school. She was found in the streets of London by a kindly squib named Phillip Sinclair. She was taken to St. Mungos, and healed. Then she was adopted, and renamed Rosalina Sinclair.

"**Hello Rosalina," **said the Sorting Hat in her ear. **"Or should I say…Rose Evans?"**

"_I have…no clue what you're talking about,' _thought the girl in a panicked manner. _'My name is Rosalina Sinclair; I don't know anything about this Rose Evans girl. Maybe you have a defect, or something. How often do they check you out?'_

"**Ah just like your sister,' **said the Hat.

'_I'm nothing like Petunia!" _thought Sinclair, nearly voicing that thought out loud.

"**I was referring to your other sister" **remarked the Hat. **"But never mind the small thought, hmm, curious, curious, this is quite interesting."**

'_Could you just sort me?"_ thought Rosalina impatiently. _'They're staring at like me because I look like my s…this Lily person.'_

"**You are a tricky one to sort," **muttered the hat. **"You are brilliant in your own way, but also cunning. You do have a fair amount of courage, bred on the adversity because of the life you lead. Yet you are fiercely loyal to those close to you."**

Rosalina waited.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the Hogwarts Sorting Hat.

Rosalina joined her new house mates. Another girl joined her a second later. She had bright pink hair.

"Hi!" said the girl in a chipper voice. "Man, Hufflepuff, I can't believe it. My entire family was in Slytherin, except for my Dad and my cousin. They were both Gryffindors."

Rosalina just nodded in a polite manner.

"My name is Nymphadora Tonks!" said the girl in a hyperactive voice. She resembled a chipmunk on a sugar high. "But, just call me Tonks!"

She looked serious, and concluded in a low voice, "Call me Nymphadora and you die."

Rosalina did not know how to take that little comment.

"Right, um Tonks," stammered Rosalina. "My name is Rosalina Sinclair. I'm a Muggleborn witch, adopted, by my dad. He's a squib."

"Oh," said Tonks as she looked at her new house mate. "Rosalina…mind if I call you Rose?"

"Please don't," said Rosalina, turning to hide the shudder she gave from that bad memory.

"Okay, Rosalina it is," said Tonks. "So what do you think of Hogwarts?"

"It's interesting," said Rosalina, as she looked up at the ceiling in awe. "I might like it here. My dad's really sick right now, and I hope he gets better. At least this gives me something to do."

"Hope he feels better," said Tonks, as she patted the other girl on the arm. "I think we're going to be best friends forever, kind of like sisters, maybe!"

Rosalina just smiled. She would like a sister like Tonks, given how her two biological sisters abandoned her when she needed them the most.

* * *

Sinclair shook her head, and scowled at the memories of that wide eyed, innocent, eleven year old child that visited her.

'_I'm not that girl,' _thought Sinclair, as she returned to Knox's lab with Chloe.

* * *

After breaking several magical barriers, Harry rushed into the apartment, and Kara followed closely behind him. Both looked frantic.

"She's been here," said Harry, trying to remain calm, as they searched around for Chloe. There had been a struggle for sure.

It took a moment to realize that Harry had been too late.

"You brought this plague here into Smallville."

Harry and Kara spun around, to come face to face with the Martian Manhunter. Kara's fists clenched, but Harry grabbed her arm. Then he placed himself between the two, to avoid a scene.

"Plague, funny, real cute," remarked Harry in a sarcastic voice. "So you're the Martian Manhunter. I suppose Martians are an endangered species."

The Martian Manhunter replied with a swift nod. "I am the last of my kind."

"Well extinction might be in your future if you ever get in my face again," said Harry as he stared the Manhunter right in the eye. "I know what you did, you and Jor-El both. You have some nerve acting like Kara is in the wrong because of who her father was. Given how you let her mother die, my patience for you is in short supply."

The Martian Manhunter did not offer any protest, or any words. Harry continued to stare him down, before he spoke once more.

"I don't know what your game is, but I have enough people trying to play games with me without adding you to the list. Kara is my friend, and I don't take too kindly to what you are doing."

"You need to open your eyes to the truth, Harry Potter," said the Martian Manhunter as he regarded Harry. "You cannot let your physical attraction to this girl blind you to her true nature. She will…"

"Enough!" snapped Harry, and Clark showed up at that moment. Harry rounded around to him. "Call your father's pet Martian off before I send him to join the rest of his kind."

Clark sighed. The Martian Manhunter took a step back.

"Look we can solve this later…something might have happened to Chloe…"

"We all know who did this," said Harry darkly as he walked around to search for a clue. He picked up a folded piece of paper.

**Bring the Philosopher's Stone, and I'll make sure your friend is safe. Come alone to the address on the back of the paper. Bring your little extra-terrestrial girlfriend or her cousin, and I'll kill them.**

**R.S.**

Harry caused the paper to burst into flames, and turned around, to face the three.

"I'll handle this alone," said Harry as he turned his back, and walked away.

Needless to say, Harry Potter was trapped between a rock and a hard place. His mind worked into overdrive to try and find a situation.

First, he had to find out about this Curtis Knox. He moved to a secure spot, and put up the privacy barrier.

"Work please," said Harry, closing his eyes. "Who is Curtis Knox?"

"**Curtis Knox is the latest reaction of an immortal known as Vandal Savage," **said the Lifeline. **"He has been around since before even Hogwarts. "**

"And he wants the Philosopher's Stone," concluded Harry. "Why would he want it, if he is immortal?

"**It would indicate that he wants to give his gifts to others, potentially a loved one," **said the voice. **"His cure scheme is a front, as he's studying the meteor infected, and harvesting their organs."**

Harry counted to ten, before he spoke again.

"So, no Philosopher's Stone, and I can't make one," said Harry "Too bad there isn't a cure for immortality, kind of like a reverse Philosopher's Stone?"

A piece of paper appeared in the air, and dropped in Harry's hand. He looked at it, and scrambled to make plans.

Time was of the essence.

* * *

Chloe's eyes opened abruptly. She was strapped to a table, and unable to move.

'_Bad omen,' _thought Chloe, before she peered into the face of Rosalina Sinclair. She could still smell the decay coming off of her breath. _'Worse omen.'_

"So you managed to survived, just rest my poor little child," whispered Sinclair, as she brushed Chloe's hair away from her forehead and pattered her on the head. "All of my other children, they're safe under the care of Doctor Knox. They will be better, stronger, and we will make the world a better place."

"Knox…he's offering a cure to the meteor infected," managed Chloe, as she tried to pull herself free. It was useless.

"Some of my children have forsaken me, others have perished at the hands of the false savior," said Sinclair. "Harry Potter is not the shining beacon of hope the world wishes him to be…he's nothing but the spawn of two diseased bloodlines. I shall correct the matter."

"Harry's…he alright!" yelled Chloe, as she tried to pull herself free, but failed. "He might have a few odd quirks, but he's an alright guy…and you're…."

"I'm what, Chloe?" said Sinclair, as she looked at the bound woman. "A monster, a serial killer, a freak who doesn't deserve to breathe air? What I am?"

Chloe tried to remain strong, but the flood of tears overwhelmed her. Sinclair just dabbed her eyes with a tissue. "Hush, Chloe, once you've seen the light, you'll understand. Clark, he didn't appreciate your friendship, did he? Kara, she's cut from the same cloth. As for Harry Potter…well he brings death wherever he goes. I just bring about new life, and new hope."

Sinclair just adjusted her shoulders, and slowly stroked Chloe's hair, a twisted reflection of a motherly smile appearing on her face.

'_She's nuts!" _thought Chloe as she felt her heart beat faster. A door creaked open, to bring another party into the room.

"Rosalina, thank you, but I can take it from here," said Knox, as he held his hand out. Sinclair departed to the other room.

"Look…what are you doing?" asked Chloe. "Sinclair's…she's a monster, she killed hundreds of people and…"

"Yes, I'm aware," said Knox, cutting her off. "I'm aware of much, about her. You see, life is fragile. Bones break, limbs get removed, and skin gets melted off. Yet, you have the ability to heal others, even with a great risk, mitigates them all."

Knox prepared his surgical tools. "My wife, she lingers half of an inch between life and death, always. Yet, my dear Sophia, if I can give her the same gift I have, I would be a happy man. Your abilities fascinate me. I've used Rosalina Sinclair as the perfect guinea pig, now it's time to do the procedure for real."

"Just what do you want from me?" asked Chloe, as her breath grew labored.

"Your organs," said Knox, as he looked at her, seeing the fear on her face. "Let me prepare a sedative. It may sting a little bit."

"CLARK!" yelled Chloe at the top of her lungs, but Knox had put a gas mask on her.

"Calling for your friend, how touching," said Knox. "I have heard about Clark Kent, or Kal-El as he was born. In another life, I might have been like him. However, with immortality, there are no alternate lives."

Chloe's eyes grew heavy. Knox looked at her. "Now sleep."

* * *

In the dead of night, Lana Lang snuck into a guarded building. She knew from her monitoring that security was most lax around this time. Dressed in black, with a mask over her, she moved around the shadows, sticking to them. She crept around, looking for her objective.

She reached a control panel, and gently opened it. She deactivated the security. Without another word, she slipped past a half asleep guard.

Inside a small study, Lana pulled back a book, and a fake wall between a book shelves slid open. Inside a glass case rested a red journal with strange green markings.

She had no idea what the journal even was, but if Lex was hiding it must be something valuable.

She swapped out the journal for an identical copy, and covered her tracks.

It was like Lana Lang was never even here at all.

**To Be Continued in Chapter Nine "Rescue". **


	9. Chapter 9: Rescue

**Chapter 9: Rescue.**

Harry wiped sweat from his brow, as he managed to piece together all of the components. It was a combination of science and magic, which meant this blood red stone could only be used once. Mixing the two was akin to juggling with fire. He managed to burn the notes that he had been sent. The twenty year old Herald of Death continued to check every single calculation, but he held in his hands a rather dangerous weapon. It felt like a magical version of a ticking time bomb.

It would have been a lot easier if he was able to pop in and snatch Chloe before Sinclair got to her. Of course, it was never the easy. There were barriers that Sinclair put up. Harry could go through them, he would survive. In the process he would have killed everyone within a five mile radius on all sides, including the person he was going off to save. Harry wished he didn't care, but despite all of the loss he did. He resolved not to let Sinclair get to him. Tonight, she was going down, if he had to gift wrap her to death personally.

There was something about Sinclair that unsettled Harry, and he wondered about a certain connection. He was brought out of those thoughts by a soft voice.

"So do you have any plan?"

Harry's eyes perked up. Kara stood in the doorway. Her arms were crossed, and she tried not to show any worry on her face. Yet her body language betrayed her true thoughts.

"Going by a classic standby from back in the day," said Harry, as he moved closer to his friend. "Make it up as I go along."

Kara just nodded, as she across from Harry. She had never seen him so flustered in the short time she lived with him. He was always so calm, cool, and collected.

"So, I do wonder," said Harry as he looked at her. "If it came down to a choice, between saving Chloe, or finishing off Sinclair, what should I do?"

"The right thing," said Kara in a quiet voice, as she looked at Harry seriously. "So, it might end between you and Sinclair tonight?"

"Kara, I've got to take her out, even if sends me back to my boss," said Harry as he grabbed her hands. "She's a danger every second she's here in Smallville, to you and Clark, and just about everyone else. She thinks she's doing the right thing, but she's…twisted."

Kara considered for a minute, but she stepped forward, with a pleading look in her eyes.

"Let me help you, we can beat her, both of us," said Kara, as she grabbed Harry's hand to prevent him from walking out the door. "You and I…together…as partners…we can be…"

"I know, Kara, and I know you can handle yourself," said Harry, as his hand lingered on hers. "I just can't bear you see you get hurt because I…well I just can't bear to see it."

Harry paused, before he voiced something.

"Is there a right thing to do though in this situation?"

Kara shrugged her shoulders, and just looked into his green eyes. She saw much in them, determination and a bit of fear. Fear of failing someone yet again, despite his best efforts.

"Kara, I need you to promise me you'll stay away," said Harry as he grasped her hands, and gazed into her eyes. "Please, I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Okay, fine," said Kara quickly.

'_If he's not back in an hour though I'm going to help him, regardless of the consequences" _she added mentally.

Harry hugged her goodbye. She threw her arms around him, and returned it. They stood in the lab for a couple of minutes, arms wrapped around each other.

"I better get going," said Harry as he slipped his arms from around her waist, reluctantly letting go, but he really had to go.

"Yeah," said Kara as she turned her head away to hide her tears, reluctantly letting go of him.

She watched him fly off.

Kara realized something about her and Harry. She restrained herself to calling him back.

"Good luck," she whispered but Harry was long gone.

She hoped for a little more than a hug, but she just shook her head. Harry had more important things to worry about at the moment, and once they had the journal, Kara wondered where her place in Harry's life would be. She wondered if there was a place for her.

Never more had she wanted to be wrong.

* * *

Rosalina Sinclair sat, as she thought about her life, and her goals. Tonight would be the night she took down Harry Potter once and for all. With Potter gone, she would be able to claim the powers of the Deathly Hallows, and ascend to a higher level, where she could abolish death. The world would be perfect if no one would have to suffer loss.

She felt a headache coming on, and not to mention a flashback.

* * *

Seventeen year old Rosalina Sinclair walked up to the Headmaster's Office. She requested a meeting with him to find out about a certain young man named Harry Potter. She was let into the Headmaster's Office, and approached Dumbledore at his desk.

"Ms. Sinclair," said Dumbledore, as he offered her a seat. "I must say, I didn't understand why you wanted to see me."

"It's about Harry Potter," said Rosalina without preamble.

Dumbledore surveyed her, as if trying to figure out why she would ask such a question.

"Now, Ms. Sinclair, the poor boy doesn't need to be badgered," said Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye. "You aren't the first young witch who wanted to get an autograph from Harry Potter."

Rosalina just rolled her eyes.

"I don't want an autograph, I want information," said Rosalina as she looked Dumbledore in the eyes. "My birth name is Rose Evans. I'm the younger sister of Lily Potter. I want information about my nephew."

Dumbledore scanned her. Nothing seems deceptive, so he continued.

"Well, I had no idea about you," said Dumbledore, but he chuckled. "The family resemblance is rather uncanny, the same red hair and the same green eyes, you look just like a younger version of Lily."

"So I have heard for the last seven bloody years," said Rosalina bitterly, but Dumbledore looked at her reproachfully. "Sorry, sir, it's hard to be compared with your dead sister all of the time."

'_Not to mention being asked out by boys because you look like the mother of the world's hero,' _thought Rosalina, as her stomach turned, revolted at the thought of that.

"Understandable," agreed Dumbledore, as he moved through some of the instruments. "There is really no need for you to worry, Harry has been sent to live with your oldest sister and her husband."

Rosalina's mood darkened.

"Please tell me that she didn't marry Vernon Dursley after all," said Rosalina, her voice raised in a higher pitch.

"Yes, and they have a son named Dudley," said Dumbledore in a cheerful tone of voice.

The seventh year Hufflepuff rolled her eyes at this. Sounds like something Petunia would name her son alright. She supposed she had a bunch of sickeningly sweet names for the little monster.

'_After all, mixing Dursley's DNA with Petunia's isn't going to end well,' _thought Rosalina.

"Professor Dumbledore, what makes you think that Petunia didn't dump Harry out in the alley in the middle of winter at the first chance she got?" asked Rosalina.

"He's still there, Ms. Sinclair," said Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye. "I can assure you that Petunia willingly took him in, he's safe and protected at the Dursleys."

That statement did not assure Rosalina Sinclair at all.

'_Ten years under Petunia's care, I hope the Wizarding World is ready for a foul little monster,' _thought Rosalina darkly. _'He's damaged by now already, he's likely just as twisted as Petunia, and adding Vernon in there…yeah I don't think I could handle dealing with him.'_

"Thank you, Professor, I have homework to do," said Rosalina in a neutral voice.

Dumbledore waved her off, and Rosalina Sinclair left.

Rosalina walked from Dumbledore's study. She did not have the heart to tell anyone the conclusions she drew about her nephew. No one would believe her to begin with.

She looked up, and frowned as she saw seventh year Slytherins bullying first year Muggleborn Hufflepuffs. Again, she had seen it for the past seven years, and these purebloods (and some half-bloods) barely got a slap on their wrist or a stain on their reputation.

Rosalina held her wand. If no teacher wanted to put a stop to this, then she would. She would deal with detentions or any other consequences.

It was on that day where Rosalina Sinclair made it her mission in life to protect those who were swept off to the side. She would do so by any means necessary.

* * *

"Rosalina, are you still among the living?" asked Knox as he shook the woman.

"Yes, Doctor Knox!" snapped Sinclair, as she looked up. She clutched the gold necklace in her hand. It was a treasured gift her father gave her before he died during her third year at Hogwarts. She used it to make sure she was always there to protect those in need. "Is the woman ready?"

"She is," agreed Knox. "I do hope that your plan will work, and your friend will come."

"He's no friend of mine and certainly no family," said Sinclair in a short tone, as she held her hand, and energy cackled from it.

"My mistake," said Knox in a crisp voice took a step back. "But the real question is will he come?"

"He'll be here," said Sinclair, malice dripping from her words. "He can't resist the glory, to play the hero and save the girl. It's encoded into his DNA at a genetic level."

Chloe stirred on the table, as Knox moved over.

"It appears her healing powers are a bit stronger than I previously calculated," said Knox, but he looked excited about the prospects. He reached over, to fetch a stronger sedative, but a new figure knocked him back into the wall.

Clark struggled with Curtis Knox, as Knox tried to stab him with the needle. The needle broke on his skin.

"Impressive, and durable," said Knox, as he punched Clark in the chest with full force. He strangled Clark, but to his credit the young man fought back. Knox looked into his eyes with disdain. "You must be the Kryptonian!"

Knox and Clark struggled, but Clark aimed a blast of heat vision up. It bounced off a set of mirrors in the lab, and cut down a set of lights. They collapsed on top of Knox, and Clark flung Knox across his lab.

A blast of energy caught Clark in the back, and Sinclair levitated Clark in the air. The young man went flying, although not willingly when he was hurled to the other end of the lab!

"Clark," gasped Chloe, as she stirred herself weak, as Sinclair swooped in, like a shark smelling blood.

"You grow weak, Kal-El," said Sinclair in a wicked voice, as she conjured two Kryptonite knives, and tried to stab them into the young man, but he blocked them with a large sheet of metal, and pushed them back into her. A pair of punches rattled her.

Sinclair's head whipped around from the impact of the next punch. The force caused her head to twist completely around to the side. Clark's eyes and mouth widened in horror, but the woman grabbed her head, and snapped it back around to face Clark. She blasted him back to the ground.

"Again and again, we do this, my energy will hurt you and kill you…" started Sinclair. Her words never finished, as a figure materialized from under the ground. A fist impacted her face.

Sinclair moved, as Clark tried to get up, but Knox grabbed him, and flung the young back.

"I might look like a mild mannered scientist, but I'm much more," said Knox, as he strangled the weakened Clark, a twisted grin appearing on his face. "Determined to win, I like that, makes strong DNA that I can play with after you're deceased."

The Martian Manhunter and Rosalina Sinclair circled each other, as much of the lab had been damaged.

"You seem determined to protect this menace," said Sinclair, as she battled with the Martian Manhunter. "So be it, you'll burn with him!"

Sinclair held her hand, and the Martian Manhunter was bombarded by a huge blast of simulated yellow solar radiation. She held her other hand, and forced a blast of red solar radiation at Clark to knock him back.

"How are you doing this?" demanded the Martian Manhunter, as he was knocked back hard.

"Magic, it can do anything!" shrieked Sinclair, as they tried to fight through sheer force of determination.

Knox pried open a storage freezer, and Sinclair blasted them inside it, before she sealed the weakened forms of the two aliens inside.

"Put them on ice until I have a chance to study them," said Knox with a twisted grin, as he looked down at Chloe. "Now I believe you have a date with some surgical tools."

"Who do you think you are, Jack the Ripper?" managed Chloe.

"I was Jack the Ripper," whispered Knox. "I was many things, responsible for many wars, but today I will be the man who harvests your organs for…"

"Let her go, Knox."

Knox looked up as he saw a young man approach him.

"Harry, it's a trap!" yelled Chloe, but she was gagged immediately by Sinclair.

"Obviously," said Harry, as he looked at Knox and Sinclair, as he tried to calculate an attack. "So, Curtis Knox, or would you prefer the name…Vandal Savage?"

"Ah, you've done your homework," said Knox as he stared down Harry. He was an impressive looking specimen and the doctor could hardly wait to study this one's DNA. "And you brought the Philosopher's Stone."

"Just why do you want the Stone so badly?" asked Harry as he held the object in his hand.

"Hand it over, Potter," said Sinclair as her fingers twitched, along with her eye.

"Now, Rosalina, I think we can allow him a little bit of explanation," said Knox. "Before I let you loose on him, naturally, and I'd kindly ask you to exhibit some patience."

"You don't know Potter, like I do!" yelled Sinclair. "He's a devious little…"

"You know, you're rather animated for a corpse, Sinclair," taunted Harry, as he took a step forward, as Knox half restrained Sinclair and half looked at Harry.

"Years ago, I posed as an apprentice to Nicholas Flamel, and tried to get my hands on the Philosopher's Stone," explained Knox. "I was only able to steal a partial copy of notes. I could transmute lead into gold, but the method to create the Elixir of Life that was lost on me."

"Continue," said Harry, as he mentally calculated the energies coming off of Sinclair's body.

'_Sinclair's time is running short, her latest body can't be sustained for more than thirty minutes,' _thought Harry. _'Keep Knox talking, Potter.'_

* * *

Clark's eyes opened, as he woke up. He shivered; his powers were at its lowest.

"I underestimated her," gasped the Martian Manhunter. "Her danger is far greater than I could have realized."

"She's stronger than she looks," agreed Clark, as he tried to look for anything in the storage freezer that would allow him to escape.

The walls cracked open behind them on the outside of the building, and it allowed them to exit.

Clark looked up, and was confused who done this for them.

Naturally, he was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, as he helped the Martian Manhunter outside.

Both saw a familiar figure fly off into the night sky. The red cape fluttered in the breeze as she flew off.

* * *

"Enough chatter!" yelled Sinclair as she knocked Knox over and made a mad dash for the Stone "The Philosopher's Stone is mine!"

She jumped at Harry, but she flew through an incorporeal duplicate. She turned around, to see the real Harry Potter charge her, and slash his hand at her. Sinclair was blown off of her feet from the impact.

'_That trick never gets old,' _thought Harry, as he prepared to do battle with Sinclair. He transfigured and animated the chair to try and trap her, but Sinclair was a step ahead of her enemy.

"Tonight, it ends," said Sinclair, as two spells ricocheted off of each other.

"Yeah, you're right," agreed Harry, as he burned her hands, and shoved her against the wall. Several of the containment tubes containing the harvested organs knocked over. The Philosopher's Stone slid to the ground, forgotten and promptly buried underneath the fallen tanks.

"WATCH OUT!" yelled Knox in absolute horror as they battled closer, but it was too late.

In her fury, Sinclair tried to smash Harry, but he smashed the containment tank containing Sophia. Harry made a movement to try and seal the damage, but Sinclair grabbed Harry by the throat, and the two continued to duel, as the remaining life faded from the women on the floor. Sinclair sent broken glass at Harry, but Harry blasted them all with one fluid movement.

Harry knocked Sinclair through the wall and both had disappeared into the next room. The moment they were out of sight, Harry pulled his hood up over his head.

Chloe managed to free herself using one of the surgical tools to cut the strap. She looked up, and saw Doctor Knox on the floor, cradling his wife. A single tear rolled down his cheek.

"Doctor Knox," said Chloe, slowly as she looked at Knox.

"She's gone, the thing I wanted to prevent, I caused it," said Knox as he held her unmoving remains in his arms. "Thousands of years alive, everyone I ever met died. We all die eventually, Death can be harsh. She's even beyond your healing abilities now Chloe Sullivan. The organs her body has rejected…it's all Sinclair…"

Knox shook his head.

"All my fault," said Knox, but he realized something. "One last hope…the Stone, where is it?"

Chloe backed off slowly, in fear that Knox might have a breakdown and do something insane in his crazed grief.

* * *

Now robed as the Herald of Death, Harry slashed an energy scythe at Rosalina Sinclair, but she blocked it. They slashed their attacks together, the duel getting more intense. All Harry had to do was outlast her, but she was determined to get full mileage out of her body.

"I've suffered long enough!" yelled Sinclair, as she tried to stab Harry with some red hot knives, but Harry deflected them.

"Yeah, suffer, you," said Harry as he deflected her attacks back at her. "Look, Sinclair, when people die, there's a good reason why they should stay dead. You're not really alive…"

Sinclair tried to burn Harry's face, but Harry dodged her flames. He had put the pieces together a bit ago, but he was certain he was correct. The battle continued, but Harry held her back.

"You have some anger management issues, Rosalina Sinclair," said Harry, but he just paused. It all made so much more sense now. He added, nearly taunting. "Or should I say, Rose Evans?"

Sinclair shrieked like a banshee at that name, broke out from her containment, and began to fire curse after curse at Harry. Harry dodged them with adept reflexes.

"That girl means nothing to me!" yelled Sinclair, but Harry could see she was breaking down both mentally and physically. "Potter…you…will die!"

"After you."

Sinclair blocked the energy scythe, as they continued their duel. The two pushed back, as Sinclair's mind flashed back to the first time she encountered Harry Potter.

* * *

Rosalina Sinclair moved down the streets, dressed in a cloak as quick as her legs could take her. She just escaped a group of Ministry Aurors that had tried to capture her to bring her in. Voldemort had taken over the Ministry, and Potter and Dumbledore both allowed it to happen.

Her friends had been captured, and brought to the Ministry. Rosalina clutched her wand. Purebloods once again, they got away with murder, or even worse. She cast charms that cloaked her face, and then was able to blend into her surroundings.

She heard voices. Rosalina continued to move, towards three figures in the distance.

Her eyes widened, as she watched Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger rush down the streets, muttering in the distance.

Rosalina followed closely behind them, she could almost touch them. They went into an inn, and Rosalina watched a group of Death Eaters move in to attack them.

She was torn between helping them, and just leaving it alone. Despite what Harry had turned into, he was still family, technically.

A loud explosion echoed from inside the inn. Sinclair moved in, and watched two more Death

Eaters rush to back up their associates, but immediately; she blinded them with a disorientation spell.

The two Death Eaters stumbled around, and took out each other with Killing Curses, seeing each other as their most hated enemy. Rosalina looked up, and saw the trio inside knock out the Death Eaters. Then her eyes widened, as they just simply modified their memories, rather than cut out the cancer.

Rosalina Sinclair clutched her wand.

'_Every single person that dies from there, is on their heads for leaving those bastards alive,' _thought Rosalina, as she rushed in when the trio had disappeared.

On the floor, Rosalina saw a book that Granger had dropped. It had to do with something called

Horcruxes. She stuff into robe, and made her way to catch a plane to Mexico.

From there, she would get into the United States of America, where she would be free.

* * *

The battle raged on, but Chloe peered through a crack in the wall. The robed figure that saved her all those weeks ago showed up once again, and Harry seemed to have vanished around that same time.

The woman put a hand to her forehead, and her mouth opened wide. Sudden realization dawned on her, and she felt like an idiot for not piecing it together the obvious before now.

Knox meanwhile slid himself across the floor, and found the Philosopher's Stone. The jagged age of the stone pricked him in the finger, and dripped a golden substance into his blood.

Curtis Knox at that moment was visited by a seizure and sweated bullets.

"No, pain, pain, I feel pain!" yelled Knox who seemed both horrified and jubilant. "But, I could never feel pain, could I?"

Clark showed up, with the Martian Manhunter closely behind him. He moved over to help Knox as his hand blackened, and blood splash to the floor.

"No, my wife, she's dead, and I feel something," said Knox as he looked at Clark his eyes widened. "I'm being pulled…I don't understand, I thought nothing could kill me. My entire life would be doomed to see the people around me die!"

Knox collapsed on the floor. He would hopefully join his wife soon, in his eternal reward. The Stone crumbled into dust. Clark listened for a heartbeat or any signs of life, but found not one hint.

"Are you okay?" asked Chloe, as she nearly tripped over the debris from the fight.

"Well, I'm healing," said Clark, as he turned to the Martian Manhunter. "Knox…"

"Dead," said the Martian Manhunter as he checked the downed form of Curtis Knox. "He was immortal, but someone had removed the chains of immortality from him."

Clark found himself just nodding at this moment, as he helped Chloe away.

"Thanks Clark," said Chloe in a quiet voice.

'_Harry's little secret, that's his to tell,' _thought Chloe, as she allowed her friend, at half power, help her past the debris.

The Martian Manhunter slipped off, his work for the night done, for now. He needed to reassess certain matters, regarding a certain girl who saved them both.

* * *

Harry and Sinclair circled each other, as they continued their brawl, on a cliff. The two edged closer to the end.

Sinclair screamed at the top of her lungs, but Harry impaled a blade into her chest.

"As long as I live, you can never be free of your crimes," said Sinclair as her fists clenched together.

Harry's eyes opened, as he spotted a necklace on Sinclair's neck. He knew what the necklace was immediately. Harry waved his hand, as he thought of the composition for something would surely destroy her little trinket.

Sinclair shrieked in agony, as a jet of Basilisk venom sprayed both her and her necklace. The venom ate through the Horcrux around her neck.

"That's how you've been hanging on Sinclair, but I need to make sure!" yelled Harry as he charged her, before he blasted a green energy scythe at her, but Sinclair blocked it with a shield.

Her body was coming apart, but she refused to be pulled into the afterlife. Rosalina Sinclair was strong, she escaped death many times. She was a survivor.

Harry flipped himself into the air, before he grabbed her around the head.

'_Okay, this will suck," _thought Harry, as he forcefully disapparated Sinclair and ripped her body in half, purposely splinching the woman.

There was a pained scream, as Sinclair's body being shredded in half created a magical backlash. Harry closed his eyes, and put a shield to block the backlash. The explosion was contained, but Harry stumbled back off of the edge of the cliff.

A flying girl caught Harry in her arms. Kara flew off, and blasted Harry off to the safety of his home.

She flew Harry inside his home, and set him down on the couch. Kara looked at him, as Harry's blurry vision tried to reconcile what happened.

"Thanks, Kara," said Harry in a low voice, as he looked at her, standing there in her Supergirl attire. She reached around, and just hugged him. He returned the hug, but he deflated in her arms, completely fatigued from all of the energy he expanded to put Sinclair down for good.

"Just rest Harry, it's okay," said Kara, as she held him carefully. "You…she's gone this time, isn't she?"

"I'll know in a minute," said Harry as he tried to sit himself up. Kara got him juice, and a couple of sandwiches.

Harry ate and drank, to regain some of his strength. Kara held onto him, as if she was afraid he would fall apart if she let him go.

"Okay, the moment of truth," said Harry, as he closed his eyes. "Rosalina Sinclair, she's dead right this time. As in deader in dead? She's not a clone, or a body double or a hologram or just a figment of my imagination. Please, tell me she's gone."

"**She is dead," **confirmed the lifeline reader.

"Really?" asked Harry in a skeptical voice.

"**Yes, she's gone," **said the voice. **"She's currently in the afterlife right now, and making quite a scene about that arrangement."**

"Clarify please," said Harry.

"**The higher ups do not like immortals," **said the voice. **"This Curtis Knox was someone Death had her eye on for centuries. Sinclair was used as a means to lure him into the afterlife."**

Harry blinked. He just let that set in for a minute. Kara frowned.

"Now, she's gone, right," said Harry, slowly and carefully as if addressing a five year old.

"**I did say yes," **said the lifeline reader once again.

With another smile, Harry collapsed back against the cushions of the couch.

"Free, I'm free," said Harry as he raised his arms in weak, but great triumph. "No more, it's all gone, she's all gone."

Kara had no words, but she just gave Harry a bright smile.

"Did Chloe and Clark get out okay?" asked Harry.

"Yeah," said Kara, as she dropped next to him. "Clark managed to get her out of there, and to safety. They're both shaken up, but they'll be okay."

"That's good," said Harry, as Kara curled up next to Harry on the couch.

They enjoyed each other's company quietly for a few minutes.

"So let's see if there's anything good on television," suggested Harry.

"That sounds nice," agreed Kara, as she rested against him. Harry flipped on the television, as they looked for something to watch.

Life was good for the first time ever for Harry Potter. With Rosalina Sinclair finally dead, there was a huge burden off of his shoulders.

They watched television for a little bit, before both crashed on the couch for the evening. The journal would be another matter for another time.

* * *

"Clark, just head home, I'll be fine," said Chloe, as she rested.

"You nearly got dissected in there, Chloe," argued Clark.

Chloe sighed, he was just being his usual self, but she was fine. Beside she had something interesting to think about.

"If you need me, I'm just a phone call away," said Clark in a reassuring voice, and Chloe nodded. She watched him leave at that moment.

Her headache would leave by the morning she suspected.

The mystery of the robed man had been solved, but that just left her more unanswered questions. Unanswered questions that made sleep rather difficult to come to her on that night.

* * *

Lex stepped from the light. He could tell that someone had been snooping around where he had stashed the journal. Despite he had it moved after the woman had warned him away from his study, someone still tracked it down. Potter might have easily found the journal if it had been in his study, but the moment he was warned, he had it moved.

Yet, the journal was gone.

Whoever had taken the journal likely had no idea what they were dealing with. Lex punched up the security footage from earlier tonight. There was an attempt to disable the security, but there were other backups he could recall.

"Let's see, who was snooping around that shouldn't have been," said Lex, as he noticed a figure. The vault had been compromised, and the journal switched with a duplicate with a similar cover. The figure was disguised, but Lex recognized her movements immediately.

She thought she could outmaneuver him. He was just willing to let it go, let her move on with her life. Lex closed his eyes. He had failed in the worst way; his best security had been compromised. Who knew what else Lana had stuck her nose into regarding him.

He would have to make arrangements to track the journal back down, before it fell into the wrong hands. While he was skeptical about certain matters, the fact that people now seemed to be after it made him all the more curious.

Lex prepared to reacquire that blasted book, even if it required a bit of time and careful planning.

* * *

Chloe sat up a few days later, as she thought about what had transpired. A soft knock on the door, brought her back to her senses.

"Come in!" called Chloe, but the door opened and Harry and Kara walked in. She looked at them, as she struggled to find the words to say to Harry after what she found out the other evening."Oh…hi Harry."

Kara and Harry looked at each other.

"We're just stopping by to see if you're holding up after the other night," said Kara, as she surveyed the other woman.

"Yeah, are you doing alright?" asked Harry as he surveyed the woman. Chloe just looked at them.

"You really do have some heavy secrets don't you," said Chloe after a moment's thought. "The fact of the matter is, I figured it out…the big one…the robed one…you know what one I'm talking about."

Kara and Harry stood on either side of her. Their faces remained blank and emotionless.

"Yeah, I'm about ready to be drugged and dragged off to your super-secret lair of death to get my mind wiped, aren't I?" asked Chloe, trying to act casual. Somehow she was not surprised Kara knew about Harry's double life.

"Well that depends," said Harry as he surveyed her.

"Did you blab Harry's secret to anyone?" asked Kara, looking at the other woman through narrowed eyes.

"No, I swear," said Chloe as she looked at both of them without blinking. "I…you know no one would believe me anyway if the owner of the Shining Light Foundation and Death was one in the same."

"Ah, but I'm not Death," said Harry. He lowered his voice into a cryptic whisper. "I'm merely just a humble employee."

"What, do you have to collect Death's dry cleaning or something?" asked Chloe with an amused expression on her face.

Harry just winced at that thought, and turned to Chloe, his eyes narrowed. He gave her the dirtiest look he could manage. "Yeah, if I get that added to my list of things to do, I'll be sure to thank you."

Chloe sat rigid, feeling like she was being scanned.

"For the record, on top of everything else, I about figured you could read minds," said Chloe, breaking the very awkward silence that lasted for minutes.

"The mind is not something simple to be read," said Harry with a smile. "I could tell if you were lying by your heart rate, how many breaths you take as you talk, and your body language."

"She seems like she's telling the truth," said Kara with a smile.

"And I trust Kara's instincts," added Harry in a confident voice. "But you seem to be telling the truth, so everything's all verified."

"Fair enough," said Chloe, as she heard a knock at the door, which cut the meeting short.

Clark let himself in a moment later. He was about to check on Chloe, but he stopped as he saw Kara and Harry standing there.

The tension could be cut with a knife.

"Um, hi," said Clark breaking the silence as he looked at both of them. "Kara, Harry."

"Hi Clark," said Kara.

"Clark," said Harry with a polite nod. "What brings you here?"

"Just stopping by to see how Chloe was holding up," said Clark. "How about you?"

"Likewise," said Harry.

"Did you give any thought to what I said the other day?" asked Kara as she looked at her cousin.

"I…really want to believe you," said Clark as he looked at Kara, as her hands were on her hips. "I just…need a bit more time to figure this out. I actually was defending you in there you know, I couldn't believe the Martian Manhunter would say such things, he's helped me in the past, but they did…"

"Make a lot of sense," replied Kara, as she nodded, getting where Clark was coming from. She didn't like it, but she understood. "Well, you know why I'm not a fan of the Manhunter…"

"You saved him though," said Clark.

"No, I saved you," said Kara. "He just happened to be trapped in the same room."

"You wouldn't have left him there, I know it," inputted Chloe speaking up for the first time in a while.

"Maybe," agreed Kara. She likely would have saved him, but she was not about to admit that out loud. "Just give some thought to what I said, and when you're ready, I'll accept whatever choice you decide to make."

Clark nodded. Kara turned to face Harry. "So, are you about ready to leave?"

"Yeah, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry," said Harry as he looked at her. "It's close to lunch, how about we go out for pizza?"

"I'd like that," said Kara with a smile. "So see you later you, Clark, Chloe."

"Bye," said Harry.

"Yeah, bye, enjoy your date," said Clark, which caused both of them to freeze for a minute, but they recovered, and moved off without another word.

"You do realize they're the only two that likely don't realize it," said Chloe, when they were out of earshot. She looked at Clark in amusement, and Clark laughed.

"I'd imagine so," said Clark, as he looked at the spot Kara and Harry once stood.

They would be good for each other, if they could figure it out.

* * *

Kara and Harry sat outside at a table in the fresh air, enjoying their pizza.

"So, what was the deal with Sinclair?" asked Kara.

Harry remained silent for a long time.

"She was a sick woman, who got driven around the bend by my world's government," said Harry. "She made some bad choices, and I had to put her down. Maybe she's at peace now, but she's gone."

'_As far as I'm concerned, that six year old girl, she froze to death when Petunia left her for dead,' _thought Harry to himself. _'I could have been like her; I had every reason to be like her.'_

Sinclair was gone, and he needed to focus on more important matters.

He watched Kara, and started to wonder about the true nature of his relationship with her. There were possibilities that visited Harry's mind, but he tried not to get too distracted.

With Sinclair gone, the journal was next. Then, he could figure out where he stood, and what his purpose was here.

Harry promised himself not to obsessed over one little book. He had a second chance at life, and he would take full advantage of certain opportunities. For twenty years, he never truly lived. This time it would be different.

He smiled, as he watched Kara finish her pizza.

A call interrupted his thoughts.

"Three more, okay make sure they get settled in, I'll be over in the afternoon after I eat lunch," said Harry. "Is Claire doing okay? Yeah I know, the nightmares were bad, but given what was done to her, it's a wonder she's doing as well as she is. She'll work through it, just be patient. It's not going to go away in a few weeks."

'_If I ever get my hands on the bastard who experimented on her,' _thought Harry, as the wind chimes rattled, as the passing bystanders looked nervously at the sudden wind. He calmed himself.

"I'm paying," said Kara, but then she grabbed Harry before he could protest. "After all of the things you've done for me, lunch is the least I can do."

Harry just had to smile. The two become invisible, as they flew up into the skies to the Shining Light Foundation HQ.

**To Be Continued in Herald of Death Chapter 10 "Discovery." **


	10. Chapter 10: Discovery

_So this chapter, it should be a rather interesting one. While the Sinclair storyline wrapped up, there are certain ramifications that are left over from what she did during her return. _

* * *

**Chapter 10: Discovery.**

Harry walked into the gym area of his home. He walked forward, and saw Kara just wrapping up a work out. Her long blonde hair stayed tied back so it did not get in her face when she worked out. She wore a tight white shirt that stretched over her. Said shirt showed her bare midriff, and Harry found his eyes lingering at the exposed flesh on her belly area. The shirt was drenched with sweat, achieving a slight transparent effect. She also wore a short and rather tight pair of black shorts. Her feet were completely bare, with no shoes and socks.

He watched as she bent over to stretch. He felt a tightening in his pants, and wondered if they had always been a bit too small for him.

"Hi, Harry," said Kara as she stared over her shoulder, eyes shifted towards him. She had a smile on her face, a knowing smile.

"Oh, hi, Kara, I was looking for you…but I got distracted," said Harry in what he hoped was a casual voice. Kara just floated over, and landed a few inches away from him. Harry could see her cleavage from his vantage point.

"I noticed," breathed Kara as she took a step forward. Harry found himself backed against the wall, literally. "So, do you like anything you see?"

He looked at her, at her beautiful face, her body so close to his, all of her curves in those tight and slightly wet workout clothes. Harry tugged on his collar.

"Tell me the truth, Harry," continued Kara, as her mouth was up next to his ear. He could feel her hot breath against his ear. She slowly undid the buttons on his shirt. "You seem hot, Harry, let's see if I can make things a bit more comfortable for you."

She traced her fingers in patterns down his exposed chest.

"You've been working out," commented Kara, before she closed in. He could feel see the outline of her breasts against her sweat stained shirt. "It shows, you seem to be in good shape. I'd imagine your stamina is high as well."

Kara reached over to grab a bottle of water from the table, and took a drink. She squeezed the bottle, and accidentally squeezed a bit too hard. The ice cold water splashed onto her top. Kara gave a slight sensual gasp, as her fingers ran down the bottle.

"But, I like your muscles down a bit lower," said Kara in a low voice, as she removed Harry's shirt off of his shoulders. Her hand reached his midsection as she rubbed her hands on the flesh. Her fingers skimmed his waist band, teasing to go lower.

Harry could not resist her any more. He managed to shift his arms around the wall, and reached around her slim waist. Kara's hand reached down, and he could feel her hand close around his length.

"Kara," moaned Harry, as she tugged on him.

"That feel good," whispered Kara in Harry's ear, as she continued. "You're so tense, so stiff."

Kara unbuckled Harry's pants. Harry rested against the wall, as she continued to play with him. Then she slipped her own shorts down.

"Kara, oh yes Kara!"

Before the fun could continue, Harry heard another voice in the distance.

"Harry!"

The images around Harry faded, and he realized he was being shaken awake from a dream.

His eyes opened up, as the object of his dream hovered above him. Kara wore a red bathrobe, and Harry wondered if she was wearing anything underneath it. He could see her lovely legs, her bare feet.

"Kara," said Harry.

'_A dream, of course it was a dream' _thought Harry, disappointed. _'They've never been that bloody vivid, or real before.'_

"Harry, you were dreaming and moaning my name," said Kara. Harry could have sworn he saw a knowing smile on her face. "I wasn't…attacking you in my dreams was I?"

"One could make that interpretation," said Harry, choosing his words carefully, but Kara closed the gap between her and Harry. Their faces were a few inches together.

"I hope I wasn't hurting you," said Kara, as she pulled the covers back.

Harry was thankful he wore boxer shorts to bed at least, because if he had worn nothing, that quite the awkward situation.

"Yeah, it was a nice dream, don't worry," said Harry, as he adjusted to the sun on in his eyes.

Then he realized what he might have implied. Kara surveyed him, but she threw herself on top of his chest. She put her hands on either side of his arms, and pinned him down, as she sat cross legged over his stomach. Harry could see that she might not have been wearing anything under that bathrobe, which did not help with the blood flow leaving his brain and being diverted to other areas.

He was light headed, as she leaned down to look into his face. Her tongue trailed on her lips briefly.

"So did we do anything in this nice dream?" asked Kara, as she rubbed Harry's arm with her hand. She squeezed his biceps.

'_That feels good,' _managed Harry through his hazed thoughts. _'I wonder what else she could do with those hands.'_

"Kara," breathed Harry, as she leaned closer. They were practically nose to nose.

Harry's mind was locked up right now; he was unable to properly think.

"That's my name,' she breathed, as Harry could not take her eyes off of her for any reason. She turned, and whispered in Harry's ear. "You know, I've had some nice dreams with you in them, too. Maybe I'll tell you about them."

Harry's mind ran wild with possibilities. Yet Kara was not done.

"Or do you want me to show you?"

Harry found himself unable to properly formulate a proper response. Kara sat on top of him, her skin pressed on his head. Her hands massaged his shoulders, and chest. She then scooted back, and brushed against the bulge of his pants as she moved.

She slowly rolled off of the bed. Kara looked at Harry, a smile appearing on her face.

"Well, someone needs a shower," said Kara brightly, as she shamelessly stared at the bulge in Harry's pants.

"Um, yeah," said Harry, managing to remember how to speak. "So…yeah…I'll…see you at breakfast."

"See you then, Harry!" called Kara cheerfully, as she blew him a kiss goodbye. Harry made his way out, quickly.

Kara licked her lips, as she followed Harry with her X-Ray vision until he reached the shower. She stopped, and sat down on Harry's bed.

She pondered her relationship with Harry. They started out essentially making a deal out of convenience with each other. Kara needed help finding Kal-El, Harry needed help finding the journal. Yet in the three months they had lived together, something more manifested between them. Granted, at first Kara enjoyed winding him up because he was so easy. For someone with such powers, he could be so gloriously dense about the obvious.

Yet, Kara found there was much more to Harry than she first thought. Harry was there for her, and taught her so much. She mastered all of her powers thanks to Harry, and he also taught her how to fight without them. Harry helped her embrace who she was.

Kara always heard there were two types of boys on Earth. The kind girls brought home to their parents, the nice guys to settle down with. Then there were the bad boys that were full of adventure, danger, and excitement.

Harry was a little bit of both, and that's how she preferred it.

Yet, she had a problem, they were good friends. Making the wrong move at the wrong time would be a disaster, and would make things awkward. Kara found herself wishing that Harry would be the one to make the first move.

Yet, they grew closer with each passing day, and Kara remained optimistic that it would be only a matter of time before everything lined up properly.

Kara walked off to fix breakfast for Harry. She had an idea that might entice him to make a move sooner rather than later.

* * *

Harry entered the kitchen, and noticed Kara had already made breakfast for them. Of course, his attention was a bit diverted from that fact. He looked at Kara, and his mouth went dry. She wore a red dress that hugged her body. Slowly, Kara bent down as she placed the dishes on the table.

"Hi, Harry!" called Kara, as she looked up. Her finger beckoned him over.

"Hi, Kara, "said Harry, as he found his eyes magnetically attracted to her. He tried to pull his wits together.

Harry found himself craving Kara more than anything that they would be having for breakfast at the moment.

"So, I made us strawberries, with whipped cream," said Kara, as she sat down on a chair that was close to Harry's. Her knee touched his, as she slid the bowls on the table. "They…taste really good."

Three months the two had lived together, and spent a lot of time together. Harry thought at first she was someone who could help him find the journal. Granted, she was help that was easy on the eyes, but then Harry got to know her and really enjoyed spending time with her.

She was smart, beautiful, and could make him laugh. Harry found himself really liking his friend as something more than one, and his mind slowly processed what he should do, what he wanted to do.

He found himself watching Kara dip and eat the strawberries. Her tongue licked the strawberry slowly. It was almost teasing, and seductive. Harry watched her, transfixed. She nibbled on it, and her eyes glazed back as she popped it into her mouth.

"So, Harry do you want some of this?" asked Kara, as she flew off the table, and parked herself on the table. Her legs were slightly spread, a few feet away from Harry's face.

"Yeah, I want some," managed Harry, not sure what he was answering, or what she was offering him.

"Here," said Kara, as she began to feed him the strawberries one at a time.

Harry's mind went haywire. No girl ever did anything like this for him. Yet, he found himself enjoying it. Kara's fingers lingered on his lips, tracing around them. She alternated between feeding the strawberries to Harry, and then eating them herself.

He could watch her all day. As she wore that dress, Harry found he could almost see down it if he gazed at her. He watched as she slowly licked the whip cream off of her face, after she missed her mouth.

It was almost like his inhibitions were being slowly broken away.

His hands beckoned to touch her, but he just barely managed to restrain himself. Kara was breaking down his will power.

"You've got some whipped cream on her lips," said Kara, as she peered at Harry through her eyelashes. Her hair swung as she leaned down. Her soft fingers brushed against Harry's lips. She took her own fingers, and then licked them.

Kara sat on the edge of the table, and naughty thoughts filled Harry's head. He considered pushing Kara back on the table, capturing her lovely lips in a kiss, and then pull that dress up over her head, before…

Harry was pulled out of hormonal fantasy land when his cell phone rang. He answered it, hoping that it was important.

"Hello," said Harry, as he adopted his most professional tone to hide his annoyance.

"Is this Harry Potter?" asked a voice on the other end of the phone.

"Yes," said Harry promptly, as Kara watched, annoyed her fun had been ruined. She turned around, to hide her agitation, by putting away the dish. "Who's speaking?"

"Mr. Potter, my name is Lionel Luthor," said the man on the other end of the phone. "I wish to meet with you, outside of Smallville City Limits. What is your earliest convenience?"

Harry sat up, interested at that point. He was talking to the man who bought the journal. Yet, from what he heard, Lionel had vanished around the time Harry arrived. So he remained on his guard, and prepared to see what he would deal with this new situation.

"One hour," said Harry curtly.

"Very good," said Lionel without another word, and the phone line went dead.

"So, do you want me to come with?" asked Kara. "You know, to watch you."

Harry pondered this. Normally, he would have agreed, and he would have let Kara follow him anywhere, especially in that dress. Yet, Harry had to keep his mind on business, and off of his hormones.

Something he thought died a long time ago. Yet, when his scars got healed, other things appeared to get healed as well.

"No, Kara, I can handle this Lionel Luthor on my own," said Harry, as he looked into her eyes. He could not trust himself to look anywhere else at the moment. "Plus we got the communication devices, so if I get in over my head, I'll call you."

"And I'll be over faster than a speeding bullet," said Kara.

Kara rushed over, and threw her arms around him. Harry returned the favor.

For a brief second, Kara thought he was going to kiss her, but Harry pulled away from the hug.

"Goodbye," said Kara, as she watched him leave, frustrated. She had Harry eating out of the palm of her hand, until Lionel Luthor had to call. "Good luck."

"Thanks," said Harry, but he was out the door.

Kara sank down, frowning. She felt another little nudge, about five more minutes, and he would have kissed her or maybe more.

She floated up to get changed. Harry gave her the morning off, her shift did not start until the afternoon today at the Shining Light Foundation.

* * *

Invisible, Harry flew for his meeting with one Lionel Luthor. Yet his mind kept getting pulled towards other matters.

He thought about Kara, and how he was falling for her fast. He wanted to kiss her so badly this morning before he left, but he barely managed to restrain himself.

He wondered why he would hold himself back, if he had the opportunity for something right there. Harry came to the conclusion that he was his own worst enemy, and the only reason why he was rarely happy in the past because of his own doing.

A part of him wished he never would find the journal. A nagging doubt in the back of his head told him that if he did, Kara really had no reason to stay with him. The bargain they made would be concluded.

Harry shook his head. He defeated trolls, basilisks, evil wizards, giant dragons, Dementors, and all sorts of other horrifying creatures that went bump in the night. Yet, this girl, a girl he liked, and seemed to like him on some level, he was afraid of making a move.

A part of him wished Kara would make the first move, but Harry thought that might be hoping for too much. His days of waiting around, thinking, and wondering had to cease. He would seize the moment, go for broke, and hope he would not get busted.

If this worked, Harry thought he would finally find that someone that he could be with for a very long time. If it did not work, well he would lose a friend for being too forward, but by now loss and people leaving him was something Harry was all too used for.

He did notice that she was flirting with him rather heavily, so the attraction had to be there. So, Harry made a decision. He knew what he needed to do.

Yet, there was something he had to do first. Business beckoned at the moment, and the journal could be moments away from coming into his possession.

Harry touched down, and got ready for his meeting with Lionel Luthor.

* * *

Lionel Luthor leaned back against a sign, as he awaited the arrival of the young man known as Harry Potter. Needless to say, the last few months had been rough for the elder Luthor. He had just escaped within the past few weeks after being held captive by a woman named Mariyn. As it turned out, the woman worked for Lana Lang. It seemed Lana was willing to go to any extreme to make him suffer.

Lionel beat his captor with a shovel, rendering her dead.

Many weeks had passed since that incident, and Lionel was back on his feet. He watched for a young man known as Harry Potter. According to what he was able to find out, the man traveled the world for six years, before coming to Smallville, around the time Lionel was abducted. He researched the family tree of Harry Potter, and found information that intrigued him.

"So, you wanted to speak with me."

Lionel spun around to face a young man dressed in a black dress shirt and a black shirt, with black boots. Sunglasses hid his eyes, with his hair straight. "My name is Harry Potter."

"So, we meet in the flesh at last, Mr. Potter," said Lionel, as he looked at the young man.

'_Nothing like the pictures,' _thought Lionel.

"Lionel Luthor, I presume," said Harry in an abrupt voice, and Lionel responded with a slow nod.

"You presume correctly," said Lionel. "I am actually meeting you as a favor, but there is one question I must as you. Are you really the son of Lily Evans?"

Harry became instantly suspicious, and his face adopted a neutral expression. Any inquires about his family; especially his mother put him on edge just on sheer principal. He surveyed Lionel, but the man seemed able to not to project any obvious thoughts.

"Yes, she's my mother," said Harry in a clipped tone. "Did you know her by any chance?"

"I did meet her a handful of times in passing," confirmed Lionel. "She wasn't much for the same high end social circles as her parents or her older sister…whom I believed raised you."

"If you're referring to Petunia Dursley, then yes, "said Harry, as he carefully chose his next words. "She took me in…that's all you need to know."

"That's all I asked," said Lionel, as he tried to get a feel on this young man.

He was carefully guarded, and tended not to like to discuss his past. Lionel did respect that, sometimes it was best if the past should remain buried.

"I do admit, despite not knowing her well, your mother interested me," said Lionel. "She seemed to be on the cusp of some really big secrets."

"All of us have secrets, Mr. Luthor," said Harry, as he looked at the older man, the sunglasses hiding the suspicion in his eyes, and the fact they narrowed. "I'd imagine you're not an exception to this rule."

Lionel did not respond. The lack of response was all of the response Harry needed.

"So you only met her a few times in passing. Yet, you seem to have bought something that belonged to her, something rather personal."

"What are you speaking of?" asked Lionel crisply.

"Her journal, you purchased it fifteen years ago," said Harry, not fooled for one second.

"Yes, I heard about your search for that journal," said Lionel without missing a beat. "I'd like to help you recover it, but I'm afraid it was thrown out a few years ago."

A look of annoyance crossed Harry's face.

"Why do you want the journal so badly?" asked Lionel.

"Family heirloom, nothing more," said Harry in a flat voice.

There was an eerie silence, both stood, but neither moved. Lionel decided to be the one to break the silence.

"Very well," said Lionel, as he stepped back. "I do have another question for you. It regards a crystal. I have received word that your friend, Ms. Kent, has it, and you're trying to figure out what it is for her."

"I have no clue what you're talking about," said Harry, as his body remained unmoving. He purposely remained still, but ready to strike. He was like a snake in the grass, cornered, surveying the other predators out there. "I don't have an idea who's been feeding you your information."

"Well, I guess I was mistaken," said Lionel, as he shifted on his feet. "Just one more question. Does the word Veritas hold any meaning to you?"

There was a short pause.

"No."

Harry heard that word one other time in his life. Once was barely worth his time, but now that he heard it twice, his curiosity was now piqued.

"Very well," said Lionel, as he switched gears. "I understand you've had a few meetings with my son, Lex."

"Just standard business matters," answered Harry.

"Be careful around him, Harry," said Lionel seriously. "He gets obsessed easily, and you could get dragged down with him."

Lionel clapped Harry on the shoulder, and went on his way.

Harry moved forward. He would have another chat with the younger Luthor about the journal.

* * *

Lionel crept around, as he made his way to the Kent Farm. Clark waited for him outside of barn. Lionel moved over, and the two men walked inside.

"It appears our young Mr. Potter is hiding something about the crystal," said Lionel. "He seems to have learned the art of lying at the foot of a master."

Clark remained silent. Going to Lionel had been a last resort. Despite the fact that the older man had changed, Clark had certain misgivings about involving him in such a delicate situation.

Jor-El had pressured him about the crystal, and how it was imperative he acquire it.

"I hate doing this behind Kara's back, and Harry's too, but I need to know for sure what the crystal is," said Clark. "And if it's dangerous or not."

"Well if Jor-El believes it's a danger, then you should listen to him," said Lionel as he placed a hand on Clark's shoulder. "And you should get your hands on the crystal, and figure it out before Harry does. I hate to tell you this, Clark, but he's sitting on big secrets. Those secrets could mean the end of you."

'_He gets it from the Evans family,_ thought Lionel mentally. _'Briar and Violet were all about their games and manipulations, and Petunia was the same way. And Harry was raised under her watchful eye for most of his life.'_

Disbelief appeared on Clark's face.

"I trust him, and Kara does too…and I think I can trust her."

Lionel just sighed.

"I'm imagine the crystal may he held at the Shining Light Foundation," said Lionel.

"Why on Earth would it be there?" asked Clark. "I told you, it's a place to help the meteor infected…"

"Harry could very well be running other projects out of there," said Lionel, rubbing his chin in thought. "But we can't know for sure."

Clark followed Lionel, conflicted. On one hand, Lionel proved himself to be a changed man. On the other hand, Harry appeared to be someone of his word.

Yet, Clark felt pressured to get the crystal. He would bear the consequences later, this was a huge part of his training, and he could not fail the first test.

* * *

"You're going to believe this, Chloe!" shouted Lois without warning the exact moment Chloe answered her phone.

"Well that's always an auspicious beginning," said Chloe with a sigh. "What is it I'm not supposed to believe?"

"Lionel Luthor crawled out from underneath the rock he was hiding underneath a while back, "answered Lois, who appeared to be bursting with excitement. She sounded like she was on the edge of a taboo secret that she could not wait to share with the rest of the world.

"Yeah, I know," said Chloe.

"And I spotted him meeting with the Shining Light nut, you know that Potter guy," said Lois, and Chloe just held her tongue, but frowned at Lois calling Harry "a nut." "Seems like a weird meeting, don't you think?"

"Yeah, weird," agreed Chloe, as she tried to figure out why Lionel would want to meet with Harry. That got her interested, and slightly worried. "Did you hear anything of what they said?"

"I was far away, a bit back," said Lois. "I swear there was a beehive close by, there was a lot of buzzing in my ears, it blocked out the conversation. It was hard to make anything out, but I'm sure it was suspicious. They were meeting, isn't that suspicious enough?"

"Yes, it might be," agreed Chloe. "Lois, I need to talk to someone…a contact…talk to you later."

"Fine, catch you later," said Lois.

The moment Lois was gone; Chloe switched the ear piece on. Harry had given it to her, in case she ever needed to get in touch with him.

"Hello?" asked Harry in a distracted voice.

"Hey Harry, it's Chloe," said the woman. "Did you by any chance meet with Lionel Luthor today?"

"Chloe, yes, but I'm very busy now," said Harry abruptly.

"You're going after the journal again," said Chloe.

"Yeah, I'm going after the journal again, talk to you later, take care, bye," said Harry.

"Wait Harry!" yelled Chloe, but she got nothing other than static. She turned around, a bit annoyed about being blown off in such a manner.

If she did not know better, Harry was starting to go insane, based on his hunt for the journal.

* * *

Lex poured over his records. He found out what Lana was doing, and it was far beyond just one little book. If it was the book, he would not take as personally. Lex would have given her any money she wanted, just to shut her up and get her out of his life.

The journal had just been the straw that broke the camel's back.

Lex prepared to teach his ex-wife a valuable lesson. Her illegal activities were now leaked to certain interested parties, with implications about what else she was into. He would see Lana burn for this one.

A moment later, a buzz brought Lex out of his thoughts.

"Harry Potter is here to see you, sir," said the voice.

"Send him in," said Lex, as he wondered what Harry wanted this time.

Harry walked in, and faced Lex.

"Drop the lies, I know you have my mother's journal," said Harry, without any preamble.

"We've been through this, Harry," said Lex, as he stepped back. "I…"

"Your father wanted to meet with me," said Harry, as Lex's face contorted in disgust.

He had a hunch his father likely implicated him in having the journal, or at least that's the impression Harry seemed to be giving off.

"Do not trust my father, or anything he says," said Lex, turning away from Harry to hide his scowl. "But, I do have to admit…your persistence is admirable. I have looked, and I think I have uncovered your mother's journal. This way."

Harry followed, ready for anything. He refused to believe it could be that easy. Lex opened up a cabinet, and pulled the red journal out, before he placed it in Harry's hands.

"Thank you," said Harry, as he turned around to leave with the book.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you," said Lex with a calculating smile, as he watched Harry walk off with the fake. It would buy him the time to get the real journal, and deal with Lana. He would then place the journal in a safe and more secure location.

Harry held the fake in his hands. He immediately knew it was a fake, but he now had a shrewd idea who might have taken it. Foremost on Lex's mind were annoyed thoughts about a certain Ms. Lana Lang.

The real question was where that idiot woman was hiding his mother's journal.

* * *

Kara casually walked up the driveway, dressed in a red shirt and jeans, with white tennis shoes. Given Harry was out doing his own thing this morning; she decided to drop by the Kent Farm to check up on her cousin. Their relationship had been rather cordial and kind of cool, but he was the only blood family she had left. She really held out hope that he could learn to trust her.

The blonde woman paused, as she peered inside the window. She spotted Lana sitting on the Kitchen table. She seemed to be pouring over a book of some kind. Kara peered through the window, her nose pressed against it. She got a better look.

Her eyes narrowed, when she saw what Lana had. In her hands rested a journal, or to be more clear, the journal.

The journal she and Harry had been searching for all over Smallville had been at the Kent Farm for this entire time, in the possession of Lana Lang.

A scowl appeared on her face. Kara pushed open the back door, and was behind Lana in the blink of an eye. She cleared her throat.

"Oh, hi, Kara," said Lana as she stood up, a smile appearing on her face. "I didn't know you were stopping by. Clark's gone out, but if you'd like I…"

"Hand the journal over," said Kara as she stared down Lana. Lana tried to act natural.

"What journal?" asked Lana, as she hastily shoved the incrementing item back into her in bag.

"The journal you stole from Harry," said Kara, as she stepped forward, and Lana slowly backed off.

Kara restrained herself from doing something she would regret, or rather Lana would. This woman stole Harry's journal, and now was trying to lie her way out of it.

Lana's mouth opened and shut, she was absolutely lost right now. Kara stared her down, and Lana felt her heart thump against her chest. This girl was not going to let her go without an explanation.

'_She's psychotic,' _thought Lana, in fear for her life. The nineteen year old Kryptonian continued to move towards Lana.

"I think you're confused, Kara," said Lana, as she backed off, a bit intimidated, but Kara snatched her by the shirt, and pushed her back onto a chair.

"That journal was a family heirloom, how long have you had it?" demanded Kara, as she trapped Lana.

"I..I…" started Lana, but she slid back into the chair, nearly tipping it over, her heart thumped against her chest.

"Stop stuttering and answer my questions!" yelled Kara as her temper and her eyes both flared up.

Lana was shaking, but Kara's face contorted into a scowl, as she grabbed the coffee cup Lana was drinking from and crushed it in her hand.

That got Lana talking rather quickly.

"I didn't know it was Harry's okay!" screamed Lana quickly as she caught her breath. "I took it, from Lex Luthor, he had it. I guess he must have stolen it first or his father did, I don't know. If the journal means so much, take it! I can't read a word of it anyway!"

Lana slid out the journal, her hand shaking and sweat rolling down her face. Kara was about to snatch it away, but before this could happen the doors of the farm house were busted down. The two girls found themselves on the business end of several guns.

"Okay, Lana, hand over the journal," growled a man who Lana recognized as one of Lex's thugs.

"No, I saw it first, I'm working for the Shining Light Foundation," said Kara as she faced them, arms folded. "That journal belongs to its founder…"

"The journal is the exclusive property of Luthorcorp," said one of the armed men, as he pointed the gun at Kara. "Lex Luthor also intends to press…"

Kara made a mad dash for the journal, but a stun gun jabbed it her ribs. She found herself distracted and momentarily annoyed. Not to blow her secret, Kara had to take a dive.

Lana took advantage of the distraction, and ran out the doors with the journal. The thugs followed suit, and chased her into the cornfields.

"Stop right there, Ms. Lang or we will shoot!" yelled the thug.

Kara made plans, to just snatch the journal, and fly as fast as she could out of there. She moved to the windows, but her eyes widened.

'_Of course it couldn't be that simple,' _thought Kara in despair.

She watched, as several helicopters dropped down, and Lana was being accosted by what appeared to be agents of the United States Government.

"This journal is now the official property of the United States Government," said a gruff man as he walked up. "Go get the other one."

Kara heard these words, bolted out the back door, and flew to the barn to hide from these men. Perched high above, she watched several government agents search the property. Lana was restrained.

"Alright, the other one must have escaped, but she won't get far!" called a voice. "Ms. Lang, you will come with us for a few questions, but cooperate and you might see a few more sunrises."

Kara peered through the barn, as she watched them walk off. She was about ready to scream. She had the journal.

The United States Government had their hands on the journal, and they had Lana as well. This was a situation where she knew she might need a bit of help for.

Taking a few minutes to compose herself, Kara lifted a finger towards an invisible item in her ear.

"Harry," said Kara as she activated the communication ear piece she had to Harry. She heard it come to life.

"Kara, what is it?" asked Harry. "Not that I don't mind talking to you but I'm following a lead on the journal…"

"I found the journal!" yelled Kara, cutting him off.

Stunned silence followed this declaration.

"Really, that's great," said Harry, his voice sounding relieved. "Last I heard Lana had it…"

"Yeah, I found her," said Kara, as she tried to think how to best break the news to Harry.

"Good, you're the best Kara," said Harry, and she took a deep breath.

"Well don't praise me yet," said Kara. "I noticed Lana took the journal, and was going to take it back from her, but the United States government showed up. They snatched both the journal and Lana."

There was a long pause.

"Harry?" asked Kara, concerned that the device stopped working.

"I'll be right there to your location, and we'll track the journal back down," said Harry, as he disabled the communication link.

Kara looked up a second later, and saw Harry standing right next to her.

"Okay, let's go before we lose them," said Harry, as they held hands, turned invisible, and flew off. They barely got far, before a buzzing in Harry's ear went off.

"What now?" asked Kara.

"Someone's trying to snoop around at Shining Light Foundation HQ," said Harry, frowning. "Kara, go and check that out, I'll go rescue the journal."

Harry paused for a moment, before he added as an afterthought. "Oh, and Lana, I suppose I should rescue her too."

'_I should really leave her rot, but since she knows about Clark and Kara, I can't let the government pump her for information,' _said Harry. _'Fucking Lana Lang, if you didn't leave well enough alone, I would have been able to get that journal by now.'_

Kara gave a smile as Harry looked like he had just swallowed a foul lemon, but the two parted ways quickly without another word.

The journal was so close Harry could almost taste it. He caught sight of the government transport.

'_It's going towards a place….," _thought Harry as his eyes closed. _'Groom Lake in Nevada, it looks like.'_

The name sounded familiar.

'_Of course, Area 51,' _said Harry, which caused him to quicken his flight and pick up the pace. He would have to survey the area to find out what he was up against.

With any luck, Harry would be able to pop in, get the journal, get the woman who stuck her nose where it didn't belong, and leave.

Of course, Harry was not going to count on things being that easy.

* * *

Clark peaked around the corner as he made his way up to the main elevator of the Shining Light Foundation Headquarters. Lionel followed, also allowed himself a moment to look around.

"Impressive, the technology in this place is light years ahead of anything I've seen before," said Lionel as he looked around, but he shook himself back "Best, I can tell, there might be an R and D lab up this way. All of the other floors seem to be for the guests of this foundation."

"That's where we'd find the crystal?" asked Clark.

Lionel just responded with a stoic nod. He was honestly surprised he did not find much in the way of security. Of course, that just would make locating the crystal much easier.

The two men made their way up the stairs, and sure enough they walked into a magnificent looking lab. It looked so clean, almost eerily so. Clark scanned everything, in an attempt to locate anything that looked like a crystal.

He moved over, when he saw a vault lined with lead. Clark put his hands on it, but Lionel grabbed his arm.

"Son, I'd imagine that vault contains meteors," said Lionel as he looked at the safe. He motioned for Clark to move back safely, as he tried to crack the safe, but found the security to be foolproof. He tried to use every trick he knew, but he found nothing. "It's almost like the combination changes automatically to prevent guessing anyone from guessing it."

Lionel tried, but found himself hitting a stone wall every single time.

"So that safe's a bust," said Clark, but he turned around to find himself at the business end of several weapons.

They had just met the security at Shining Light. Security who took pride in the job they were paid for, as they held their guns on both Clark and Lionel, fingers inching towards the triggers.

"No, your attempts to break into Mr. Potter's research lab are a bust," said the leader of the security team in a gruff voice. The guns were armed, and ready to fire at the wrong movement. Clark looked like he was about to make a move, but he was cut off. "These guns can cut through anything, including solid steel. So put your hands in the air, and come quietly, or we will fire."

The guns pointed on Lionel and Clark, and they had no choice but to follow. One wrong movement; and they were history.

* * *

Lana's eyes opened. She was restrained behind the bars of a government cell. She remembered she had been tranquilized, to prevent knowledge of where she was going.

"I don't get it, it's just a journal," said a voice in the distance. "There's not a damn word written in it! What's the big deal?"

She looked up, and shook her head, to see a trio of government agents stand around. A fourth walked into her line of sight.

"Would a normal journal be able to do this?" asked the agent as he flicked a lighter on, and tried to light it. The flame lit up the journal, but there was no damage as the fire extinguished itself. "And Ms. Lang is awake, although I would have preferred the other woman being brought here. She was Potter's supposed childhood friend, or so the official story goes."

"Sorry, Agent Carter, she got away," said one of the men in an apologetic voice.

"It doesn't matter, I have someone who has been messing around in things beyond her comprehension," said Carter, as he turned around to face Lana. "And you're going to tell me everything you know, whether you like it or not."

Carter tapped his feet. He was suspicious on sheer principle about the Shining Light Foundation, and what their intentions. No one could simply come to help such disgusting freaks.

When that woman, Sinclair, broke in to the previous base to liberate those meteor freaks, and ranted about Potter his curiosity was piqued about the young man even more. Given the damage Sinclair did with her efforts, his work would have to continue at a more discreet location.

Yet the journal was the biggest, most interesting piece of evidence. Carter was convinced that this journal was actually some sort of beacon to call to summon an invasion force, to enslave the human race.

Given that a fourth of Great Britain's population seemed to have been wiped off the map, he suspected Harry Potter, Kara Kent, and Rosalina Sinclair (if those were their real names) had been part of some kind of advanced invasion force to test Earth's defenses. Their government did a mass cover up, but Carter had enough numbers.

Sinclair and Potter had a rift of some kind. Likely it was who would be the leader, so they fought over the meteor freaks. Potter won that battle, as Sinclair met her demise.

Carter would be doing his civic duty to save the world from the alien menace. While the President chased his obsessions, Carter saw a bigger picture.

He would find out what Lana Lang knew about this potential intergalactic menace, by any means necessary.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 11, "Breakout."**


	11. Chapter 11: Breakout

**Chapter 11: Breakout. **

"So, I suppose you are wondering why you were brought here, Lana."

Lana shifted from her seat, blinking. Her hands were clammy. This government agent stared her down, an unsympathetic look on his face. He was outside of the cell, she was tripped in it. Surgical tools could be seen from her vantage point, and the smell of decay filled the air.

"I'll tell you why I brought you here," said Carter, as he held onto the bars, peering through the cell. "You know something. Otherwise you wouldn't have had that journal. The fact many people seem to be after one little book is very suspicious. The fact it happened in Smallville of all places, well that just adds a bit more intrigue to this situation, now does it?"

"I don't…I don't…I don't know what you're talking about," said Lana, her breath quickening in and out, as she tried to maintain a straight face.

"Well, you did live there for years, it's the home of the strange and the mysterious, the meteor capital of the world," said Carter, as he walked around his lab. "For years, I've been wondering, is there other intelligent life out there? Over the years, many events have pointed to the fact that there are aliens among us. The conspiracy theories about this base, well they aren't so much theories as you can see."

Carter paused for dramatic effect, and then continued.

"We do conduct aircraft testing for sure, but the wildest explanation often is the truth. Alien spacecraft has been brought to this base, and picked apart, bit by bit. The visitors have been studied, and then dissected, before their remains are destroyed. Yet it's not who comes here that matters, but rather what they brought here."

Carter lit up a cigarette. He took a drag from it, and blew smoke into the room.

"Technology that could benefit humanity, or destroy it given the right motivation," breathed Carter, as he tapped on the side of her cell. "Once that meteor shower hit about eighteen or so years ago, I was just a lowly pencil pusher. Yet, I found myself rising through the ranks. Granted, I've had some very valuable and influential friends. Would you hazard a guess to who one of those men would be?"

Lana just mustered a dirty look.

"The Luthors gave me a leg up when they could," said Carter, as he turned away from Lana for the moment. "Lex called me; he implied you knew about certain matters involving the extra-terrestrials. This journal belongs to the owner of the Shining Light Foundation, Mr. Harry Potter. Are you acquainted?"

"We've met," said Lana shortly. "He…asked me to hold onto the journal for him, until he could retrieve it. He has very important business."

"Lana, we both know that's a lie," said Carter, as he took another drag of his cigarette. "This journal was purchased by Luthorcorp years ago. Yet, it is just blank pages. It's almost like someone bought it, but did not have a chance to fill it in. Yet, I spill acid on it, burn it with fire, or try and rip it apart. It does not get damaged at all. Why do you suppose that is?"

"I don't know!"

Carter just had a grin appear on his face.

"I trust we could fill many books with what you may not know, Ms. Lang," said Carter. "But I know you know something. I know you're hiding something. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

Carter turned to Lana, face to face with her.

"Either way, I will find out what you know about strange occurrences in Smallville. For years and years, these meteor freaks have shown great power. But with some chemicals and the right combination of the crystalized rocks, we can create our own home grown variety. Of course, there are some who escaped when Rosalina Sinclair attacked us."

Carter hid his forearm, which had been severely injured in that battle with that woman. He scowled.

"Sinclair is part of an alien invasion force, along with Harry Potter and Kara Kent," said Carter. "And I believe there is a fourth one, Kara's cousin, he may be involved in this little incident as well. Do you know what I'm talking about Lana?"

Lana shook her head. She knew, but she was not about to betray Clark to this madman.

"I was just holding onto that journal, I swear!" yelled Lana.

"No, Lex Luthor assured me you stole it, and you were trying to hack into his personal computers," said Carter. "It does make me wonder what other illegal activities you might be up to, Lana. I'll give you a few minutes to think where your loyalties lie. Is your life really worth gambling away for something like this?"

Lana was left alone. Carter walked out, to check to see if Harry Potter had come after his journal. So far, there was nothing picked up on the radar. It would be able to clock anything unless there was a severe magnetic disturbance. Look outs would be posted to make sure. If Potter arrived, he would be spotted.

Carter would make sure this E.T. did not find his journal, and phone home.

* * *

"So, what are we supposed to be looking for again?"

"Anything suspicious."

"Yeah security's tight, there's no way this Potter is going to get one past us."

A flash of light was seen in the distance, over by the fence. The troops rushed over to investigate the source of the disturbance. They were just grunts, doing their job. They had a duty to their country, and would protect the security of this nation. Most of them really had no opinion about extra-terrestrials, either good or bad.

"Look over there!"

The troops all stared into the distance, and saw a blinding light. The figure running in the distance matched that of Harry Potter. They all spread out to see if they could get a hold of him.

Invisible, the real Harry Potter snuck past them. Now security had been sliced down, he could make his way into one of the bunkers. Two guards rushed by, as a scientist made his way in. Harry followed the scientist, invisible, to see what the man was up to. His footsteps were silent.

With any luck, there would be a computer system that would point him to the journal.

'_That journal better be important for all the hell I'm going through over it,' _thought Harry, as he continued to shadow the scientist. The scientist walked over to a case, where a familiar glowing rock had been stored. Bags of liquefied Kryptonite were placed on the floor.

"You're the last one, aren't you?" asked the scientist, as he turned over the rock in his hand. "It's just as well, Luthorcorp should be sending more over before too long."

The scientist turned around, and was paralyzed, unable to move. A hooded figure appeared in front of him. The scientist screamed, and staggered backwards, nearly falling over.

"No, it's my time, it's…." started the scientist but he found his mouth shut, immediately.

"I will return to you the ability to speak, if you promise not to be so melodramatic. Just nod if you understand."

The scientist nodded fearfully, and the ability to speak returned to him.

"What are you doing with these meteor rocks?"

"I'm…it's an experiment," said the scientist, as sweat rolled down his face. "The government is trying to figure out what's going on…we're experimenting on people, injecting the liquefied rocks into them…"

The figure swooped down onto the scientist, and he felt a sudden chill.

"It's no one important, just convicts, really I swear to God," said the scientist, his heart rate and his breathing sped up.

"That's the only free lie you get. I know for a fact you've been taking orphans, and experimenting on them with those rocks. So I would highly recommend you tell me the truth."

"Fine, it's not like…well they won't be missed, will they?" asked the scientist, but he was flipped upside down.

"You have a choice. Tell me who your supplier is for the meteors, or I'll just pluck the information out of your mind. You can believe I won't be gentle about it. You have fifteen seconds, start talking."

"Luthorcorp, it's Luthorcorp," stammered the scientist. "I swear…I'm just a man doing my job. I have to make money; I have a wife and children."

The scientist returned to an upward position, dizzy from the blood rushing to his head.

"That point actually decreases my sympathy for you," said the Herald of Death, as he pinned the scientist to the wall.

"Help, someone help me!" yelled the scientist, but no one rescued him.

"No one can hear your screams, but me," said the robed figure, as he held the scientist in place "Anything else you know anything about a journal."

"No, I just break down the meteor rocks, and prepare the injections, I don't know anything about any journal," stammered the scientist.

"Very well, you seem to be telling the truth. You have hit your head, and will wake up in six hours. I will be nothing but a hallucination due to the stress of working too much."

The scientist was thrown down onto the ground, as Harry stepped over his unconscious form. He disposed of the stores of liquefied Kryptonite, first.

He walked over towards the computer that was open. After a bit of effort, he managed to hack into the defenses around the base, to cause some more headaches for these people. Harry began to search the base, and found the location of more stores of liquefied Kryptonite. He also found the location of several test subjects. A guy named Carter appeared to be in charge of the entire operation.

'_Son of a bitch, that's the bastard who experimented on Claire,' _thought Harry. _'And there are other children, who weren't so lucky….died…dead…brain dead…a few are still alive…for what it's worth..well I'm going to have to shut both Carter and his little super soldier experiment down. He seems to be obsessed with aliens, but I'm going to make sure he's going down hard for what he's done.'_

Harry went invisible again, copying the information, so he could access it easily. Then, he slid into the shadows. Carter's main base of operations appeared to be deep underground, and a great deal of the liquid Kryptonite was stored with him.

He had to keep moving, as he sent another decoy in the air, in the opposite direction where he was headed.

Harry glided above the ground, to ensure that he would not even make any footsteps. He listened closely, as everyone ran around, panicked security had gone haywire.

"Potter's flying around outside, he's causing havoc with the base's defenses!"

Harry remained silent, as the door opened. He slipped inside, as two scientists walked out. He saw the next storage of liquefied Kryptonite. He disposed of it immediately. He waved his hand, and a scientist on the outside walked in, before he walked out.

He popped into each and every lab, destroying the deposits one at a time, liberating any test subjects he found and sending the containment pods to the basement of the Shining Light Foundation Headquarters.

* * *

Clark sat on the cot in the holding cell at the Shining Light Foundation. Lionel remained rather calm, as he reclined back, and ate the meal that had been provided for the two captives.

"Well what you wish about Mr. Potter, but at least he does not let the people who break in go hungry," said Lionel, in between bites.

"Yes, there's that," said Clark, as he tried to super speed into the glass, but it bounced him back.

"You will find that to be a foolish move. These cells were designed in case any our patients became too much to control. Therefore, they are made of an alloy that will repel any powers back tenfold if someone gets unruly."

Lionel nodded, as Clark rubbed his head.

'_The best security is something that no one notices,' _thought Lionel.

"Look, this was a misunderstanding," said Clark. "We just wanted to…I just came here to see my cousin, Kara. I wanted to see how she was doing; she seemed rather stressed lately…"

"It is common protocol to call before coming," said the head of security, as he chewed on a toothpick and spit it out.

"You can't even make one exception," said Lionel. "I swear, if you let us out, we'll never bother you again."

"It's not our decision," said the head of security. "Just sit there, and be thankful that Mr. Potter isn't here. He would like to know why you were snooping around. If you had hurt one of our guests, you would not be getting the luxury holding cell."

"I was not under the impression that Harry Potter could make such decisions," said Lionel. "Isn't that best left up to local law enforcement?"

"Once you're on this property, Mr. Potter is the law."

Clark's ears perked up as he heard his cousin's voice talking to security. Kara walked down the hallway, dressed in business attire, with her hair clipped back and she wore a pair of eyeglasses. She stopped in front of the holding cell, and her eyes looked from Clark to Lionel.

It was a long time before she spoke, and the anticipation made it far worse for Clark.

"You're the intruder," said Kara in a cool voice. Kara was calm and collected, and Clark slid back as she surveyed him.

"Yes, I was looking for you, we had a misunderstanding with security," said Clark, and Kara just shook her head.

"I'm sure you misunderstood that protocol for this building is that all guests are supposed to present themselves at the front desk," said Kara, as she stared him down. "You're also supposed to call to make an appointment."

"It was an honest mistake, I just wanted to see how you were," said Clark. "I haven't seen you in a while and…"

"I was fine, until I had to bolt down to Headquarters, I thought someone dangerous broke in," said Kara, as her eyes narrowed. "What were you really doing here? And who is this, and what is he doing here?"

Kara opened the cell and slipped in, before she closed the door behind her. Only her and Harry could open them from the inside.

"This is Lionel Luthor, he's….helping me look for something," said Clark.

"Oh, is he?" asked Kara, as she stood with her back at the wall, and looked at Lionel with a look of deep disgust. "He was talking to Harry this morning. Pulled him away from our breakfast together before we could finish, and…I suppose you tried to rope Harry into whatever you're doing."

"I just wanted to find out what Mr. Potter knew about a crystal you were rumored to be holding," said Lionel.

"Who told you this?" asked Kara, as she grabbed Lionel.

"I believe that doesn't matter now, "said Lionel, remaining cool despite the situation he was in. "All that matters is as long as you have the crystal, it puts Clark in danger."

"I don't have the crystal though," said Kara, as her arms folded over. "Do you two really think that we would just leave a highly dangerous Kryptonian crystal lying around in this building? Where we have children who could pick it up, and play with it?"

Lionel and Clark registered that, and both shook their heads.

"It was a shot in the dark," said Clark with a sheepish grin.

"So, you both thought you could break into this building without permission, and steal my crystal, without permission," said Kara, as she leaned back, but then she flicked Lionel in the chest with one finger. Lionel fell to the ground, knocked unconscious.

"Kara, what did you do?" asked Clark.

"Nothing fatal," said Kara, as Lionel rested on the floor. "You can now talk to me, but I don't want him knowing what we talk about."

Clark's shoulders slumped, as he looked his cousin in the eye.

"Jor-El sent me to get the crystal, as part of my training," said Clark, and that caused Kara's mood go from slightly annoyed to rather agitated in the blink of an eye.

"Jor-El is dead," said Kara in a cold voice.

"Well not the original Jor-El, but he left an artificial intelligence of himself behind to guide me," said Clark, and Kara just folded her arms and her lips curled into a frown, giving Clark the look of deepest disgust. "He thinks both you and Harry are…that you could be…a danger to me."

"I see," said Kara in a brisk voice. "So the great and powerful Jor-El decided to take it upon himself to give you an order, and you fell into line. Did you ever think to talk to me or Harry about the crystal? Instead you do this little cloak and dagger act where you sneak around this building."

"I didn't…" said Clark, as he shook his head. "I thought you would just…about the crystal…"

"You can't even justify what you're doing," said Kara. "I can hear it in your voice; you're fighting with yourself in your mind. Your voice is breaking. You want to trust me, but you're afraid of incurring the wrath of Jor-El."

"He's been right in the past," said Clark in a small voice.

"Maybe," said Kara, as she looked away. "But don't think I'm going to just accept something at face value because Jor-El said it. You know why."

Clark nodded slowly. Kara informed him of that quite clearly.

"I'm going to leave you here Clark, and you should really think about what you did," said Kara, as she turned around. "The decision what's going to happen to you is going to be left in Harry's hands. I hope he's in a good enough mood when he comes back, for your sake."

"Why wouldn't Harry be in a good mood?" asked Clark.

"Oh, dear Lana decided to take his mother's journal," said Kara, as she looked at Clark, contempt dripping from her voice. "And now thanks to her, Harry has to go chasing after it, and risk having his powers exposed to the government!"

"I'm just Lana didn't mean any harm, she might have picked it up somewhere," said Clark, but Kara just snorted at that thought.

"You trust Lana, of course you trust her," said Kara in a sarcastic voice. "She's hurt you before, Clark, and….just never mind. That's your own problem to deal with. I do wonder how many times you're going to let that girl step on your heart before you open your eyes."

"Kara I…"

"I'm done talking to you!" yelled Kara. "Just sit in the cell, and be quiet, you don't understand what you've done! And if anything happens to Harry, it's going your fault because I wasn't there to help him!"

Kara remained silent for another second, but then spoke once more.

"And if you just actually walked up to Harry or me like an adult, and asked about the crystal, you wouldn't be in the fix you are in, Kal-El!"

Without another word, Kara stormed off. Clark remained in the cell, as Lionel continued to snooze on the floor from after what Kara did to him. He wondered if this day could get any worse.

Then he remembered a very important detail. Harry was not here. He remembered what happened to him the first time he met Harry, when he took a step onto Harry's property. Then when he followed Harry and Kara, he got pulled into another dimension, and lectured about what he was doing.

Clark was not looking forward to that meeting.

* * *

Kara walked down the hallway towards her office, taking a deep calming breath to rein in her temper. She was about to get in touch with Harry, to see if he had any luck with liberating the journal. As her journey continued, she was stopped by a ten year old girl with red hair.

"Oh, hi, Claire, "said Kara, who tried to remain cheerful for the sake of the young girl.

It was remarkable how far Claire had come in the past couple of months. She had a slightly haunted look in her eyes, and had nightmares for the longest time, but Harry walked her through them. Harry could have been spending that time tracking down the journal, but he helped a young girl who had been tortured and tormented that needed help.

"Look Kara, I drew this!" cried Claire, exhibiting a youthful innocence that Kara hoped the girl would never lose.

"Well, let me see it," said Kara as she took the piece of paper.

She surveyed the paper; it was a picture of Claire, Kara, and Harry.

"That's very pretty, Claire," said Kara, with a smile towards the girl. "You did a good job; I'm going to have to show Harry this, okay?"

"Do you think he'll like it?" asked Claire in a shy voice.

"I'm sure he'll love it as much as I do," said Kara. "Now, I've got work to do, lunch should be in a little bit. Just run along, and see if everyone else is ready."

"Can I ask you a question?" asked Claire.

"I guess that wouldn't hurt," said Kara, as she took a cup of water from the water cooler, and took a drink.

"When are you and Harry going to get together?" asked Claire suddenly, and Kara spat out the water in surprise.

"I…well…you see…Claire, you shouldn't really be bothered by that," said Kara, as she tried to desperately regain her composure.

"You two should really just get over yourselves, and just kiss already," added Claire in a completely innocent voice. "You really should work out your sexual tension, um I don't know what that is, but it sounded like something you should do."

"Claire!" yelled Kara in a reproachful voice. "Where did you pick up something like that?"

"Oh, I heard Chloe say it a couple of days ago," said Claire with a dismissive shrug.

"I see," said Kara in a calm voice.

'_I'm going to have to have a chat with Chloe later,' _thought Kara to herself.

"Claire, please run along, I need to…talk to Harry," said Kara, but she did not like the devious smile on the little girl's face.

She blamed Chloe, this was all her fault.

Kara entered her office, reaching her desk. Immediately, she received a message from Harry.

_Kara,_

_I'm closing in on the journal. This time, I'm pretty sure I'm going to get it. Maybe, ninety five percent chance of success, this time, I hope._

_Don't come after me, they've got enough Kryptonite to level a village. I mean it this time. I really care about you, and I don't want to see you get hurt. It would be the worst day of my life. _

_If I'm not back by morning, I'm likely getting dissected, and we can all blame Lana for it. Oh and Death as well, we can blame her as well for causing me on a wild goose chase over a book. And if I don't come back, thanks for everything, I really appreciate everything you helped me with._

_Take Care,_

_Harry._

Kara held the note in her hand. She read it over, her eyes focusing on a couple of particular lines.

"He's going to come back," said Kara in an undertone. "I l…he has to come back."

The note was held in her hands, like a cherished possession. She read over the lines, "I really care about you, and I don't want to see you get hurt. It would be the worst day of my life."

A smile appeared on her face.

Patience was a virtue. Good things came to those who waited.

* * *

Carter had Lana bound and gagged, a metallic headband strapped over her head.

"I'm just going to ask you a few simple questions, Lana," said Carter, as he leaned down, peering down in her face "And this little machine, taken from an alien ship, will tell me what you're thinking about."

The phone ringing distracted Carter. He took a moment to answer the call.

"Yes, what is it?" asked Carter.

"This is Lex Luthor," said Lex.

"Ah, Lex, what can I do for you?" asked Carter in a faux polite voice.

"You know what I want Carter," said Lex. "I told you Lana was up to something about your line of work. All I asked for in return was the journal, but I found out that your government agents swiped it from underneath my men's nose when they had tracked it down."

"That journal is no simple journal," said Carter.

"You have my property," said Lex, ignoring what Carter said.

"The journal was confiscated as contraband, alien contraband," said Carter, as he held the cell phone. "You wouldn't want to be implicated in anything seedy, would you Lex?"

"I would weather the storm," said Lex in a calm tone of voice. "If I had the wrong people in Washington take a closer look at you, your genetic experiments, and the like, they might shut you down cold and you'd disappear."

Carter just chuckled.

"You don't get it Lex, while you're doing big business, I'm saving the world," said Carter. "These aliens are a threat, and I'm going to pick apart Lana Lang's mind, to find out if she knows anything beyond the official word coming out of Smallville."

"Denote her brain to science for all I care," said Lex dismissively. "I need the journal, I was…"

"You were what, Lex?" asked Carter.

Lex remained silent.

"Let's make a deal," said Lex. "I'll supply you with more meteor rocks; your supply must be running low. I'll even bring you test subjects. The journal on the other hand, is something that I want."

"Everyone seems to want this journal, I feel I'm holding a bomb in my hands," chuckled Carter. "One that could wipe out all of humanity."

"Just cut to the chase," said Lex.

"No deal Lex, I'm sorry, but that journal is too valuable and too dangerous for me to allow it to fall into your hands."

The phone conversation ended, and Carter immediately caught a visual. He saw Harry Potter flying across the skies, on a computer screen. He had gotten sloppy in his arrogance.

"Men, I have a visual on Potter," said Carter. "Make sure you give in a suitable response."

"Copy that," said the man over the intercom.

Carter turned on his heel slowly. A smile appeared on his face, as he leaned down over Lana.

"Okay, Lana, where were we before we were rudely interrupted?" asked Carter, as he made sure the wires were hooked. "This may short circuit your brain, but since you would not cooperate, it's…"

What it was never was stated, as a loud explosion rang out from the hallway. Carter tensed up.

'_One of the lab experiments must have backfired,' _thought Carter, as he moved out to check on what happened.

Lana remained on the table, but the wires were cut from her head. She looked up, confused, as the straps were removed.

Then she found herself rendered completely unconscious.

The invisible form of Harry Potter shoved a tin can into Lana's hand and transported her away from the area. She would land somewhere in Kansas, where he couldn't be bothered to figure out at this point.

He spotted the journal on the desk.

Harry reached forward, and closed his eyes. Immediately, when he touched the journal, he almost expected an anvil to fall on his head, or the journal to be magically sucked into a black hole or something inconvenient to happen.

Yet he held the journal in his hand. Harry tucked the journal in his cloak, and disapparated back to his home in the blink of an eye.

Harry dropped the journal off home, placed it in a secure vault, and returned, placing the fake Lex handed him in its place. Charms were placed on it to maintain the illusion that it was the original, and not a cheap fake.

Carter returned with several men at that moment.

One by one, they dropped from impact blows to the head. They appeared to have just blacked out.

"He's here," whispered Carter, as he reached under the table, to pick up a large gun. "Okay, alien, I'm not afraid of you."

"Really, you think I'm an alien?" asked the Herald of Death as he appeared. Carter tried to incinerate the robed figure, but the weapon was yanked out of his hand.

"Stay back, stay away from me!" yelled Carter, nearly falling backwards. "Every single man on this base will be after you, they're coming right now."

Carter tried to press a button, but nothing happened.

"Your men are chasing ghosts around the desert, and I disabled the intercom," said the robed figure, as he held out his an energy scythe. "Did you really think you could get one up on me?"

"You….what are you?" asked Carter as he felt absolutely terrified. "The meteor shower, you had to arrive in it, eighteen years ago?"

"No, but the truth is something your simple mind cannot fathom," said the Herald of Death. "Now, I'm going to ask you a question. How do you justify experimenting on children?

"They're nothing, freaks, no one wanted them!" yelled Carter.

"Wrong answer," said the Herald of Death, as Carter was pushed onto his knees. He lost the use of his limbs. He was then pulled back to his feet.

"I…maybe we should make a deal," managed Carter, shaking madly.

"I don't make deals with vermin," said the Herald of Death. "I exterminate them."

An energy scythe appeared in mid-air, and Carter had been sliced in the chest. He flew back, and struck the circuit breaker box. He was promptly electrocuted. He screamed in agony, until he passed out. The lights in the lab flickered. The slain form of Agent Carter slumped to the ground, burned to a crisp.

Harry popped over to the main computer. He downloaded the information from the file, about other bases the government was working on, with various experiments around the country. All of them involved meteors. Harry reached the file on him.

He made some slight alterations, using the passcodes he ripped from Carter's mind. Lana was released because she didn't know anything. The investigation was a dead end. Harry and Kara's records checked out, they weren't alien invaders threatening the freedom of American citizens.

Harry sighed, as he stepped out. He erased any traces of his presence here. Carter would be found, the official word would be he died of accidental electrocution.

The Herald of Death disappeared into the night, as he prepared to report to the Shining Light Foundation. First he made ensured the journal was safe, and secure. He nodded when he verified that fact.

'_I'll take a look at you, later," _said Harry, as he saw the journal, next to Kara's crystal in the vault in his basement. He activated the protection spells around the vault.

After all the hell he went over through the journal, he was not taking any chances whatsoever.

* * *

Carter had been found on the floor, as the events of this afternoon were investigated.

"He was accidentally electrocuted, one of his little science projects did him in," said a doctor, as he leaned over the remained form of the government agent.

"So it appears his theory was way off base," said an agent as he looked at the computer. "There's calls coming in from Washington, this entire project is going to be called under question. We're all going dark, being re-transferred. The freaks…well they just disappeared."

Everyone looked around, as they saw the journal. Lex Luthor walked into the lab at this time. He continued to quicken his strides to the journal.

"Carter did me a favor and reclaimed this journal for me," said Lex, as he reached forward. "Its Luthorcorp property, and I would hate to see any of you get the book thrown at you."

The journal was handed to Lex. He snatched it away, and walked out the door. His limo was parked outside of the gates. The bald young man held the journal, a smile of triumph on his face.

He was blissfully ignorant of what he truthfully held in his hands.

* * *

Kara sat at her desk as lunch had passed, with a couple of hours away from dinner, and looked up at the door clicking open. Harry entered her office. She looked at him, a smile appearing on her face.

"Harry!" yelled Kara, as she nearly knocked over the desk, and flew over, to throw her arms around Harry.

"Nice to see you too, Kara, "said Harry, as he returned the hug. "I got the journal; it's locked up safely with your crystal."

"Oh," said Kara, as she deflated. Now that he had the journal, it was the moment of truth "Well…that's great Harry, you got the journal. Did you figure out what the big deal was?"

"It can wait," said Harry, as he wrapped his arms around her waist, and held her tight.

"Harry," said Kara, looking up into Harry's green eyes. It took a minute to regain her composure "That journal…you looked for it for months, it was important to you. You spent all of your time obsessing over it like…"

"Like it was the most important thing in the world?" asked Harry, as he pulled her closer. Kara looked up at him, nodding slowly. "It's not."

Kara looked at Harry, opening her mouth, but Harry cut her off.

"I only got the journal, because I had to. I'm doing this, because I want to."

Kara was about to ask what Harry meant. She never got the chance. Suddenly, Harry leaned forward, and kissed her. Full on, on the lips, without any regrets or hesitation.

Her mind and body went numb. On pure instincts, Kara did the only thing she could think of. She kissed back.

Their arms were wrapped around each other's waist. Kara sighed softly into Harry's mouth, and Harry deepened the kiss. Moving her arms up, Kara ran her fingers through Harry's hair. Harry's hands roamed all over her body. The kiss continued for several minutes.

Harry slowly backed up, as Kara nearly collapsed on the desk, but Harry grabbed her hand to prevent her from falling, and pulled her back up.

They stared at each other before Kara spoke.

"Wow," she sighed. "That was…it was…amazing."

Harry just smiled. He scooped Kara up in his arms, and gave her one more kiss.

The most beautiful girl in the entire universe was in his arms, and he was kissing her.

His only regret was not doing this sooner.

* * *

_**So I daresay this chapter was a rather pivotal one.**_

**To Be Continued in Chapter 12 "Fortress." **


	12. Chapter 12: Fortress

**Chapter 12: Fortress. **

The second kiss continued for several minutes, before both mutually decided to break it.

"You don't know how long I waited for that," said Kara, as Harry set her down on her feet.

"More than long enough, I think," said Harry.

This statement caused Kara to laugh, as she nodded. The stood in the office, the two were face to face with each other.

"If figured, if there was someone I wanted to be with, why wait around?" asked Harry, as he held his arms around her waist. He whispered into her ear, "For too long, I've been spending way too much time thinking. Guessing what might happen, worrying about things…and I was…I guess I could say that…"

"You were scared what might happen if you let someone into your heart again," said Kara, gazing in Harry's eyes. "After all that you lost…you thought you deserved everything that happened, didn't you?"

Harry gave a slow and stoic nod.

"You're right," said Harry, as he held her and pulled her closely to him. "That's what I thought…but…I could be wrong. I could live my entire life, regretting would could have been, or I could just go for it."

"I'm glad, I wanted to kiss you that night," said Kara in a soft voice, as she played with Harry's hair. "Outside the barn, if Clark was five seconds later, we would have…"

"Yeah we would have, we should have, the time was right then," said Harry, as he looked into her eyes. "But, we're together now…with each other."

Kara responded to the implied question, leaning forward. She pressed her lips against Harry's, before shoving him against the wall. Harry returned her efforts with equal passing. Both were engrossed in the kiss. Kara's hands undid his shirt, sliding it off of him. Her hands rubbed his back, soft, and Harry turned around their position, so she was against the wall. Kara shivered as her back was against the wall. Harry continued to kiss her against the wall, as he felt her up.

"Harry," she moaned into his mouth, as Harry pulled back from the kiss. Kara allowed Harry to slip the jacket she was wearing off of her shoulders. She leaned back, and allowed it to fall onto the office floor.

Harry took her back into her arms, and pressed his mouth against her neck. Kara's eyes closed, as Harry sucked on her neck. Harry worked his hands onto the buttons of her blouse, fumbling with them. After a moment, he unbuttoned it. She slid off the blouse.

His eyes drank in the sight for a minute, as he saw her leaned against the wall. She wore a red bra. Everything else from the waist up was completely bare. Harry thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Like something you see, Harry?" asked Kara, as she leaned back against the wall, legs spread slightly. Her pinky finger was in her mouth, her lips puckered together.

"Everything, everything I see I like," answered Harry, as he pinned her against the wall. His fingers traced against her bare skin over her shoulders and stomach. Kara managed to lock her legs around his waist. She pulled him in and he deepened the kiss. She slowly worked her tongue into the kiss, and Harry matched her movements, as things continued to get heated.

Kara's mind was going haywire. She could not resist him at this point, if she wanted to. Not that she really wanted to. It struck her how Harry could have any woman in the universe that he wanted to, and he would not have to try that hard. Yet, he wanted her.

The kiss deepened, as Harry walked backwards, with Kara's legs still wrapped around him. A chair slid out, and Harry sank down onto it. The kiss continued, as Kara drew back, as she felt Harry's erection brush against her stomach.

"So, do you want me to help you with that?" asked Kara, with a smirk as she slid back onto her knees on the floor above where Harry was sitting. She put the bulge in Harry's pants in between two of her fingers, and massaged it, teasing him.

"Yes," said Harry, without any thought, letting out the breath he had been holding.

Kara just smiled, and unbuckled Harry's pants.

"I'll…do the best I can Harry," said Kara. "But this is my first time."

"Mine too," said Harry, which caused Kara to pause and look at him.

Kara remained determined. She would not screw this up; she wanted to make this memorable for Harry.

Harry just let her pleasure him. If she was this good when she was inexperienced, Harry could hardly wait to see what Kara was like with some experience under her belt.

'_Yeah, it might be a sick Muggle fetish, but it makes me feel good,' _thought Harry, thinking back to what his ex-girlfriend told him, when he breached the subject to her.

Kara on the other hand, she had a talented mouth. She brought him to completion with her blowjob, and swallowed the contents. Harry was in heaven.

Immediately, Kara drew back. She licked her lips, tantalizing.

Now that she had a little taste of Harry, she wanted everything. She shook her head, unfortunately business called.

"We really do kind of need to talk about the break in today," said Kara, sighing.

"Oh, I almost forgot about that," said Harry, as he looked at Kara, who just grinned at him. "I had my mind on other matters."

"Understandable," agreed Kara. "It was Clark, and Lionel Luthor. They were looking for my crystal."

"Where are they now?" asked Harry.

"Holding cell, don't worry, they got fed," said Kara. "I don't know if I can stand to talk to him right now."

"Don't worry, Kara, I'll take care of it," said Harry, who was in good spirits. Kara put her jacket, and blouse back on. Harry pulled out a chair, and offered it to her. "You just sit there, relax."

Kara just smiled, as Harry gave her one final kiss. It ended all too soon in her opinion.

She sat down to relax. Her mind went wild with fantasies involving her and Harry. Reality was far better than dreams, but there would be plenty of time later. Plus Harry was worth waiting for.

* * *

Clark looked up, and he saw Harry down the hall towards them. Lionel was just stirring awake, but Harry immediately shoved a portkey into his hand, and transported him out of the building.

"He's outside, you can pick him up after we're done," said Harry in a curt voice. "We need to talk."

'_Yeah, this should be fun,' _said Clark, as he saw the expression on Harry's face. Harry remained calm, almost eerily so.

"This way, please," said Harry, as he lead Clark down the hallway. He did not offer many words, good, bad, or indifferent. "Follow me, main conference room is up here, we should be able to talk in privacy."

Clark followed Harry. He opened the door, and the entered a dark room. Harry offered Clark a chair, and he took it. The doors shut themselves, and Harry snapped his fingers. A red light appeared on over Clark's head.

"What were you thinking?" asked Harry in a calm voice. Clark almost wished Harry yelled him, perhaps knocked him around a bit with his powers. "Kara told me you and Lionel were here, trespassing in my building, and looking for her crystal. Is this the truth?"

The red light made Clark feel as if he was in police interrogation.

"Well, technically speaking, yes we were," said Clark, and Harry just looked at him.

"Why were you after the crystal?" asked Harry. "We both know the Martian Manhunter told you about it. If you wanted to know about the crystal, you should have asked me or Kara. We might not have handed it to you, but we could have told you why you aren't entitled to it. And why it could be a danger to you."

"Jor-El told me to," said Clark.

"Your dead Kryptonian father told you to get the crystal," said Harry, immediately skeptical about the manner. "I'd prefer you tell me the truth, yourself."

"My father, he lives through an AI, it's a shadow of him, an echo, but he's supposed to train me, for what I'm supposed to do," said Clark.

"Did he ever tell you exactly what you're supposed to do?" asked Harry. "Or did he just give you orders, without any reasoning? And just expect you to fall into line because he's Jor-El."

"Well it does seem like a bad thing when you put it that way," said Clark.

"Okay, I'm going to tell you exactly why you should not lay one finger on that crystal," said Harry, as he took a deep breath. "The crystal was sent with Kara by Zor-El for a reason. I believe he may have implemented something into it. He was not going to let a simple matter like his death get in the way of his sadistic plans. I've been able to find out at least there's someone buried inside that crystal. It contains genetic material. It would be able to create a clone. I'd imagine when the time was right; you'd be the key to activate the crystal."

"So, I know what I'm dealing with," said Clark. "I can handle…"

"I'm sure you can handle it if it was just Zor-El in that crystal," said Harry as he waved his hand. "Seeing what was in Kara's memories, I'm pretty sure it wasn't just Zor-El preserved in that crystal."

Clark took a deep breath, and opened his mouth.

"That's my something I don't wish to even drag up, it's family drama," said Harry. "It's something you're better off not knowing about. It affected Kara far more than she'll ever admit, especially given what happened to her mother. Something that did not put your father in the best light, I should remind you."

"Yeah, I can understand why she wouldn't like Jor-El," said Clark.

Harry remained silent for a minute. Clark had a feeling it would be best to allow Harry to speak next.

"The House of El might be dysfunctional, but why continue that tradition?" asked Harry. "You've made mistakes; I've made enough mistakes to fill about seven books. And I'm sure you'll make many more until you grow into what you have the potential to be. Making mistakes is fine; not learning from them is another matter entirely. I've been there; it took me a long time."

Clark nodded in understanding. Harry moved over to show him out.

"Next time you want to stop by for a visit, there is a common courtesy that you can implement," said Harry, as he looked at Clark, stoic and calm. "And that's call first. My security might not be nice with a repeat performance. And for your information, the crystal was not here in the first place. So you wasted an entire trip, and alienated your cousin."

"Where is she, I should…go and apologize for her," asked Clark.

"Wait for a few days when it actually has meaning, and when you've had a chance to think about what you've done," said Harry. "I'll let you know about the crystal, if I find out anything more. We might be able to come up with a solution to satisfy everyone, but I'm not going to hold out hope for it."

Clark continued to stand there, wondering if Harry was done.

"This is your last free pass," concluded Harry. "Pull another stunt like that ever again, and I might not be so nice about this."

"Understand," said Clark as he shifted guiltily.

"Have a good night, Clark," said Harry as he lead Clark to the exit. "Oh, and Lana's safe, somewhere in Kansas. She might have returned to the farm by now."

Clark opened his mouth to ask, but he was already locked out. Lionel already had left, and Clark just moved off at that moment.

He had a lot to think about.

* * *

Lana rested inside the Kent Farm. She shook her head. The last thing she remembered, she was being chased by Lex's goons. Then there was nothing but a big blank. She shook her head from side to side.

The door creaked open, and Lana nearly jumped ten feet in the air off of the couch. She relaxed, when she saw Clark walk in.

"Oh, hey Lana, glad to see you made it back," said Clark.

"Clark, where were you?" asked Lana.

"I was out," said Clark in an evasive voice. "I had a long day."

"You had a long day, I had a long day too," said Lana. "Your cousin stopped by to visit me."

Clark looked at Lana, who proceeded to move to the journal, distressed.

"She freaked out over some journal, it belonged to Harry Potter," said Lana, saying the name with a bit of distaste. "I don't know, it's just that she…she showed up here and I don't know what I ever did to her."

"What did she say?" asked Clark.

"Well, not much of anything," admitted Lana. "She informed me the journal was Harry's. I had no idea…I picked it up, someone dropped it. I was curious about it, but there was nothing written on it. The markings were weird on the journal. That someone who dropped it was Lex!"

"Lex?" asked Clark.

"Yeah, he's…well you know how he is," said Lana, as she sat down on the chair. "Your cousin…she's just…I don't know, she has a huge problem."

"Kara's high strung, but she's…she's just fitting in her own way," said Clark, but Lana looked at him. "She's got a lot of things to deal with, and she'll do anything for Harry. But she's…got a good heart."

Lana just looked at him.

"So, you're taking her side," said Lana coolly, and Clark opened his mouth, realizing of the really awkward situation he had been put into.

"I'm taking nobody's side," protested Clark. "I'm just saying that Kara…she's got her own view on the world. And she tends to be guarded. Harry's about the only one she identifies with, but she's done some good."

"Yeah, well she threatened me!" said Lana as her voice got louder. "You're making excuses for her. She's dangerous, Clark, and she could hurt you. She almost hurt me. And Harry's been meeting with Lex a lot over the past three months."

"How do you know that?" asked Clark, suspicious at this moment. "What are you doing Lana?"

"Trying to help you!" yelled Lana, as she got up to her feet. "I'm trying to make things right, just like he told me to, but it just seems like it won't ever be good enough for you. You know what, fine Clark! If that's how you want to act like, fine!"

'_Just like who told her,' _thought Clark, completely confused, as Lana sit back down.

"Who told you to make things right, Lana?" asked Clark.

"Never mind Clark!" yelled Lana. "You…I don't even know why I bother sometimes!"

Lana sprung up to her feet once again.

"Lana, you've had a rough day, just settle down."

"Yeah, it was rough, but I just need to take a walk, get some fresh air, and clear my head," said Lana as she clicked open the door, shut it behind her, and walked off.

Clark watched her leave. He was about to call after her, but decided against it. Today was just not his day.

* * *

"So, I suppose we better figure out this once and for all, and while Jor-El wants Clark to destroy it."

Harry held the crystal out, and put it on the table. Kara sat in the same chair beside him in the study. Harry analyzed the crystal. Everything seemed to click to him, as he scanned it.

For some reason, when he got a better control of his emotions and stopped hiding from his feelings, everything flowed better with his powers.

"So, anything?" asked Kara, as she slid on Harry's lap, but Harry lifted up a hand. He continued to look at the crystal, and suddenly, he heard a faint whisper from within it.

"Kal-El. Please help me, Kal-El."

"Kara, listen to this," said Harry, as he held the crystal, up to the light.

"Kal-El, my son, you have to hurry, there isn't much time," whispered the voice within the crystal.

"That sounds like Aunt Lara," breathed Kara, as she listened to the crystal. "But…she died with the rest of them, didn't she?

"Yes, she's dead," said Harry, after he thought for a second. "A copy of her is in the crystal, and Clark wouldn't turn down the chance to know his birth mother. But there's something else in here, something more…yeah he's in here."

Kara tensed up immediately, as Harry flipped the crystal over in his fingers in one hand and squeezed her hand with the other. He double checked to make sure his initial theory was correct.

"He's in the crystal, connected to Lara," said Harry. "Your father, he's here, I can sense him. He doesn't know I'm here. The crystal was created to tempt Kal-El. He was going to take control."

"Just smash it Harry," suggested Kara immediately, as she shivered looking at the crystal. She could feel his presence from inside it, and it was scaring her. The pedestal she had placed her father on had been destroyed when Harry restored her memories. She took a deep breath, and got ahold of herself.

'_Harry won't let anything bad happen to you,' _she thought to herself.

Harry looked at the crystal. He did wonder if that would be so easy, just to smash the crystal.

"Kara, I've got an idea," said Harry, as it was either genius or insanity that hit him. "Give Clark a chance to do the right thing, to make right for what happened today."

Kara's eyes looked at him, curious.

"I'm going to give Clark the crystal, and explain to him what it is," said Harry. "But if it overwhelms him, I'm going to be there to bust it if it overwhelms him. Is that okay with you?"

"Harry, it's up to you," said Kara.

"No, Kara, it's up to you," said Harry. "It's your crystal after all."

Kara slid off Harry's lap. She picked up the crystal, and placed it in Harry's hand.

"Do it, I know you'll be able to protect Kal-El if the worst happens," said Kara, as she leaned forward, and gave Harry a kiss. He returned it, and they parted.

"See you in a little bit," said Harry, as he slipped the crystal into his robe pocket, and popped back to the Kent Farm.

Kara leaned back on the chair, as she waited. She let out a breath, hoping that a severe weight would be lifted off of her shoulders in a matter of moments.

* * *

Clark investigated a sudden nose from outside the barn. Harry was waiting for him. The crystal held in his hand, as he walked up across the field.

"Here's the deal, Clark," said Harry without giving him a chance to speak. "I have the crystal. I'm warning you right now, it's far more dangerous than we ever believed previously. Take the crystal, do what you need to do destroy it."

Harry slipped the crystal into Clark's hand. The crystal seemed like fire in Clark's hand, as he flipped it over.

"Kal-El, my son, you need to save me, before it's too late."

"My mother's in the crystal," said Clark, as he looked at the crystal.

"Remember, Zor-El gave Kara that crystal to hurt you," said Harry as he snapped his fingers in front of Clark's face to bring him back to reality. "He wiped her memories. He's using your birth mother to tempt you…."

"I can't just stand by, there's got to be another way," said Clark.

"Clark, there's no other way," said Harry sternly and almost coldly. "Both of them are tied together in the crystal. Remember that. Take the crystal to Jor-El, and let him know you're destroying it. And actually destroy it. If there was any other way, I would tell you. But I analyzed every angle. It's a two for one deal no matter what."

"I understand," said Clark.

"Good," said Harry. "Destroy it, I know that you have it within you to do the right thing."

"Yes, I'll do that," said Clark, but he heard the frantic cries for help from inside the crystal.

'_This is what you sent me here for,' _thought Harry. _'To guide him, but I feel like I'm throwing something dangerous into his hands. I'm going to make sure he does the right thing.'_

* * *

In the Fortress of Solitude, Clark moved in at the speed of light, the crystal still in his hand.

"Do you have the crystal?" rumbled the voice of Jor-El.

"Yes, I have the crystal," said Clark as he held it in his hand. "I got it, but there's someone in here. My mother…"

"Lara died with the rest of Krypton," said Jor-El in a cold voice. "Do not be swayed by an echo. There is nothing you can do to reverse that effect. And that crystal was made by Zor-El, so it must be destroyed at all costs."

Clark held the crystal in his hand. He was torn. Both his father and Harry told him that it was important that he smash the crystal. Yet the pained screams of his mother from inside the crystal rang through his ears. He swallowed the lump in his throat. Clark held the crystal over the Fortress Console. His hands wavered over it, as he was about to jam it in, to see what he could do.

Then, he realized the potential consequences of his actions, and he smashed the crystal on the Fortress floor. It shattered into microscopic dust fragments.

"I did it," said Clark in a deflated and haunted voice.

"Well done, Kal-El," said Jor-El. "Depart now, and get some rest, your training can resume on another day."

Clark turned around, as he walked off. He would be haunted by the nightmares of his mother calling out for him. Even if it was an echo, he still wondered if he should tried to do something.

The Fortress of Solitude remained empty, except for the robed figure in the shadows. The moment Clark was long gone, Harry walked out, pulling his hood down. It was a few seconds before Harry allowed the Fortress to sense his presence.

"Just what are you doing in this Fortress?" boomed Jor-El.

"I just was following your son, to make sure he did the right thing," said Harry. "It appears that Kal-El might have taken a step down an interesting road. It couldn't have been easy to do what he did. And you have me to thank for that, I should note."

"Do not presume to take credit for what Kal-El has done," said Jor-El.

"Oh, I'm giving Kal-El the credit for what Kal-El is done," said Harry. "Although I wonder, what gave him more value? The AI copy of his father who gave him vague orders? Or the person who studied the crystal, brought it to him, and told him exactly what it was? Surely the greatest scientific mind in all of Krypton can put the pieces together. It's not exactly hard now, is it?"

The Fortress of Solitude remained silent, and rather eerie.

"I offer you one warning to stay away from Kal-El," said Jor-El, as the Fortress began to flash.

"I'm pretty sure you know who I answer to," said Harry, and Jor-El stopped the light show. "I'm sure the great and powerful Jor-El knows everything about the Herald of Death. Of course, Kara did, but I'm beginning to think that she got her smarts from her mother's side of the family."

Harry turned on his heel, and looked around the Fortress.

"I'm sure you can give me threats all day and all night long," said Harry. "But I'm here to stay, whether you like it or not."

"Kal-El has a destiny to fulfill, you present a danger to it," said Jor-El.

"Destiny, that's a word that amuses me for some reason," said Harry with a smirk. "I'm sure Clark is capable of great things. Not because of some destiny, but because of the choices he makes. And tonight, he made the right choice. I'm not here to fight his battles for him."

Harry looked thoughtful.

"But, I've gotten my second chance to make something out of my life. I'm going to take full advantage of it. I've been called many things in my life, but I don't ever lay back and let authority figures step all over me. So, I don't care what you are, or who you are or if you think you're helping Clark. If you ever pull a stunt with like you did with the crystal again…well I'll just show you."

Harry waved his hand, and with a loud crackle, Jor-El could no longer exert his will over the Fortress.

"I could easy erase every single bit of your consciousness from existence with a few simple movements," said Harry in a deadly whisper, as he looked around the Fortress of Solitude. "I'm here to stay, and so is Kara. We're both a part of Clark's life whether the great Jor-El likes it or not."

Harry let go of Jor-El at that moment.

"I think I've made my message clear," said Harry, but he got no response. "I'm sure you have much to teach Clark. But there are times where people get blinded by a narrow minded view, of what they believe is written in the stars."

Harry vanished into thin air, leaving the Fortress of Solitude intact.

* * *

Harry returned home, as Kara waited for him in the study, dressed in a nightdress. He was so glad today was Friday, because had an entire weekend to recover from today.

"How did it go?" asked Kara.

"I'm back, so Clark destroyed the crystal," said Harry, as he sat down next to Kara. "That's out of our hair. We've got twelve pods with government test subjects in them currently in the basement of the Shining Light Foundation. I'll have the scientists figure them out on Monday. And I've got a disc detailing more locations in my bag. And I'll figure that out on Monday."

"So are you ready to go to bed," said Kara, with a smile.

"I'm not sure if I can sleep after today," said Harry.

"Oh, I might have a few ideas to relax you," said Kara, turning, with a knowing smile.

Harry looked at the want in her eyes, and it was hard to keep his mind focused on the last thing on his agenda tonight.

"As enticing as that sounds, there's one more thing we have to figure out before we call it a night, "said Harry, as he reached into the vault, and pulled out his mother's journal. "After all I've been put through over this; I want to know what the big deal is."

"It is the real one, isn't it?" asked Kara.

"I know it is," said Harry, as he flipped through it. Every single page was blank. "And yet, I'm reading not one bloody word. That bloody obnoxious entity told me that it could only be activated by those of the blood of my mother."

Harry felt sudden realization dawn upon him.

"She couldn't be that literal," said Harry darkly.

"I wouldn't be surprised," said Kara with a shrug, as Harry held his hand. He closed his eyes.

He cut his own finger. It healed over instantly, but one drop of blood spilled on the pages of the diary. The journal began to glow, illuminated by gold.

Time stood still at that moment. The journal appeared to be assessing the two figures in front of them. Kara sat back, as she felt a chill. A three dimensional projection of a canvas manifested before their very eyes, and writing appeared in the air.

"Welcome Heralds of Earth and Krypton."

"What?" breathed Kara as she nearly flew up and smacked her head on the ceiling, before Harry gently pulled her back down.

Both remained silent, flabbergasted and absolutely freaked out by one simple six word sentence.

"Did you know about this?" asked Harry, finally managing to find his voice.

"No, I didn't," said Kara, as she collapsed back into Harry's arms. "Harry, I didn't even know…how could I…the journal must be confused or something."

Harry remained calm, and silent. Further writing appeared before his eyes after the long silence.

"Are you ready to begin your training?"

"Training?" asked Harry. "Please clarify."

More writing appeared in mid air.

"Upon your eighteenth birthday, you were supposed to get this journal from Sirius Black. A letter would also be given to you to explain about your role, and your purpose. You act as if this is new information to you."

"Why would Sirius have the journal or a letter for me?" asked Harry.

There was a moment's pause, and more words wrote into the air. Kara watched in awe.

"You were supposed to live with Sirius. Your training for standard magic was intended to begin at the age of eight. Private tutors were to be hired. You were to be kept as far away from the Wizarding World as possible not to endanger your future role as the Herald of Death. For instance, you were not to attend Hogwarts. It would make the break much cleaner. You would merge the three keys at age eighteen and then merge with them at the age of twenty one."

"It didn't happen that way," said Harry slowly. "I never was sent to live with Sirius. I never started any training at the age of eight. I did go to Hogwarts, but I did merge with the keys after all was lost after the final war."

The journal appeared to be processing this information at this point. Harry and Kara both sat on the edge of the house. More writing was scratched on the canvas.

"Who were you sent to live with?"

It was Harry's turn to remain silent for a brief moment.

"The Dursleys," answered Harry.

More words swirled in the air, and for a bit of canvas in the air, it appeared to be rather shaky.

"What year is this?"

"2007, almost 2008," answered Harry.

The words faded from existence, but it was replaced by an angry scream that came from within the journal.

"She broke her promise to me, now I'm going to break mine to her!"

A three dimensional figure replaced the canvas.

"Told me you'd live a happy childhood, told me there was no need to worry about anything!" ranted the figure, as Harry saw she had red hair. Her eyes were the same shade of green he had. "Told me that everything would work out, told me that there was nothing to worry about!"

Both Harry and Kara sat, completely paralyzed by their confusion.

"Every single scenario I thought of, this was the second worst one I could ever imagine!" yelled the woman. "You lived your childhood with Petunia…and you merged with the keys. How did you merge with the keys? You were supposed to be trained! Death told me that…and she was the only one who could cause you to merge with them!"

"Yeah, once I had all of the keys, she took me aside, and told me what my purpose in life was," said Harry.

"She didn't train you though, did she?" asked the woman, a frown appearing on her face and her eyes closing, to calm herself down.

"No she just unlocked my powers, and sent me here," said Harry. "And just who are you anyway?"

"Harry, I'm your mother," said the woman but Harry just looked at her skeptically.

"She died when I was a year old," said Harry.

"Yes I did," agreed Lily. "I'm…well it's best to think about me as a three dimensional magical portrait."

Lily reined in her temper, but Harry just looked at her.

"What deal did you make?" asked Harry in a quiet voice.

"Yeah that deal, it's my greatest regret," said Lily in a somber voice. "I was fourteen years old. Most children around that age are selfish, and I was no exception to that rule. An accident killed me. Death visited me in the between point. There was a choice I could have made. Go on to the afterlife, or pledge my first born son to Death as her Herald. I chose the latter."

"You did what?" asked Harry, but Kara grabbed him around the waist to hold him back.

"You must have thought that you could get out of that deal somehow," said Kara.

Lily nodded.

"It was a foolish bargain," said Lily, regrets filling her voice. "A bargain made by a teenage girl who had no idea what the consequences were. Death stalked me from that point on to remind me of the bargain. My sister…my younger sister, she was taken from me because I tried to run and back out of the deal!"

Harry's mood grew very dark. He knew who Lily was referring to.

"My entire family, the entire Evans bloodline we were obsessed with control," continued Lily. "My parents, my grandparents, and every generation before for them, all obsessed with knowledge, and the power that came along with it. I was tempted as well. It was because of this pursuit for knowledge. That pursuit caused me to be put right before Death to make that devil's bargain. It was a bargain that even Faust wouldn't touch, but I made it because I was selfish!"

Harry did not know what to believe at this point, and was moments away from losing it. Kara held her arms around Harry, while also giving Lily the most dirty and disgusted look she could manage.

"You want answers," said Lily, and the two inclined their heads in affirmation.

"Death inferred you would have information about my mission," said Harry coldly.

"I do," said Lily, remaining as collected as she could be, and a bit wounded that her son appeared to hate her because of the stupid selfish decision she made. "I was supposed to just give you the knowledge through the journal, cold emotionless knowledge, written words to study. But in case worse came to worse, I built in this failsafe. First tell me everything about your life, up until the moment you merged with the keys."

Harry immediately wondered if he could trust this image that resembled his dead mother. His past experiences with enchanted books made him very uneasy.

"I can't help you unless I know how bad the situation has been screwed up," said Lily softly. "I can tell you this right now. You were supposed to be sent to this place six years ago. So, please Harry trust me about this one. Give me one more chance to fix everything I caused."

Harry took a deep breath. He began to tell the story of his life, hoping he would not regret making that choice.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 13 "Guide." **


	13. Chapter 13: Guide

_Ah yes, this chapter….fun one to write. _

* * *

**Chapter 13: Guide.**

Harry completed a rather scaled down, but mostly accurate retelling of his life. Kara remained by his side. Lily looked at the pair of them, calm, eerily, and utterly calm.

"So what do you have to say for yourself?" asked Harry coldly.

"This is far worse than I thought," said Lily. With another motion, she waved her hand.

Before Harry could protest, a bright light engulfed the two of them. Kara and Harry had been sucked into the journal. They spiraled through the air and landed with a hard thud.

"What was that about?" asked Kara, rubbing her head in confusion. She got a good look around, and opened her mouth to protest. She saw scribbles on the wall and many of them were Kryptonian.

"You sucked us in the journal!" yelled Harry, getting into Lily's face. "I swear, if you don't send us back I'll…"

"You have no comprehension how much this situation has been screwed up!" shouted Lily.

"Oh, and I suppose you might have an idea," said Harry, staring down this distorted image that resembled his mother.

Lily shook her head to regain her bearings.

"Yes, everything that happened, words fail me," said Lily, shaking her head. "Your entire life was the opposite that I planned. You were supposed to grow up mostly isolated, and detached from your peers. And then Death slaps the keys on you, and doesn't train you before merging them with you. That could have destroyed you!"

"Let's find a way out of here!" suggested Kara quickly as Lily as in the process of ranting. The two tried to find an exit, but they looped back into the journal.

"Let us out of here, now," said Harry in his most dangerous voice.

"No, you're staying here until I figure this out," said Lily, shaking her head. "Those three keys they could have ripped you apart without the proper training."

"Oh, don't act like you care," said Harry, folding his arms.

"Of course I care, I'm your mother," said Lily hotly.

"Oh, that's a good one," said Harry sarcastically. "Did you or did you not tell me that you just got through selling me out in a bargain to Death? Kind of hard to put that behind me…"

"Listen, you're being ungrateful!" yelled Lily, as her temper grew. "You know nothing, and…"

"Harry obviously knows more than you do," interjected Kara, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend and glaring at this woman. "He knows a lot more about human decency, and the fact his actions have consequences!"

"I wasn't aware you had anything to do with this conversation," said Lily. "So why don't you just be quiet, or I'll shut you up myself."

Harry turned to give her a nasty glare and Lily took a step back. She realized how she overstepped her bounds.

"Don't you dare ever threaten Kara again," said Harry coldly, shutting Lily down. "To think, I always wondered what it would be like to meet my mother. Now I realize, I'm better off not ever knowing you."

"And what's with all of the symbols on the wall?" asked Kara. "They're Kryptonian…it was you wasn't it!"

Lily remained collected and calm.

"I saw you, sulking around, my father didn't really pay much attention, but I saw you," said Kara. "It was when I was about seven or eight but I remember you! What were you doing on Krypton?"

There was silence.

"Kara asked you a question, Lily," said Harry.

Lily remained silent, feeling the full implications of Harry using her given name and not "Mum" or any other variations.

"That's really none of your concern," said Lily.

"Well, I guess what I do is none of your concern," said Harry. "You can either tell me the truth, or I'll make you let me out."

"Fine, you want the truth," said Lily. "The truth is Death took me there, she took me places every now and again, whether I liked it or not. To worlds that were eventually destined to die. Yet, this one was a bit different. Death pointed you out, Kara, and said this is the one from Krypton."

"Did someone make a bargain for me?" asked Kara in a cool voice.

"She didn't exactly tell me," said Lily dismissively.

Kara was not going to let her off the hook that easily.

"How come I wasn't informed of this?" demanded Kara.

"Death only informs her heralds directly under the most extreme circumstances," said Lily. "Plus, she likely figured since Harry found you, he would inform you. Given he was supposed to find this journal first."

Harry closed his eyes. He was reaching the point he almost wished he never found the journal.

"You were sent here for a great purpose, Harry," said Lily.

"Yeah, so I was told," said Harry in a disgusted voice.

"I'm your mother Harry, couldn't you at least give me the benefit of the doubt?" asked Lily.

Harry remained silent and chose his next words carefully.

"Benefit of the doubt, yeah, well I've given so many people that, there isn't much benefit to it," said Harry as he looked at her. "Every single person died because of this game, many of them I did care about…"

"You weren't supposed to," said Lily, shaking her head.

"It's easier to groom a puppet that's been isolated," said Harry darkly. "Ask Dumbledore how well playing games with me turned out for the magical world. It caused many people to die. Good people, because he couldn't get over himself or face his own demons. But I guess you're no different than him."

"I'm nothing like Albus Dumbledore!" raged Lily. The books on the shelves rattled at this declaration.

Harry realized he struck a nerve. Kara stood behind him.

"Why was I sent here?" asked Harry. "Why was I sent to Smallville of all places? What was the grand plan, Lily? Answers, I need them, and you better start explaining to me."

"Fine," said Lily taking a deep breath. "This all started generations before you were born, before I was born, and before my parents were even born. It all ties back to one single minded obsession of the Evans family over the years. There were whispers for years, many times over many cultures about a traveler coming from a distant world. The traveler would have powers beyond all mortal man."

Harry and Kara exchanged a brief covert look. Neither opened their mouth, but both were thinking the same thing.

"My family, they were all about control and power," said Lily. "It was an obsession of the Evans bloodline. There were no family with us, and no friends, only resources to use to get ahead. It was a competition both inside and outside of the family."

"I can imagine," said Harry in a cool voice.

"And the obsession only got worse when I became a witch, and brought home a book I stumbled upon during my second year of Hogwarts," said Lily.

"That would be around the time where your sickly younger sister would have been born, wouldn't it?" asked Harry. "You know, that particularly dirty family secret, Rose, remember her?"

"Don't talk to me about Rose!" yelled Lily suddenly, her temper getting to her. "I regret everything that happened to her!"

'_Not as much as I do,' _thought Harry to himself.

"Just keep with your story, so we can get out of here," prompted Kara.

Lily took several moments to compose herself and just had to hang her head. This was not the cheerful meeting she envisioned. She could strangle Death for this. She did suspect Harry would have a bit of an attitude; he was her son after all. However, nothing prepared her for how this meeting was turning out.

She needed to gain Harry's trust, for her plans to work. She needed to gain Harry's trust to lead him towards his destiny.

"Fine, just give me a minute," said Lily. "My parents were obsessed with controlling the mysterious traveler and the great power he possesses. They hinted that any child who could find them the proper information would be rewarded. They were not too happy with me; it interfered with their perfect life to have their little girl become a witch."

"Aunt Petunia seemed to think differently," said Harry arms folded. "I remember her constant rants about how her parents were so happy to have a witch in the family. They stand out in my mind."

"I don't doubt Petunia had to hear them," said Lily with a sad smile. "But I heard my share of rants directed at me. Petunia was normal and not a misfit. How, she would bring honor to the family legacy, and not spend ten months at some shady boarding school in Scotland. Of course, precious Petunia and all of her poise couldn't give them the gift I brought them. A gift I regretted later on."

She got nothing, but two rather dubious glares from Kara and Harry.

"It was a journal belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw, concrete proof that the traveler was coming and he would show up before the end of the twentieth century," continued Lily. "I also found something else, more notes made by the fame seer Cassandra Trelawney. Further proof that backed up what Rowena found out. It detailed a planet exploding in green rocks, the coming of a traveler, and three heralds who would hold the keys to his success or his demise."

'_Three heralds,' _thought Harry, but he said nothing out loud. He knew about Kara, but who the hell was the third?

"My parents tripped over themselves to give me attention and respect after I gave them their precious information," said Lily. "It wasn't worth it in the end, but when I was thirteen after years of playing second rate sibling, I finally won the game. My parents shared the information with their associates in high society."

Harry shook his head. His mother had less sense than he did at that age. He would never do anything so brazen.

"Of course, their arrogance exceeded all bounds and they got beat at their own game. They had many associates, and did not know the truth about a lot of them. One such family was the Malfoys."

"Really, they didn't seem to be the type to even give Muggles the time a day," said Harry skeptical immediately.

"They did keep an eye on the higher rungs of society, those who might pose a threat to their master," explained Lily. "Lucius took the information about the traveler back to Voldemort, and he tried to have my parents killed over it. That's what initially kicked off this entire mess. I trust you know about the prophecy."

Harry gave a stiff nod.

"Well the reason Voldemort tried to kill you was because he knew about my family's mission," said Lily. "The fact you were prophesized to be the one to stop him just caused him to step up his efforts in taking out my entire bloodline. If he had succeeded in killing you, he would have followed through to Petunia next. And then he would have likely sought out the traveler himself, to use him as a weapon"

Kara tried to hide her fear at the thought of that possible scenario. She had seen enough about Voldemort to know that him finding and using her cousin would be the worst case scenario to end all worst case scenarios.

"What about the deal you made?" demanded Harry.

"The deal was a snap decision," said Lily. "I was fourteen years old. I didn't think about the consequences…"

"When I was fourteen years old, I was fighting Voldemort for my life," said Harry.

"Yes, I know, "said Lily as she closed her eyes. "It never was supposed to happen like this, but now we can make things right. You just have to trust me."

"Trust you, yeah that's going to happen," said Harry in a dismissive voice.

"You can't achieve your role as the Herald of Death without my help," said Lily.

"Harry can get on just fine without you!" said Kara, grabbing her boyfriend's arm tightly. "He's rather resourceful, and he doesn't need any special help from you. All we learned from this journal was that it was because of your selfish actions…"

"If it wasn't for my selfish actions, Harry wouldn't be alive!" yelled Lily, and Harry realized she was right, but the statement just felt so wrong. "You know Harry, I'm not sure if I approve of your relationship to this girl."

Harry was angered behind words, and he pushed his mother back. Lily knew then he was powerful, because he should not be able to do any damage to her otherwise.

"Your approval is unneeded!" yelled Harry. "You know what…I can get on just fine without you. If you have information I can actually use about these powers, give it to me now. It seems to be me like you're hoping that I indulge in the old Evans family obsession about this traveler rubbish."

"It's not like that at all, well not anymore," said Lily, in a soft voice.

"What changed your mind?" asked Harry.

She took several deep breaths and turned toward Harry.

"Well it was the day you were born," said Lily. "Harry, I know it's hard for you to trust people. After the life you lead, it would be asking for miracle. And I'm really sorry about some of the things I said. About you and about Kara, they were all way out of line. It's just…I don't want anything bad to happen."

Harry said nothing, and turned around to look out the window.

"Harry looked up to you," said Kara. "He told me himself. Every other adult authority figure in his life had flaws, but at least he could see his mother as a good person."

"I wanted Harry to have a happy childhood," said Lily. "I don't even know what possessed Sirius to ask for the change of the Secret Keeper."

"Well, did you have any second thoughts about your little deal?" asked Harry.

"Yes, I may have," said Lily, remembering it. "Once I found out the prophecy, I knew the end was here for me, and then anything that happened to you would be out of my control. James also put off finalizing the will to November 1st. Death decided to punish me for trying to back out one last time."

Lily remained thoughtful.

"If you blame anyone, blame her," said Lily. "I don't deny I was selfish. Even up until my marriage…I won't lie. I only went with James because he was the best match to fulfill my bargain. I did grow fond of him. And when my son got born, I stopped seeing you as some tool that I had to groom…but another life."

She walked around the library. She turned to Harry and Kara.

"Please look at me," said Lily. "I swear, I'll make things right, somehow. This situation…well it's gotten twisted. You got the journal way too late; you got the keys before you understood your powers."

"Just let us out," said Harry, still rather annoyed. "If you think you're going to run my life…"

"I won't, I swear," said Lily. "If you ever need any help, I won't turn you away. I am proud of how my son turned out in spite himself. Despite that life, which should have twisted you to evil or at least extreme bitterness, you turned out wonderful."

"Can we go back now?" asked Kara.

"Yes," said Lily without a thought.

She sensed the paradox going on in Harry's head. He would not exist if it was not for the deal, he accepted that fact. Yet, he did not like the fact this deal was made. There were many benefits he acknowledged, but also a bit of a curse.

With another movement, the true powers of the journal kicked in. Lily regretted pouring her emotions into the journal because this made it a lot harder than it really should have been.

'_Harry, find it in your heart to forgive me for what I've done,' _thought Lily. _'I'll implant as much awareness of your powers into both of your minds as I can. I'm sure Death would have liked me to rewrite your personalities to get something more obedient and less independent, but…I won't do it.'_

Lily closed her eyes. She got a good scan of the natural abilities of Kara and Harry. They could handle an information dump into their minds, with nothing but a headache. They were strong and would remain so for all eternity. If worse came to worse for humanity, and it was beyond hope, she could arrange for all humans to be wiped out and use these two to repopulate the Earth.

In a way, it would be her ultimate revenge on Death. A world filled with immortals, and no one could ever pass to the afterlife.

Yet her consciousness squashed those dark impulses. Lily still felt a small bit of obsession to win the old Evans family race. The traveler was here in this place, Smallville. Harry could control his destiny and Lily felt smug satisfaction that victory was in her grasp.

Lily allowed herself to go dormant once again. It was a strain to keep awake for this long. She could move through any building created by her bloodline from the journal. Beyond that, she had to co-opt someone's body.

* * *

The sunlight shined over them. Harry's eyes opened, as he found himself on the floor. He had a splitting headache, as Kara rested next to him. His arms steadied her so she did not roll in the table.

"Kara," whispered Harry gently.

She opened her eyes, and came back to life.

"Oh, hi, Harry, why does my head hurt?" asked Kara.

"You tell me, and we'll both know," said Harry, but he saw the journal open on the desk. Memories flooded back to him the past night. "She didn't."

"What did your m…Lily do?" asked Kara.

"She just knocked us out and dumped an entire load of information into our minds," said Harry. "About our powers, I think she might have crammed at least the entire three years of training into one eight hour session."

Kara adjusted her eyes. She had new awareness, things that she did not know before. Harry helped to her feet.

"What else did she jam into our minds?" asked Harry.

"It just seems to be information, I can't make sense of most of it," said Kara.

More writing appeared over the journal.

"When you need to make sense of it, you'll understand."

Harry looked at the journal and with a wave of his hand shut it. He levitated the journal in the air, and threw it in the vault. He slammed it shut.

"I don't think I can handle looking at that book right now," said Harry, and the two moved from the study into the living room.

Harry vowed not to let the unconventional circumstances of how he came to be get to him.

Both Harry and Kara parked themselves onto the couch.

"I think she thinks you were going to be your ticket to controlling Clark," said Kara breaking the long silence. "I can see it in her eyes; she's still obsessed with it."

"You and me both Kara," said Harry. "I…can't do that to him. I'm not like my mother. I'm just…"

"Harry, I know you won't," said Kara, pulling Harry in close. "I understand everything you're going through."

Harry nodded. He knew exactly how Kara felt like when the idealistic image of her father she built up had been shattered. Kara ran her hands through Harry's hair, causing it to stand up on end.

"I'm pretty sure she didn't plant any subliminal hints in either of our minds," said Harry. "My anger with her…it's the same I remember from last night."

"Mine too," said Kara, but she looked at Harry. "I was hoping to have a better ending to that night that getting sucked into the journal."

She stifled Harry's apologies before he could even begin them with a kiss. Harry returned the kiss, feeling her soft lips against his. Kara straddled Harry's lap. The two melted into each other with their passionate activity. Harry held her body against his, feeling her against him. His fingers moved up her nightdress. He traced patterns over her lower back, before his hands moved downwards.

Her sultry moan filled his mouth as he began cup her rear end into his hands. She rubbed against his very prominent bulge. She leaned back from the kiss, to work the sash open on her nightdress.

With a sexy little grin, Kara unraveled it, and let it pool to the floor. She wore nothing, but a lacy white bra and blue panties with a red bow. She pulled back his shirt and put her mouth to his neck, sucking on it.

"Kara," breathed Harry, eyes glazed over. "I don't know if I can resist you much longer."

"Don't resist me then," said Kara, pulling back and tracing patterns on his chest and arms with her hands. "I don't want you to resist me."

Kara pressed her lips against his once more. Her tongue worked magic in his mouth. Harry returned it. They felt the inside of each other's mouths, as Kara's barely clothed body writhed against his. Harry felt her up, gaining more confidence with each passing moment.

The dark haired young man had the presence of mind to rotate Kara and she was on her back on the couch. Harry kissed her full lips as she laid back and sighed into his mouth. Kara traced her fingers down his chest, past his stomach, past his belt line, and down into his pants.

Harry marveled at this beauty beneath him. He could sense she was just as hot for him as he was for her. He deepened the kiss. The two continued to passionately make out for a time. Kara continued to work over him, and then began to pull his pants down.

She licked her hand clean, and shifted her gazed towards Harry.

"I want you," breathed Kara in his ear. Her hot breath inflamed his mind.

Harry nodded, getting the meaning. He scooped up Kara in his arms and took her up to the main bedroom to step up their activities.

* * *

Clark sat outside of the Kent Farm, deep in thought. The events of the last couple of days weighed heavily on his mind.

"Well you look like you got an entire plane of Kryptonite dropped on you."

Clark looked up, as Chloe stood before him.

"Oh, hey Chloe," said Clark in a somber voice. "Sorry…I just hadn't gotten any sleep."

"Is there any particular reason why?" asked Chloe as she sat down next to Clark.

"Last night, I had to do something…well I had to do something that I don't want to talk about," said Clark. "Yesterday was a day I would like to forget"

Chloe looked at him for a few seconds.

"I see."

"Kara's upset at me, Harry's upset at me, and Lana's upset at me," said Clark, as he thought about the situation.

"You were busy yesterday," said Chloe, with a nod. "So do you want to talk about it?"

Clark explained his day, well most of it. Chloe remained silent for most of it, just waiting until Clark finished speaking.

"So, I made a mess out of things," concluded Clark. "I overstepped my bounds with the entire crystal thing, and now…I'll never do that again. Especially since both Harry and Kara were right about the entire mess. I had no right to that crystal, especially after what it did to me."

"It's giving you nightmares, isn't it?" asked Chloe.

"The crystal, or the fact my cousin isn't talking about me?" asked Clark.

"All of the above, all of the above, I can see how that would stress you out," said Chloe as she looked at him. "But you'll get over it. You'll be back putting your foot in your mouth in no time."

"Thanks for the confidence boost, "said Clark and Chloe just smiled. "I just can't believe Lana would do something like that."

"Yeah, but we never truly know who people are," said Chloe, looking off into the distance. "Her marriage with Lex changed her, and it's a shame things aren't back to the way they were. I sometimes wonder about everything that happened there. She came back, and all seemed well. But nothing is well, isn't it? Something happened to her last night, and she's out there somewhere."

Clark nodded. He hoped wherever Lana was, she didn't get hurt.

"So have you heard from Kara or Harry?" asked Clark.

Chloe remained silent as if debating on how much to say to Clark.

"Last time I spoke with Harry, he was on some wild goose chase after that journal of his," said Chloe with a frown. "It's really consuming his life."

"It's just his mother's journal," said Clark. "What could be that important?"

"Everything else from his parents was destroyed, that's his one link to his past," said Chloe. "I tried to get in touch with him this morning, but I couldn't. His cell phone was turned off; I tried twice, about two hours apart. I've found out something related to the meteor infected that he might want to know."

"Is this something I should be concerned about?" asked Clark.

"Yeah, it's a concern," said Chloe. "Belle Reve got a turnover in management. They got a new doctor, someone who is used to the strange and mysterious. In fact, it's in his name, someone called Hugo Strange, I don't know if you've heard of him."

Clark pondered that for a moment.

"Name rings a bell somehow, but maybe you can give me a hint," said Clark.

Chloe just proceeded to explain.

"He was fired for unethical behavior from a place that has the worst turnover rate ever in curing their patients. It's a place called Arkham Asylum, in Gotham City. Half of the staff ends up becoming guests of the state eventually. And there isn't a meteor fragment in the city. It's crippled by constant gang wars. And the police are on the take. It's just one big cesspool of corruption and insanity."

"Makes Smallville look rather tame," said Clark in a conversational tone.

"That might be the understatement to end understatements," said Chloe. "They have a serial killer who leaves taunting messages in the form of riddles, a cannibal with a scaly skin condition, and a murderous gangster with a split personality that talks to a ventriloquist dummy. Not exactly an inviting place to live."

Clark just shook his head at this.

* * *

Two young adults rested in each other's arms.

"I think we missed breakfast," breathed Harry.

"Filled up as is," cooed Kara in his ear. "I know you had plenty to eat."

Harry just smiled. They shared something special with each other. The first attempt had been a bit awkward, but after about the second or third time they got into the swing of things.

The two leaned up against the pillows on the bed, their naked sweaty bodies pressed against each other.

"That was much better than any of my dreams," said Kara, as she leaned over to give Harry a kiss. Harry returned it. It was light and tender, but still felt very nice.

It seemed a lot longer than a few hours. Harry wondered if he had used his time stopping powers to stretch out the time they had for their activities.

"Reality can be much better than any dream," said Harry, playing with her hair as she rested against him. "We might actually make it to lunch."

"I think we should take a shower first," suggested Kara, with a smile. "We did get quite a workout after all."

"Shower sounds wonderful," said Harry.

"C'mon then," said Kara, grabbing Harry by the hand, and pulling him down the hallway, before the couple took a shower.

The shower took three times as longer as usual due to the two getting sidetracked, but it was worth it. The couple finally got dressed a little past noon. Kara wore a nice red sweater and tight blue jeans. Harry was attired in pants and a sweat shirt.

"How about we go out for lunch today?" asked Kara.

"Sounds good, I'm too tired to cook for some reason," said Harry with a cheeky grin.

"I wonder why," said Kara, who looked over Harry. Tight pants really served him well.

"I'm sure the culprit's under my nose," said Harry, as he pulled her into another kiss. Kara returned it with a furious passion.

Both had reason to smile, despite what happened the previous evening. Harry broke the kiss, and moved to check his cell phone to see if anyone called him when he was preoccupied.

"I better call Chloe back, to see what she wants," said Harry, and Kara waited for him to return his call. "Hey Chloe, it's Harry, sorry I've been busy this morning."

"Oh, just this morning," said Chloe. "So…did anything interesting happen last night? Anything involving any journals."

"Switch to the other communication link if we're going to continue this conversation," said Harry, and Chloe did as she was told. "Yes, I found it, last night, it was in a Military Base at Area 51. I had to rescue Lana first, but I got it out."

"Lana really swiped it," breathed Chloe. "I can't believe it."

"I'm not about to ask you to defend Lana, or going to waste my breath demonizing her," said Harry. "Lex had the journal, and Lana took it. It's just one big mess that I really don't have the time or the patience to deal right now. Especially given the fact I'm having certain reservations about wasting time looking for the thing in the first place."

Chloe appeared taken aback.

"What did you find out?" asked Chloe.

"Never mind," said Harry. "It's….family secrets that I wished stayed buried with the dead."

Chloe remained silent for a moment.

"Does Lex know that you have the journal?" asked Chloe.

Harry snickered.

"Dare, I ask why you find that question so amusing?" asked Chloe.

"As far as he knows, he took it back," said Harry. "I'll be keeping a close eye on both of the Luthors. I've found out enough to make me very worried."

"I've been telling you about Lex for three months and…"

"Chloe, settle down," said Harry. "I'm in the habit of forming my own opinions based on evidence I've personally uncovered. And I've uncovered enough."

Harry took a breath, before he decided to let the bombshell drop. "Lex is supplying the United States Government with meteor rocks, and they're experimenting on people. Orphans and prisoners…it's an entire seedy mess and I think I've just scratched the surface."

"Think you could even begin to clue me in," prompted Chloe.

Harry shook his head. It was a long extensive process, and he only scarcely investigated it.

"Shining Light Foundation, after business hours on Monday, I should be able to find out how deep the conspiracy I'm dealing with is."

"Fair enough," said Chloe. "I've got something for you too, involving Belle Reve, and their newest member of staff. I've dug up a ton on him, and…it doesn't sound good."

"Well I'm sure it would be worth it, "said Harry.

"Yeah, it's worth it," said Chloe. "You get what you pay for."

"And if I recall, I am paying you a lot to uncover any information about the meteor infected for me," said Harry.

"Well this is well worth my pay grade," said Chloe. "I still haven't figured out how you make all of this money. You don't make a dime off of the Shining Light Foundation."

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you," said Harry mysteriously.

"Well, just don't get caught…I think," said Chloe. "Just this information…well it could be a game changer. Especially given what you might have found as well. I've dug up some dirt on this guy, and….you'll be concerned."

Dread filled Harry at that moment.

"Okay, Kara and I are heading off to lunch, so talk to you later," said Harry.

"Okay, you and your girlfriend have a great time on your date," said Chloe smugly.

"Yeah, me and my girlfriend will have a great time on our date, just like we had a great time all morning," said Harry, and Chloe was rendered speechless.

She finally found her voice.

"Wait…you're actually…finally, together now," said Chloe, as Kara laughed. "She's listening in to every word we're saying right now."

"Pretty much yeah," said Harry, as he eyed Kara, who grinned mischievously over in the corner.

"Hi, Chloe," said Kara jumping in on the call. "You know, it might be a good idea to watch what you say in front of our guests. They tend to have ears you know."

"What are you talking about?" asked Chloe, confused.

"Claire, she overheard your little commentary about me and Harry," said Kara in a reproachful voice.

"I didn't think she was listening," said Chloe, and now Harry looked curious.

"What did you say Chloe?" asked Harry.

"Never mind, you figured it out, you don't need…to know," said Chloe, backtracking. "I got to go…things to do."

Chloe excused herself from the conference call. The couple laughed.

"Chloe voiced our need to work out our sexual tensions," said Kara. "And Claire overheard her."

Harry just gave a slight knowing smirk.

"I think we cleared that minefield pretty well," said Harry as he held her in close.

"Oh, I almost forgot in all of the excitement of the last day," said Kara, as she dug into her bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Claire drew this."

Harry took the piece of paper, and saw the picture. He looked at it, with a slight smile on his face.

"That's very well done," said Harry, closing his eyes to regain his composure. "I never thought I made that big of an impression on her."

Harry placed the drawing on the coffee table, and made sure nothing would happen to it, as he turned around. He wiped his eye.

'_Bit of dust in my eye I think,' _thought Harry to himself.

Kara and Harry took each other's hands, and walked out the front door, before they flew into the fall breeze high above Smallville to enjoy a day out.

* * *

Lex reclined in his study, savoring the fruits of yesterday. The journal was back in his hands, and moved to a more safe location. He read an e-mail for Harry, which thanked him for all of the help he gave on the journal.

The bald young man had to shake his head. He believed that fake was the real thing. Harry Potter remained blissfully ignorant.

The doorknob turned, and Lex looked up to see his guest. He did not give any permission for anyone to enter. He held his hand on his desk to call for security, but Lionel Luthor invited himself in.

"Hello, Lex," said Lionel breaking the silence.

"What do you want?" asked Lex, but his hand still hovered over the button.

"Can't a father check up on his son?" asked Lionel.

"Depends on who the father is, and who the son is," said Lex, but he withdrew his hand. "But you wouldn't give me the time of day, unless you wanted something. So again I say, what do you want?"

"Very well," said Lionel and he sat down to face his son. "I'm here to give you a warning. One that listening to would be of your benefit. I understand that you've been meeting a few times with Harry Potter."

Lex gave a stiff nod. That's all his father got.

"Stay away from him, Lex," said Lionel. "He's not someone you want to be around."

"Really?" asked Lex, mock thoughtful and he looked at his father. "Could that be because you got caught red handed snooping around his headquarters yesterday and spent some quality time in a holding cell?"

Lionel's lack of response was all of the response Lex needed.

"Losing your touch in your old age, aren't you?" asked Lex. "I know what Harry Potter is. Altruistic, a bit naïve, and on a mission to save those who cannot be saved."

"Manipulation runs deep within his bloodline Lex," said Lionel. "On his mother's side of the family, they might project the image of a friendly and respectable family. But snakes can be respectable when they want to. Up until the moment they bite you."

"So, whose family are we talking about again?" asked Lex after he pondered the manner for a moment.

"His grandparents were called Briar and Violet Evans, never formally charged for anything underhanded, but there were accusations," said Lionel, acting as if he did not hear his son's flippant comment. "They should be respected in some way, but their own obsession brought them down. They were killed by a glorified terrorist who had delusions of grandeur. But, they were obsessed with control."

"Again, whose family are you talking about?" asked Lex.

"That blood flows through the veins of Harry Potter," said Lionel, once again ignoring the question. "They helped their share of people in their day. When they could get something out of them, and they were obsessed with controlling power beyond all comprehension."

Lex drummed his fingers on his desk, looking merely bored.

"I do not wish for you to be dragged down with that bloodline," continued Lionel.

"The ship has long since sailed for you feigning an interest in my well-being," said Lex coolly.

Lionel regarded his son for a moment.

"You have the journal, or rather you took it out of my trash," said Lionel in a crisp tone. "Potter's looking for it. He told me as much when I met with him."

"It's taken care of," said Lex and Lionel's gaze looked at him. "It's not any of your business, but Potter thinks he has the real journal."

Lionel took a few breaths and concluded in a soft voice.

"You really think you won this round against him, don't you, Lex?"

Lex offered a smirk.

"My success rate speaks for itself," countered Lex. "And the embarrassment you suffered yesterday, well that speaks for itself, doesn't it? It seems to me like the great Lionel Luthor has gone soft. But old age does get the best of us."

"Old age is not something you'd experience at the rate you're going," said Lionel.

"Is that a threat?" asked Lex.

"No, not a threat, merely an observation," said Lionel. "A conversation with you seems to be a waste of oxygen, as usual. You're playing with fire, just don't get burned."

Lionel did not even offer a goodbye. Lex watched him leave. He wondered briefly, but shook his head.

He had the journal, it was safe, and now he could focus more time in figuring out why Potter wanted it so badly.

* * *

After a nice lunch together, Harry and Kara enjoyed a nice stroll around Smallville. They did not speak much, just enjoyed the sights and the company of each other. The two walked around a park. The fall breeze flew in their face. They sat down on a bench. Harry and Kara wrapped their arms around each other. The shared body heat allowed them some comfort against the dropping temperature.

Harry never appreciated the beauty of life more than he did now, being with her.

"You know how to show a girl a good time," said Kara, breaking the silence.

Harry did not know how to respond to that little statement.

"Really, I'm…really I'm just making this up as I go along," said Harry with a sheepish grin on his face.

Kara laughed, and gave him a light kiss, before she shifted against him. "Keep improvising Harry, it's working out well for you."

She took a breath.

"Sometimes it's just best not to think," said Kara, resting her head on Harry's chest. "We might have been together a little bit sooner if you had just gone with your instincts. Sometimes you can outsmart yourself."

He looked into her beautiful face, the smile on her face. The breeze continued to kick off, leaves blowing around.

"You never told me what happened with Clark and the crystal," said Kara.

Harry made sure the anti-eavesdropping spells held up. He explained what happened, including the conversation he had with Jor-El. Kara looked pleased when she heard Harry told Jor-El off.

"So are you going to talk to Clark?" asked Harry.

Kara pondered this a little bit. She sighed.

"I just want him to understand what he did and why it upset me," said Kara. "He could have hurt someone, or himself. I don't really blame him, but he's got to learn to think a bit more."

"No, I blame Jor-El, myself," said Harry.

"Me too," sighed Kara. "So do you want to talk about the journal?"

"Not really," said Harry with a sigh. "My mother…well I just can't believe what she did. And the fact she thought that I would just accept her help without any argument."

"You might have been thrown into that role," said Kara, sliding over to straddle Harry's lap and look him into the eyes. "But…you're a remarkable person. No matter what, no matter how many obstacles were thrown in your way, you still did the right thing. It would have been easy to take control and use your powers to abuse people and control them for your own benefit."

Kara placed her hands on either side of Harry's face.

"It's just another obstacle thrown in your life," said Kara. "One you will be strong enough to overcome. It's just far bigger than the others. But you're a strong person Harry."

Kara looked into his eyes.

"It's not because of your powers," said Kara. "It's because of your strength of mind and your heart. You're amazing."

"You're pretty amazing yourself, Kara," replied Harry, and she pressed her lips onto his with another kiss.

The kiss lasted a minute real time, but ten minutes by their perspective as Harry subconsciously stopped time once again. They pulled back and Kara shivered a little bit.

"It's getting a bit chilly out here," said Kara.

Harry grabbed her tight.

"Let's get back home and warm up then," suggested Harry, wrapping his arms around her.

Kara melted into Harry's embrace, and they returned back home. The two cuddled together on the couch in front of the fire, half watching television until dinner time.

Despite everything, life was good, and what happened the previous day was put behind them.

* * *

**To Be Continued in Obsession. **


	14. Chapter 14: Obsession

**Chapter 14: Obsession.**

The autumn breeze, with hints of winter, blew throughout Smallville. Harry and Kara flew up to the Kent Farm House. They held hand, before they touched down onto the ground.

"So, you thought about it, and…I for one think you're doing the right thing," said Harry.

"After having a weekend to cool down, I'm ready for this," said Kara, taking a deep breath. "I would have preferred that he would be the one to come to me, but I guess stubbornness runs in the blood."

"Speaking from experience?" asked Harry, with a teasing smile.

Kara just responded with a smirk, before she grabbed Harry and kissed him full on the lips, not caring who saw her. Harry was her mate, and she wanted to display her love for him whenever she had a chance to.

Harry returned the kiss with equal passion. Their relationship escalated rather quickly, because of their powers and the fact they had repressed themselves in many ways. It was all about making up for lost time.

The two broke the kiss after a time. Kara remained in Harry's embrace, almost as if she was procrastinating to avoid the awkward situation.

"You sure you don't want to come?" questioned Kara.

Harry shook his head.

"No, I've got business to do, might swing back around in an hour or two," said Harry, before he leaned forward and gave her one more kiss on the lips. Kara sighed deeply into it, and once again they broke apart, too soon for either of their liking. Harry looked at her with an encouraging and warm expression. "Good luck."

"Thanks," said Kara, watching Harry pop off.

Kara moved over towards the front door and raised her hand, biting her lip nervously, before she knocked on the door.

She waited a moment, before Clark opened, and saw Kara standing there waiting for him.

"Kara, it's…sorry I didn't know you were stopping by," said Clark, but he looked happy that she was there. A part of him wondered if she would ever talk to him again after their unpleasant parting on Friday afternoon. "It's a bit of a mess in here…"

"Don't worry about it Clark," said Kara walking in and sure enough the house looked like it was in a state of disarray. That was nothing compared to how Clark looked however. Worry immediately flooded Kara when she saw how her cousin looked. "Clark, what happened to you? You don't look like you've gotten any sleep."

"Well, yeah, but I can normally run off of as little sleep as possible," said Clark. "But it's what I'm seeing in my sleep…"

"The crystal, it gave you nightmares," said Kara promptly, cutting him off. "And it was because of what you heard, your mother calling for you in there."

Clark nodded, but Kara gently guided him to the couch, before motioning for him to sit down.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry about the entire stunt I pulled on Friday," said Clark. "I wasn't really thinking, and…really it came back to bite me."

"It's okay, you made a mistake," said Kara gently. "We all make mistakes, it's only human…"

"I'm not human through," argued Clark.

Kara just scoffed and glared at Clark at this statement.

"You sure look like one, act like one, and were raised by them," said Kara. "Jor-El has been feeding you information about how your emotions are going to cloud your judgment, and not allow you to accomplish your destiny, hasn't he?"

Clark nodded. Kara closed her eyes and sighed.

"Your emotions make you who you are. Don't try and shut them out."

"I don't know what I should do," said Clark.

"What do you want to do?" asked Kara.

Clark answered without any hesitation.

"I just want to do good with my powers, but I can't save everyone," said Clark.

Kara just smiled. The fact her cousin was worried that he could not please or save everyone in the world did make her feel confident that he was on his way to something great.

"No one expects you to be perfect," said Kara, before she gave a long sigh. "The real reason why I was upset about what you did is…you could have gotten hurt. The security force at the Shining Light Foundation…well they do take their jobs kind of seriously."

"I found that out the hard way," said Clark.

It was funny how spending time in a holding cell could give one a reality check.

"The real question is will you do it again?" asked Kara, looking him in the eye.

"No," said Clark. "Especially when the consequences were just so…"

Clark paused, before he voiced something that had been bothering him. "Is it a crime that I faltered for a brief second? That I wanted to save my birth mother. Even after both Jor-El and Harry told me the dangers of what would happen if the crystal was not destroyed."

Kara gave him a sympathetic look and shook her head.

"If I was in your place, I might have been tempted to save her," said Kara. "And no matter what, you would have done the right thing eventually. And you did, and you are wondering if you could have saved Aunt Lara. The answer is no. If Harry could have done it, he would have found a way."

Clark nodded, but Kara was not done speaking.

"But even with great power, there are limitations. The greatest power is in the mind, your ability to adapt and learn. Without a trained mind, even power beyond your wildest dreams is essentially useless."

Kara closed her eyes, allowing herself a moment for thought. She could sense Clark's questioning gaze. She sensed many other things since her other powers manifested.

The powers she felt it would be prudent not to tell Clark about, at least for now.

"That's something that my mother told me before she died," said Kara. "I think she didn't want me to be dragged down with Zor-El's obsession. Of course, she couldn't save herself from being a victim of it. First she became…I believe the term humans use is dead on the inside. The lights are on, but no one's home."

Horror appeared on Clark's face.

"Your father he didn't…." started Clark, but Kara held up a hand.

"He didn't need to use force, his words were enough to cause my mother enough agony," said Kara sadly. "And I ignored them, because he had duty pounded into my head. He always did imply my mother was always his second choice, how she should be thankful that he allowed her to have his child. I didn't recognize it until now, but my mind's clearer than ever before."

'_He blocked all of my memories of her when he erased my mind,' _thought Kara. _'He wanted complete obedience to him. And…Harry brought them back. I can never thank him enough.'_

Clark looked at Kara, who fixed her face into a mask, to hide her pain.

"Kara I…"started Clark.

"No, it happened before you were even a thought, don't worry about it," said Kara, regaining her composure.

"Something tells me this has to do with my mother," said Clark, and Kara paused, before she gave him a nod "That's….well…it was all over a woman."

"Oh, I'm sure there were other reasons, but that's just the thing that pushed the entire House of El conflict over to the point of no return," said Kara, shaking her head. "But, never mind that. You've made your mistakes, and I've made mine. Not seeing Zor-El really was…I feel stupid."

"We don't have to let either of our birth father's define us, you know," said Clark.

"Yeah, well yours seems to be making a decent attempt to be putting his stamp all over your life," said Kara, letting a bit more bitterness slip into her voice than she would have liked to. She adopted a softer tone, before she addressed Clark. "The belief in destiny is something that causes us to lose sight of what is here in front of us in the present. Choices define who we are, Clark."

"Did your mother tell you that one?" asked Clark.

"No, I can come up with that conclusion on my own," said Kara, but then she added, "Of course, hanging around Harry all this time, and…well I get the impression that the actual concept of destiny just…well I think it mortally offends him. He lost many friends and family because someone believed in a prophecy, but that's Harry's story to tell you, not mine."

"I understand," said Clark somberly.

They sat in silence for a moment. That was until Clark had to voice a very nagging question on his mind.

"Do you ever wonder what might have happened if Krypton wouldn't have died?" asked Clark.

"At first, I did, but now I'm not going to burden myself," said Kara seriously. "An advanced civilization like that….well there are times where I wonder why it didn't collapse or die before either of us were born. It was teetered on the edge. It's not…well things happen for a reason. Krypton's death happened for a reason."

Kara sighed. She knew the reason. It was the same reason why Harry's world had to die.

"Death is a cruel and harsh mistress, Clark," said Kara, and this statement caught Clark a bit unaware. "She will take many when their time is up, without remorse and without care how many people suffer. In some ways, she's always there, watching, manipulating the strings of life."

Clark decided to breach the one question that had been bothering him on and off for months.

"Kara, I…a few months back, there was someone in a robe that looked like the Grim Reaper," said Clark. "But he saved Chloe and took out…someone I was facing."

"I don't know anything about that, Clark," said Kara, evasively.

Outside, she was calm, but inside she panicked a bit. Harry and Kara both knew from the information that the journal put in their heads that anyone knowing about their roles as the Heralds could be catastrophic.

Technically speaking, Harry was supposed to wipe Chloe's mind when she found out. Given the experiences both of them had with their minds being tinkered with, neither relished having to do that to anyone else.

"Of course, I didn't think you would," said Clark.

She felt bad about having to lie to Clark, but telling him the truth about both herself and Harry could potentially have disastrous consequences.

"Still everything does happen for a reason," she continued. "You were sent to the Kents, to get the upbringing you deserve to turn you into the person that you are today. I slept for eighteen years…and Harry found me for a reason. And Harry was sent here for a reason."

Kara paused and looked at Clark, before she continued to speak once more.

"One day, you'll understand, but the choice of what to do with your life is yours. Not something that is written down before you were even born. If you become a great hero, it will because it's something you choose to do."

"Jor-El seems to think differently," said Clark, his turn to sound a little bitter.

"Yes, well, we know about Jor-El, and what his idea of justice is," said Kara in a sour voice, but she shook it off. "Never mind, we have two parents for a reason. And you were lucky enough to have four. The Kents obviously did something right with you, and…Lara, there has to be enough of her nature within you to overcome the darker impulses of the House of El."

"Will the nightmares go away?" asked Clark.

"When you've come to terms with them, and what happened, yes," said Kara, scooting closer to him. "I might be able to help. If I told you some stories about your mother, it might actually give you something else to focus on. And help you understand that she never would wanted you to put your life on hold because you thought you could have saved her."

"I'd like that," said Clark.

The two cousins spent some time talking. Trust was a shaky thing to build, but it was best done one step at a time and they both hoped things would work out much better for each other.

It was a slow process. In some ways, Kara still saw that young child that she was sent here for, believing that she was to protect him. Even if the reasons were far more nefarious if her father had his way, she felt compelled to do what she could to help Clark, even if he was just a tad bit older than she thought he would be when she got here.

Clark did need to find his own way, and the influence of Jor-El was rather prominent, something that she hoped that both she and Harry could counteract or at least give him another option to take the right path for him.

All she wanted was Clark to be happy, and not be burdened by some doomed destiny based off of the whims of a twisted artificial intelligence.

Was that too much to ask?

* * *

Harry popped in the disc with the information he collected from his raid of the Area 51 secret base into his computer. Most of the bases appeared to be secondary all of the experiments that had showed potential were shipped off to Area 51. The others at the satellite bases had been terminated.

That was not the happy news he was hoping for.

Harry just closed his eyes, and gave himself a moment to compose himself. He would still do a sweep of the bases, to ensure that no one had been left behind that was still living.

The green rocks were still a problem, but Harry had people tracking down as many as those accursed things as possible. Between the two meteor showers, they seemed to be scattered, and collected by any number of seedy parties.

Harry turned his attention to the twelve new guests. He sent the order to his staff to see what they could do, to get them the medical attention they needed. Hopefully, he could gain an assessment about their powers, their mental state, and who they were within the next couple of days. They could be orphans, runaways, or juvenile delinquents for all he knew.

He made his swept of the floor with the guests, checking in to see if there were any problems. Most of the guests seemed to be settling in well, there were eight currently being helped by the Shining Light Foundation from ten to sixteen years of age.

Most of them had parents or other family members. Harry could tell that a couple of the parents wanted him to fix their children of their "abnormality", so to not embarrass them.

Harry frowned, if he caught any sign of abuse for any of the children, then he would take the steps to correct that unfortunate situation.

So far, he just sensed coldness and disappointment. Most of the parents seemed to be glad that their children could get the help, but there were some who seemed very uncomfortable at best and disdainful at worst.

Everything seemed to be in order with the guests, at least for now.

"Hi Harry!" called Claire brightly.

"Oh, hey, Claire," said Harry, turning around to face the red haired girl. "Kara showed me the picture you drew. That was very nice, I liked it."

Claire gave a slight smile because of this review from Harry.

"You can keep it if you want to," said Claire shyly.

"With your permission, I will," said Harry, but Claire looked at him suddenly. "Do you need anything?"

"I was wondering…about my homework, I'm kind of having trouble with it," said Claire in a small voice. "The teacher didn't really explain it, but…could you help me, please?"

"Of course, I will Claire," said Harry with a smile. "Do you have it with you?"

"Yeah," said Claire. The girl added very nonchalantly, "I kind of have to get it done by tomorrow, it's due then."

There was a bit of a pause at this point.

"And just when was this assignment set?" asked Harry, looking at her.

"Um, a week ago," said Claire in a sheepish voice.

"Claire," said Harry with a stern look that Professor McGonagall would have approved of. "You shouldn't have waited until the last minute."

'_Yeah, like I have room to talk,' _thought Harry to himself, remembering all of the times he left his homework to the last minute.

The one could thing about his mistakes is he could teach others to learn from them.

"But, you can help me right, please?" asked Claire, and Harry just smiled.

"Right this way," said Harry. "But you need to do these things when they're assigned and not wait until the last minute."

It was at that point Harry wondered if he was subconsciously channeling Hermione's spirit, but he shook off those thoughts.

"I know, I'll remember next time," said Claire. "It's just…with everything that's been happening around here, I got distracted."

"Yeah, that can happen, but you should not neglect your regular education," said Harry, leading Claire into the conference room where they would not be disturbed. She set at her work on the table. She sat down in the chair next to Harry. "Your grades have improved, surprise pop quizzes not withstanding."

"That was a rotten trick that teacher pulled!" yelled Claire angrily. "She…how are we supposed to study for something like that?"

"Well that's why it called a pop quiz," said Harry, watching her set out her work.

Harry was not about to do the work for her. He did walk her through it, and explained it to her. The ten year old got it, as she did the homework.

"I think you did well Claire, I'd give you perfect marks," said Harry, giving it a courtesy check.

"Well, if the teacher doesn't, you could fire her, right?" asked Claire with a smile, but Harry just shook his head at her. She just gave him a little grin, and a shrug. "Yeah, I know."

"You've come a long way since you've arrived here, you should be very proud," said Harry. "I know I am."

Claire tried to hide how pleased she looked at these words coming from Harry.

"Just got to keep your temper in check, and you got to take your studies a bit more seriously," said Harry. "But you're on the right track. The nightmares are fewer and farer between, aren't they?""

"Yeah, not as many," said Claire, but then she added, "Sometimes I still see it. When I discovered my powers, and what happened to my parents."

There was a long moment of silence that followed. She sighed, and Harry put a hand on her shoulder.

"You know that's not your fault, Claire," said Harry softly.

"I know," said Claire, closing her eyes. She turned in the chair to look at Harry. "Do you ever remember your parents, in your dreams?"

"Yes, all of the time," said Harry, remembering those particular nightmares all too well. "Well not as much I used to. When I was a bit older than you, I dreamed about when they died all of the time. And I thought it was my fault they died for years."

"That's stupid!" exclaimed Claire, looking Harry in the eye. "You were only a year old, you couldn't have…"

"Yeah, but is it any less stupid for you to blame yourself?" asked Harry and Claire stopped suddenly, before shaking her head. "You discovered you had powers and you panicked. Your control is much better."

"I still can't cook marshmallows without burning them," said Claire, with a frown.

Harry found a bit amusement that this was the thing that she worried about the most. He really hoped that never changed.

"You just need to work on your temperature regulation control," said Harry. "I wish it was easy to train everyone, but I know better. Mastering your powers takes time. You're only ten years old, you'll get it."

"How long did it take you to figure out your powers?" asked Claire.

Harry paused, before giving her an honest answer.

"Too long."

"That doesn't tell me anything," said Claire, folding her arms and giving a slight pout at the lack of information.

"All of us learn at different speeds, don't get frustrated," lectured Harry. "It leads to self-doubt, and that is our greatest weakness. When we don't believe in ourselves, bad things happen. The sky is the limit and nothing really is impossible."

"I almost feel like I should be taking notes," said Claire.

"No, this is just some friendly advice," said Harry, with a smile. "Make sure you put your homework away safely. The last thing we need is your invisible dog eating your homework again."

"It breathed fire too, I can't believe you forgot that," said Claire, looking flushed. "And it was one time!"

"I would hope you would come up with a more original excuse," said Harry. "But you're doing well, and turn that in tomorrow….I'm sure you'll get top marks. You have your classes on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, right?"

"Uh huh," said Claire with a nod of her head, pleased that Harry remembered.

"I wish I could have Monday off many times when I went to school," said Harry, cringing remembering some of those tough Mondays. "I never wanted to get out of bed, and my school seemed to do the worst schedule on Monday."

"It couldn't have been that bad," said Claire.

Harry chuckled.

"My fifth year, I had all of the worst teachers in a row," said Harry. "And one teacher, she was a horrid excuse for a woman. Looked like a toad."

"I wonder if you kissed her, would she turn into a prince?" asked Claire innocently.

Harry grimaced at the very thought of anyone, but a Dementor kissing Umbridge. Then again, Umbridge would likely get off on a Dementor kissing her. For some reason, Umbridge and Dementors just struck him as soulmates.

He would need some brain bleach after the last image conjured up in his mind's eye.

"Well, no one was ever going to find that out," said Harry, shaking his head.

"I didn't see, Kara," said Claire. "Is she here anywhere?"

"No, she's visiting her cousin, they have a lot of catching up to do," said Harry. "Kara and I, we spent the entire weekend together."

"So are you two going out or not?" asked Claire.

"Yes, we are," said Harry.

"Finally!" cried Claire in a jubilant manner, but Harry looked at her, with a questioning look. "It's just…well you two seemed like you would be happy together. And it was getting kind of annoying to see you two not get how you felt about each other."

Harry just smiled.

"If you two weren't going to get together soon enough, I swear I was going to have to lock you in a closet or something," said Claire firmly.

Harry did not have the heart to tell the girl that they would have gotten out easily.

"Well thankfully you didn't have to do anything that drastic," said Harry, with a bit of a laugh.

A buzzing of the intercom caused Harry's interest to be diverted. Claire sighed, and crossed her arms in annoyance.

"What is it?" asked Harry, business like as usual.

"Lex Luthor is here," said the voice over the intercom. "He just wishes to have a brief meeting with you, if it is convenient."

Harry wondered if Lex suspected his deception regarding the journal. There was only one way for him to find out.

"Have security escort him up to conference room three," said Harry.

Claire sat, spinning in the office chair for a little bit. A moment later the doors swung open and two security guards escorted Lex inside.

"Claire, could you be a good girl and wait outside for a little bit?" asked Harry. "After, I'm done in here; I'll take you outside for a little bit, I promise."

Claire looked excited about the promise of actually leaving the Shining Light Foundation building.

"Okay," said Claire, with Harry giving her a hug goodbye. The redhead walked off but not before she gave Lex the evil eye the moment she walked by the bald man.

Lex just chuckled.

"I can see I was interrupting some kind of bonding moment," said Lex, reaching forward and shaking hands with Harry. Both maintained eye contact, which presented Harry a chance to take a look at Lex's surface thoughts. They were guarded, as Harry suspected. "So what's her power?"

"She's a Pryokinetic," said Harry in a conversational tone.

"Yeah, I should have figured, she was looking at me like I was a chunk of firewood," said Lex with a crisp nod. "Security's pretty tight around here. I thought was going to be submitted to a body cavity search for a minute."

"After some incidents, do you really blame me?" asked Harry.

"Yes, my father and Clark," said Lex, whistling and both of his eyes were on Harry. "For the record, I apologize for what my father did. And Clark too, but he always seems to have a knack for showing up where there is trouble."

"Could it be that trouble just seems to find him?" asked Harry.

Lex pondered this question.

"Maybe," said Lex grudgingly. "I've always been interested in what his secret is. Every man has to have a secret and I've always gotten the sense that he was hiding something."

"Well would secrets be such if you just told everyone?" asked Harry.

"Well we were friends, so I assumed he would give me the benefit of the doubt," said Lex. "You know his cousin; surely you have noticed anything odd about him?"

"What in this world is normal?" asked Harry airily, with a faux dreamy expression in his eyes darting around erratically.

Lex sighed. He was not about to get any straight answers out of Harry. The young man was eccentric and kind of scatterbrained.

"So did you get a chance to look at your mother's journal?" asked Lex.

"Just nothing, but blank pages and empty words," said Harry.

Lex nodded, he was hoping that Harry would give him a bit more of a hint since he had the real journal. If he could activate it, he could be sitting on secrets that could master the universe.

"What did you hope to find?" asked Lex. "Surely, if you spent all of the time looking for it, there had to be reasons beyond sentimental value."

"It was a journal written by a twenty one year old girl before she died," said Harry. "I was just hoping to get a picture into my mother's life, where her head was, when it happened."

"Yes, the car accident if I'm not mistaken," said Lex, and Harry nodded. "When you were a year old, that must have been tough. But you were sent to aunt and uncle and lived there before you went up to that boarding school."

Lex laughed at something, and he decided to elaborate based on Harry's questioning look.

"My father seems fascinated about your mother's side of family. Seems to me he might have got burned pretty badly by them in the past. Maybe that's the real reason why he showed up on Friday."

Harry gave a stoic nod.

"I don't know why he would," said Harry in a casual voice. "What my family did before I was born, I have no idea. My aunt was less than forthcoming about any information…I'm guessing because she didn't want to talk about it because my grandparents and my mother died."

'_No hint, no clue about what might be in that journal,' _thought Lex to himself.

"I see, well…I'll just leave you with one word of warning," said Lex, sensing an opportunity. "If Clark's been working with my father to get something from you, then I wouldn't trust either of them."

"Your father said the same thing about you when I met him," said Harry nonchalantly.

'_Just as well, he would,' _thought Lex, making sure to nod politely and shake hands with Harry, before he saw himself out.

"As for Clark, you really shouldn't be bothered," said Harry. "Obsession is dangerous; it's lead to the downfall of many far greater men than you or I."

"Yes, thanks for the advice, I'll keep it in mind," said Lex, with security seeing him out at that moment.

Lex might not have gotten any use from that meeting, but Harry sure did. He knew Lionel Luthor had dealings with the Evans family in the past. He knew Lex was still obsessed with Clark. And Harry knew that he would have to keep a closer eye on both Luthors, to see what their ultimate games ended up being.

* * *

Harry and Claire completed their journey to the Kent Farm House. He decided it would be best to let her out for some fresh air, since she really come far in her time and it might do her some good. There were some ground rules set in place for her. No accepting candy from strangers, look both ways when she crossed the street, and no setting anyone's car on fire.

No matter how ugly the car was.

Harry saw some rather ugly ones, but then again who was he to judge?

He walked up, and overheard Kara and Clark talking from inside with his enhanced hearing. He wondered if he should offer them a few more moments together before he intruded on their bonding.

Claire, being a ten year old child, had no such tact or patience. She walked up and knocked on the door, with a smile on her face.

The door opened, with Kara answering it.

"Harry, I was hoping you'd be here soon!" exclaimed Kara, and she threw her arms around Harry, before giving him a passionate kiss in greeting. Harry wrapped his arms around her.

Claire just shook her head, with a bit of a smile. While she wanted them to get together, she did not need to see that.

Clark had just returned from upstairs, and was about to ask Kara who was knocking on the door. He was taken off guard to see Kara and Harry making out with each other, arms wrapped around each other. Before their activities could escalate, Harry noticed Clark standing like a deer in the headlights.

Kara hid her smile, before she decided to break the news.

"Oh, Clark, I forgot to mention, Harry and I are dating," said Kara nonchalantly.

"It took you long enough," mumbled Clark regaining his bearings, but then both of them looked at him. "Congratulations, I wondered when it was going to happen."

"You and the rest of the known galaxies," said Harry, with a smile, taking a seat. Kara shamelessly sat down on his lap. He put his arms around her waist, with the blonde lazily leaning back into him. "I was going to swing by bit earlier, but there were things that I got caught up in. Claire here decided to neglect her homework until the last minute, so I had to help her."

"Claire," said Kara in a stern voice and Claire looked at the floor with an apologetic expression. "What did I tell you about leaving your school work to the last minute?"

"Don't do it," said Claire, with Clark looking a bit amused and Kara just sighing.

"So how are you doing, Claire?" asked Clark.

"Fine, Harry and Kara really are helping me out, after what happened," said Claire brightly. "They're kind of like…well they're just helping me and the others too. But the other kids, they have parents that they can go home to."

Claire realized what she said, and started backtracking over her own words.

"Not that I'm mad about them," said Claire. "It's not their fault they have family members. It's…."

"And it's not your fault that you don't," said Clark in a kind voice.

"Harry told me that, Kara told me that, the counselor told me that, but …never mind," said Claire in a heated voice, but she calmed herself down before she set the chair she was sitting on ablaze. "I'll just let you guys talk, I'm doing fine."

Claire picked up the comic book she brought with her, and allowed the other three to talk. She buried herself into it, hiding the embarrassment she felt for how much she let slip.

What Claire implied did not go unnoticed by Harry or Kara, but this was not the time or the place.

"So, what about the journal?" asked Clark.

"Not what I was hoping to find," said Harry in an evasive voice.

"And what you were hoping to find?" prompted Clark.

The two exchanged a slight look, but remained stoic before one spoke.

"Something more useful than what Harry found," said Kara, shifting herself on Harry's lap.

"So it was just a journal?" inquired Clark.

Harry considered telling Clark about what truly was in that accursed book, but that would invite questions that he did not feel comfortable with answering at that moment.

"Yes, and not one word was written in it," said Harry. "Three months of my life, that I could have been spending my time doing something else, wasted on that useless witch hunt."

Clark had a feeling that there was something that either Harry or Kara were not telling him. In particular, Harry seemed to be in a weird mood when he brought up the journal. Almost like there was some kind of horrific secret that he found out.

He was not about to press the issue. He was in the stages of patching up some semblance of a family relationship with his cousin, and he did not want to undo all of that work just by sticking his nose into something like this.

Getting Harry upset, would likely upset Kara, and upsetting Kara would likely upset Harry even more, and it was just one huge cycle of people getting upset.

So, Clark reined in his curiosity.

"So any adverse effects from what happened the other night?" inquired Harry, looking Clark in the eye. "You did destroy it, right?"

"Yes, and it was…." started Clark, but Harry cut him off.

"Good, you destroyed it," said Harry breathing a sigh of relief. Naturally he was there, watching, but appearances had to be kept up. "And for the second part of my question…"

"I keep hearing my mother's voice calling out for help," said Clark. "But Kara…after she talked to me, I think they'll cease."

Harry nodded, feeling a great deal of sympathy for Clark.

"They would have in time, but Kara was right to talk about you," said Harry in a serious voice. "Nightmares…well they are far worse the more powerful that you are. Trust me; regrets will be powerful for powerful people."

'_He's speaking from experience,' _thought Clark.

The three made a bit of small talk for a while, and the time seemed to fly by.

"I'm surprised you and Kara are actually sticking around this long," said Clark, before he added. "Not that I don't mind having you around, it's just, I'd figure you'd be busy."

"Well I had a few things to take care of this morning," said Harry. "But after that, it was smooth sailing. My staff is good enough that the company runs itself. I just like to pop in to make sure everyone's doing alright. And after the day Kara had on Friday, I figured she should enjoy a day off, especially given what happened."

"Yeah, about that, I apologized to Kara so…" said Clark. "I'm sorry, that was…it was wrong what I did."

"Yes, I know it was, and you know it was, but I don't blame you and I'm sure Kara doesn't either," said Harry, and Kara shook her head, trying to convey Clark that she was not going to hold one moment of weakness and desperation against him.

Clark felt a bit more at ease that things were less awkward, but a knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts.

He hastened to answer the door, in case it as an emergency. Claire continued to flip through her comic book, and Harry and Kara continued to sit, enjoying each other's company.

"Oh, hi, Lana," said Clark, and this caused Kara to frown. "So, you came back."

Things seemed to be rather cool at the moment, and Harry wondered if Clark and Lana had a bit of a tiff about the entire journal escapade.

Not that it was any of his business, but he just sensed some underlying awkwardness between the two.

"Yeah, I had some time to think, and…." said Lana, but she stopped as she spotted Harry and Kara over Clark's shoulder. "Oh, hi, I didn't know you two were here."

"Yeah, we're just visiting Clark, but…something just came up," said Kara, looking at Lana with a forced smile. "So, you two…well whatever you do is your business."

"Claire, you about ready to leave?" asked Harry, and she nodded, as the girl followed Harry and Kara out the opened doorway.

"So did you find your mother's journal?" asked Lana, catching Harry off guard.

"Yes, but it wasn't anything of value," said Harry waving his hand dismissively. "Nothing you or Lex Luthor should have been concerned about."

Lana blinked, before she shrugged. The situation was awkward. Kara smiled as she wished her cousin a goodbye.

"Clark, take care of yourself, I don't want to have to fly out here if something bad has happened," said Kara, in a half joking manner.

"Kara, don't worry, nothing's going to happen," said Clark.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure Clark stays out of trouble," said Lana trying to lighten the mood.

Harry and Kara both turned away from her, but not before Kara had one more thing to say.

"Just see that nothing bad happens to him, he's the only cousin I have," said Kara, voice dripping to hints of a veiled threat towards Lana.

Lana's eyes widened and she took a deep breath.

"So…we'll just let you two catch up," said Harry. "Good luck Clark."

'_You're going to need it,' _thought Harry.

"Bye Clark," said Claire, before she followed Harry and Kara off the Kent Farm.

Lana shook her head. She proceeded to turn her attention towards Clark.

"So you two have been catching up," said Lana, trying to keep any distrust out of her voice.

"Yeah, we've been catching up, it's good to talk to someone who was there," said Clark, with a fond smile. "About what happened on Friday..."

"Clark, I'm sorry, alright," said Lana.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing too," said Clark.

Lana shook her head and gave a long sigh.

"It's almost like those two have it in for me," mumbled Lana, closing her eyes.

Clark had no idea what to say. The incident with the journal would make things awkward between them. He half wished that Lana would have showed up a bit later, as Harry and Kara seemed to be more relaxed and less guarded than they were before around him.

* * *

"I had fun, it was good to get out of this place for today," said Claire with a bright smile. "Thank you both of you."

"It's not a problem Claire, but you should get washed up for dinner right now," said Harry. "And remember; don't set the table on fire this time if you don't get the last dessert."

Claire had a sheepish look on her face. She hugged both Kara and Harry goodbye, before she walked off. Kara had a smile on her face, looking from Claire to Harry.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Harry.

"Nothing," said Kara, as they turned to walk down the hallway. "I think it did her some good to get out there today. She's…well she doesn't have anyone like she said. The other guests, they have family, while she has to stay here all weekend with the staff."

Harry nodded, he knew the feeling. He and Kara made their way into his main office and made sure the door was shut and locked behind them.

"So how are you coping with what the journal let slip?" asked Harry.

"About the Herald of Krypton thing…not exactly something I was expecting," said Kara. "So, how long does a Herald live?"

"We can be killed, but it takes something extreme," said Harry. "And trust me when I say this, you don't want to be thrown at Death's feet, and have her chew you out for screwing up so bad that you died."

"Extreme, as in almost the end of the world extreme?" asked Kara.

"Yeah, pretty much," verified Harry.

Kara sat on the desk to face Harry before he explained more to her, but there were things that he was not sure of.

"We age rather gracefully, as in we stop once we hit our physical prime," said Harry, grabbing her hands. "Just imagine that, I found the one other person who is as long lived as I am."

Kara shifted with a smile, as he joined her. They sat face to face with each other on the desk.

"I'll be around for as long as you'll put up with me," said Kara.

"I can put up with you, forever," said Harry, pulling her close towards him. "My feelings for you…I don't know how to say it, without coming off sounding corny."

Kara leaned forward and kissed him. Her lips tasted sweet, soft and moist. Harry grabbed her and pulled her deeper into the kiss. Their fingers intertwined into each other's hair.

They kissed for a few minutes, and Harry pulled himself away from her. He looked into her, taking in her beautiful features. She wore a blue blouse that really fit her nicely. It was unbuttoned to show a generous dose of cleavage and also was a bit short, so the lovely skin on her midsection could be seen. The red skirt she wore showcased her legs nicely, and gave a nice little tease to what was beneath. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, and allowed Harry to see her beautiful face, with her blue eyes looking at him with so many powerful emotions in them.

"I never thought this would happen, but there's just something about you that makes me feel like I can take on the world, no the universe," said Harry. "And win."

"Really, you too?" asked Kara. "I feel the same way about you."

The words seemed on the tip of both of their tongues, so they just blurted it out in unison before they lost their nerve.

"I love you."

Harry and Kara looked at each other, taken aback.

"How could you…" started Harry, but Kara shut him up with a swift kiss to the lips.

She broke apart after a minute.

"I could ask you the same thing," said Kara, with a challenging look that cut Harry off from further protests. She placed her arms around Harry's neck and whispered in his ear. "But maybe we shouldn't be asking questions, and just keeping going with it."

Harry cleared off the desk, so he and Kara could have plenty of room. He leaned forward, and pulled her into his arms, into a kiss. Kara returned it. Harry leaned her back, kissing the side of her neck. Kara returned the favor, straddling Harry's lap, and peppering his neck with a series of light, but loving, kisses. She sucked on his neck, with Harry rubbing the back of her neck, before putting her hands on the small of her back.

The two lost themselves and their inhibitions to each other. They continued their activities.

Harry cast the necessary charms to prevent any unplanned consequences. His hands removed her clothes with ease, as their hands roamed over each other's bodies. Kara returned the favor, and they just let their instincts take each other to what felt right.

Harry was thankful for his foresight to put silencing charms around the office. Kara could be rather vocal when she was in the heat of passion.

They were living life, with each other, and what they felt for each other could not be measured in mere words.

Harry never truly knew what love was, and all of the benefits that came along with it until his relationship with this beautiful blonde Kryptonian currently beneath him and urging him to continue his activities. The world could end now, and he would find himself not caring. And judging by Kara, she mutually agreed with this assessment.

It was only a taster for what they would do later that night, in the comfort of their bedroom, but their escapades in the office satisfied their rather powerful urges.

* * *

Chloe arrived at the Shining Light Foundation, armed with the information she looked up for Harry. She moved her way towards the office door and knocked on it. There was a bit of a pause before Harry answered her.

"Just a minute Chloe."

She waited and a few minutes later, Harry invited her in. Kara was also in the office, and Chloe could have sworn she saw Kara buttoning her blouse back up and making sure her skirt was on right.

"Hi, Chloe, sorry, Harry and I had to finish before we let you in," said Kara, with a slight smile, discreetly licking the excess off of her lips and from her fingers when she thought Chloe was not looking.

"I see," said Chloe. "So, I see you're diving into the whole relationship thing with reckless abandon."

"One could say that," said Kara with a far off expression in her eyes.

She was in a good mood after what Harry did for her and what she could do for him, what they did to each other. Kara tried to not get lost in her thoughts of what was to come tonight. Always two hours before they went to bed, to make sure their powers remained stabilized.

"I hope I didn't cut anything prematurely," said Chloe, fully aware of the euphemism she had given.

"No, you're good," said Harry. "We just need a little pick up, because it was a long day. With our powers, we're…well that's not a matter to be discussed in polite company."

"Are you accusing me of being polite company?" asked Chloe.

"No, but you do have information for me about the turnover in management at Belle Reve," said Harry carefully changing the subject. "I made a couple of trips there. Some of the cases…well there are some rather extreme cases over the years. I'd like to avoid sending any of my guests there. But…it's inevitable that some people won't be able to function in normal society. Some people might say that about me."

Kara just placed her hand on Harry's. Chloe took one seat, and Harry took the other. Kara took a seat on Harry's lap.

"Your quirks pale in comparison to the new chief doctor at Belle Reve," said Chloe. "I've done my homework on this guy…well you take a look at this, and you'll see why I thought you'd like to know about him."

Harry and Kara browsed the information that Chloe had passed over to them.

"So, Hugo Strange," read Harry, after a moment.

"His name is rather fitting," said Chloe. "He worked for a place called Arkham Asylum, in Gotham City, around Chicago I think it is. But he has the distinction of being the other doctor ever to be fired for any reason."

"Unethical behavior," read Harry, frowning. The more he read, the more disturbed him. "And half of the staff becomes patients and they haven't had a cured patient in twelve years. Most either die or become permanent guests or…"

"Escape," gasped Kara.

"Do they have a revolving door installed or something?" asked Harry, looking at the escape statistics. A few times could be coincidence, but there were many escapes with the same patients.

"Yeah, it seems like it, and Gotham is not a preferred tourist destination for obvious reasons and there is a rather weird urban legend coming out of there, something that the police want to keep quiet," said Chloe. The little information she had been able to find out was intriguing enough, it was what she could not uncover…that intrigued her. "Strange's predecessor put a paper bag on his head and tried to poison the city's water supply with a fear toxin. So Strange was considered to be even more extreme than that. And now Strange is Belle Reve's new chief psychiatrist."

"I'm going to just have to keep a closer eye on Belle Reve," concluded Harry, or rather he would have his sources inside take a closer look at this Hugo Strange.

"So, what was the big deal about your mother's journal?" asked Chloe, curiosity getting the better of her. "You went into weird and cryptic mode the other day."

"It was…unsettling," said Harry in a voice that was too eerily calm and Kara tightened her grip on his hand, giving him strength. "The reason I have my role as the Herald of Death is because of a deal she made."

Chloe tried to say something but Harry put up a hand to silence her.

"To think that you know someone, but then that vision gets shattered in a few moments and what you thought you know…everything gets challenged. Honestly, that entire deal is quite the paradox. If she didn't make the deal she did, I wouldn't be here. But.. if she didn't make the deal as well, then…well I don't know. I never knew she was that way, but the people in that world seemed determined to build up an idealized picture of Lily Potter."

"Or maybe that's what she made everyone believe she was?" suggested Kara. "She was trying to sway you into her little obsession."

"Wait, a minute trying to sway Harry?" said Chloe, her voice rising because of what she heard. "Last time I checked Harry's mother was dead, that was why he went on the entire mad and obsessive quest for the journal. And…"

"She preserved an echo of herself in the journal," explained Harry, and he could tell Chloe had a million questions, so he decided to take the shortest route to answer them. "In my old world, portraits move and can communicate with people in the real world. The knowledge they have is limited, but it's essentially artificial intelligence."

For a second, Harry remained silent, but he had more to say.

"And when she let me know what happened, and I may have gotten a bit short with her. If she showed a bit more remorse, and wasn't so rude to Kara, I might not have snapped at her."

"That's not the only reason," said Chloe. "I get the sense that your mother was the only untainted link to your past and…"

"My employer knew about the deal, and I don't know what she was trying to pull," said Harry. "Actually I do know what she was trying to pull."

Chloe was about to ask for elaboration, but there was no need for her to.

"Likely another way to demoralize me and…well trying to get me into line to follow her like a dutiful little soldier. She's played these games before. She made people suffer just so she can achieve some grand plan. And my mother…I get the sense she has her own plans regarding this situation. She wasn't too happy that Death changed the terms of their agreement."

"Meaning?" asked Chloe.

"Meaning she thinks she can use me to stage a coup against the guardian of the afterlife," said Harry, almost amused at the thought.

"She really can't think she can outsmart a supernatural force of nature, can't she?" asked Chloe.

There was silence, as Harry did wonder what exactly Lily was trying to accomplish. He had a feeling that there was something else that she was keeping from him, but that was par for the course for authority figures in his life.

"Her mortal counterpart went off with Death, and…it was done quietly," said Harry. "I now wonder if that's because she knew she left a way to guide me and…others."

"You seem to be sucked into it deep," said Chloe, and Harry just narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, I know understatement."

"At least she gave me information about my powers," said Harry.

"Our powers," corrected Kara.

It took Chloe only a few seconds before she caught the significance of that particular correction.

"So, you're just like Harry, with being the employer of the Grim Reaper thing," said Chloe, surprised and Kara nodded. "Um…"

"News to me too, but I'm not going to…well it's just something I have to do," said Kara in a determined voice. "I don't know if anyone made a deal for me or not. I have a shrewd idea who might have done it, but I can't prove it."

"How does Clark figure into this?" asked Chloe. "You didn't tell him about this, did you?"

Harry and Kara shook their heads. Chloe frowned. She could tell this was likely going to snowball into something.

"Technically you're not supposed to know, but we're breaking one of the big rules," said Harry.

"Well, I feel privileged then," said Chloe. "Seriously…how does Clark figure into this?"

"He figures into…well it's complicated," said Harry, closing his eyes. "We still haven't figured out all of the angles…excuse me for one moment."

Harry excused himself to take a phone call.

The two girls heard Harry's tone get a bit distressed even if he tried to cover his panic.

"You were….I see, and she…I see…yes Clark…I agree it could be dangerous, both herself and others. Thank for calling me…and don't let her out of your sight whatever you do until we get a full scope of what happened!"

Harry sighed. He put a hand to his head.

"There was an accident with Lana and Clark," said Harry, and Kara nearly jumped up immediately.

"Is he okay?" asked Chloe.

"Accident, if Clark actually admits it, he's not okay," said Kara before she took a deep breath. "What happened?"

"They got struck by lightning, and….Lana received a part of Clark's powers," said Harry, and that point Chloe grew a bit nervous and alarmed. Harry was trying to wrap his head around how this happened. Kara's expression grew impatient, so he regained his bearings. "They're both recovering them. I'll take you both of them…now."

Harry popped both Chloe and Kara away to the Kent Farm, but in the back of his mind he wondered what kind of damage control he to oversee and what kind of hand waving he would have to do.

As long as Lana didn't do anything stupid, he felt he could deal with the situation.

Somehow Harry's confidence faltered at that thought.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 15 "Hostile."**


	15. Chapter 15: Hostile

**Chapter 15: Hostile. **

Clark sat on a chair waiting, and a second later, Kara bust open the door of the Kent Farm House, to rush over towards her cousin and check on him.

The door was reduced to mere splinters from Kara's forceful entry.

"Maybe you should have done that teleporting thing inside instead of on the front step," said Chloe to Harry.

Harry just nodded, allowing Chloe inside, before he turned and fixed the door with a simple motion.

"Clark, what happened, are you okay?" asked Kara in a frantic voice. "I thought I told you…never mind, you're still breathing."

"Kara, I'm just a little weak and sore," said Clark, with a reassuring smile on his face. "I did get struck with lightning."

Kara shook her head at the blasé way her cousin was treating his near death experience. She tried to listen to her cousin's heartbeat, and as far as she could tell it was normal. She could tell he was not about to drop dead as a consequence to what happened, which gave her a bit of relief and allowed her to relax.

"Explain, please," said Harry.

Clark took a breath and proceeded to explain.

"Lana and I were outside. I got weakened by a piece of Kryptonite, and lightning struck and caused my powers to transfer into her."

"I see," said Harry, nodding slowly. He performed several scanning spells on Clark.

"Power transference, that's never a good thing," offered Chloe. "Last person who got your powers through lightning…well the power drove him insane."

"I know, but this is different, he had some issues before he got my powers," said Clark. "It's different, it's Lana."

Kara just smiled fondly. Her cousin rationalizing and sticking up for his friends was kind of endearing, even if it was someone she was not particularly fond of.

"Clark, please sit still," said Harry.

This was delicate work. Harry had to get a clear scan of Clark to gauge everything that happened.

Clark did sit still, and waited. Chloe watched in the background, before another thought visited her.

"Well, how about your father?" asked Chloe. "He got your powers, and it destroyed his heart, and….well you know what happened there."

"I know what happened, I'm not even sure how permanent this is," said Clark. "I can still use my powers, to an extent. Lana seems happy about this, she seems to think we can level…well do things that we couldn't do."

Kara winced. While what her cousin did in his free time was his business, she did not need to hear about him potentially doing anything intimate. Especially with Lana, but Kara tried to keep her expression blank and calm as she waited for Harry's final assessment.

"The good news is, your powers should naturally flow back to you completely in due time," said Harry. "Chloe mentioned this happening to you before, was it a complete loss or partial?"

"Complete," confirmed Clark.

"But this time it's partial," said Harry and Clark nodded to confirm. "That could mean something or it could mean nothing. It could mean the Kryptonite was weaker or you're getting a bit more immune to it because of constant exposure."

"I didn't feel immune," said Clark.

"I don't know without a more detailed study," said Harry, shaking his head before he turned towards Kara. "He's fine, Kara. A bit sore and a bit weaker than he would be normally, but a day or two, he will be back to his normal power levels."

Kara let out the breath she had been holding. Perhaps she was overreacting, but Clark was the only family she had left. Her gaze was fixed on Clark.

"I'm glad you're okay, Clark" said Kara.

"Lana might be another matter entirely," said Harry.

"Yeah, I didn't think invisibility was one of your powers," said Chloe to Clark. "So, where is she?"

Clark shifted a little bit and decided to explain.

"Well, Lana seemed to be thrilled when she got my powers, but the way she was acting…she has my powers but the control thing is a bit off. And I'm afraid she could hurt someone. That's why I called Harry, to make sure nothing was going to happen. And now…"

He turned around and tried to use his X-Ray vision. It was a bit more of a strain until his powers completely boosted back up to what they should be, but he managed it.

"She's still up there, good" said Clark, a bit more at ease after confirming Lana's whereabouts. "She…she wasn't too happy that I called you into this."

"Doesn't she understand that you're only looking out for her well-being?" asked Kara gently.

"Lana…well she accepted it after a while," said Clark.

"Before or after much shouting," said Chloe. "So, if I looked upstairs, would I see the results of a super powered tantrum?"

"Well she did bust a window, and break a glass, but that was just her breaking in her powers," said Clark.

Harry remained silent and he pondered the situation. The good thing was Lana was still here, and he could fix this situation before it escalated out of control.

"Bring her down here, I'll figure out what to do," said Harry.

Clark zoomed upstairs, and Harry tapped his foot, and waited.

"So what are you going to do?" asked Chloe.

"There's enough information here for me to know that those powers could have a long term effect on her, whether it would be psychologically or physically," concluded Harry, and Kara sat down next to him. He placed his hand on hers. "I don't know how permanent the transference is. It could be something that burns out over time, or it could be something more…long lasting."

"I hate to be the one to ask the obvious question, but couldn't you just wave your hand and have things be back the way it should be?" asked Chloe.

Harry shook his head.

"If only it was that simple. It's never that simple. I could do it, but it could hurt either Clark or Lana or both, and…well that's not a road that I want to go down. Power transference is a rather dangerous area."

Kara remained quiet, and watched Clark and Lana upstairs. There seemed to be a bit of a heated argument, but Lana decided to concede to Clark to remain downstairs. The blonde Kryptonian remained by Harry's side.

She used her super hearing and picked up an erratic heartbeat from Lana. The human heart was not meant to beat in such a manner.

"Harry, listen to that, that doesn't sound good," whispered Kara.

Harry listened, and he would have to agree.

"Her heart beats erratic, it shouldn't beat that fast," said Harry before Chloe could even ask. "I don't know if it's temporary stress or something more permanent…"

Lana was lead in to face Harry. She tried to fix her face into a neutral expression to hide the agitation she felt.

"I swear I feel fine," said Lana to Harry before he could even speak. "Sure, new powers get some getting used to but…"

"I'll be the judge of how fine you feel," said Harry in a tone that Lana sensed left no room for argument. "Kara already heard your heart beating erratically. Do you want to cut your life short for a few days of power?"

Lana stopped and stared. In her high of getting her powers, that's something she had not considered, but she grudgingly conceded Harry had a point.

Still the lure of power, and being with Clark on that level, it was almost too much to pass up, even if there were risks.

"It's just settling," said Lana, but she seemed a bit less sure. "There had to be a reason why I got this power. Clark and I…"

Harry cut her off again.

"I need you to be perfectly silent while I scan you, to make sure none of your internal organs have been damaged when you got struck by lightning," said Harry. "Or if the Kryptonite didn't do any permanent mutation to you."

Lana relaxed, mostly because Harry placed a sedation charm on her. The effects would only be temporary, but Harry could scan her without much resistance.

Kara, Clark, and Chloe all waited and watched.

Harry's results gave him enough to be rather disturbed by. She did have some low levels of Kryptonite within her genetic makeup. It was hard to determine whether or not it was from the accident or something else. It was not enough to be classified as meteor infected, but Harry suspected there were prolonged periods of time where Lana had been around a small sample of Kryptonite.

Of course, Harry suspected anyone who lived in Smallville for any amount of time had been slightly tainted. Those who had been tainted the most were the ones who exhibited powers.

"The powers are only temporary," concluded Harry. "In a few days, they'll fade, as I suspected, but they'll leave their mark. I would recommend that you come to the Shining Light Foundation with me, so I could find a way to remove them."

Lana's eyes widened.

"Remove them, I can do so many great things with these powers, even in a few days, how many people I can help," said Lana. "Are you sure they're only temporary?"

"Very sure, but the damages will be permanent the longer you have them," said Harry in a calm voice. "And by helping people, are you sure you don't mean help yourself to your revenge on Lex Luthor?"

Lana's eyes widened, and her breath sped up.

"You can't be sticking up for him…after all he did to me!" yelled Lana, but Harry shook his head.

"I'm not about to defend anyone with the last name Luthor did or did not do, but here's the thing," said Harry. "You get your revenge on Lex, and what does that bring you? Will it undo everything bad that has ever happened to you because of him? I understand your outrage…but this obsession has been taken to an unhealthy level."

"Harry does have a point," conceded Clark.

"I thought you'd be happy, isn't this what you wanted?" asked Lana.

"Not if it kills you, Lana," said Clark in a diplomatic tone of voice. "Just think about your health. Really consider what this could do to you."

"And think about what it would do to Clark, if he loses you to your obsession," whispered Kara in an undertone to her.

Lana turned towards Kara, and she lost it.

"Oh, it's not like you care, you've had it in for me from the first time you've met me, both of you," said Lana to Harry and Kara, and a blast of heat vision caught the curtains on fire.

Harry was quick to put it out. Lana took a deep breath. Having accidents with her powers was not a good way to keep them.

"I don't have it in for you, I just don't want to see my cousin hurt," said Kara hotly.

"I'm not trying to hurt Clark," argued Lana. "And you've just flown in here, thinking you can run his life!"

Kara was angry at this point and would have punched Lana had Clark not been standing between them. Chloe sat off to the side and she watched the situation transfixed. It was like a train wreck one could not look away from.

"Enough from both of you!" yelled Clark, and both Lana and Kara both shut up, even if their angry gaze fixed on each other. "Everyone's just…this has been a rough time for all of us…"

Lana took a deep breath, and it appeared for a second she had calmed down.

Until the moment she jumped up, and broke the door open with super speed. Chloe, Clark, Kara, and Harry all watched her leave.

Harry knew she was beyond reasoning right now. He recognized the symptoms.

"That could have gone better," concluded Chloe.

Clark did not know what to do. Lana was out there, with powers she could barely control and could be killing her. He tried to go after her, but Harry shook his head.

"Clark, I need one more piece of information for you, before you go off after Lana," said Harry. "The scene of the crime…"

"Crime's too strong of a word to use," said Clark. "Lana didn't purposely take my powers."

"Fine, just take me to the place where you got struck by lightning," said Harry.

"Couldn't you just…conjure up lightning again and reverse the effects?" asked Clark desperately.

Harry pondered for a second, but shook his head.

"I could, but to get it precise would be a one in a million fluke," said Harry. "I'd be more likely to blow you both into microscopic dust particles."

Kara closed her eyes at the thought.

"Lightning's definitely out then," said Chloe. "Maybe I should go looking for Lana…"

"Chloe, thanks for the offer, but at her current state, she could do some serious damage if you got in her way," said Harry.

"I'll look for her," offered Kara, and Harry had reservations about this as well. Kara responded with her logical reasoning for why she was the best to do this. "Anything she can do, I can do better."

"That's not egotistical at all," said Chloe, but Kara just shifted her gaze.

"Plus, I don't think she could fly yet either," said Kara. "So I can cover the most ground, while Harry finds out a way to reverse this…situation."

Clark turned a worried glance towards his cousin.

"Kara, you won't hurt her, will you?" asked Clark, the argument fresh in his mind.

Kara's expression softened as she looked her cousin in the eyes.

"Clark, I can't make you a promise that everything's going to turn out okay. For you, I'll make sure Lana is returned back safe and sound. But, I'm not going to just sit back and let her run free with those powers. If I have a chance to bring her in, I'm taking it. She might be sore in the morning, but…she'll be alive."

"Just do what you have to do," said Clark. "Just make sure…you find her before she does anything that she'll live to regret."

"I'll try," said Kara, eyes closed and she let out a sigh.

"Just do what you can, Kara," said Harry, and she leaned forward, and gave him a kiss goodbye.

After a moment, Kara flew off, and Clark led Harry off to the scene of the power transference.

* * *

Several scientists proceeded to walk around a lab, and spoke in hushed tones. The doors opened, and Lex Luthor walked into the lab and surveyed the situation. His head looked around, as the scientists continued to hover around a vial. A liquid swirled around inside it, but was prevented from escaping with a green meteor rock.

"So what am I supposed to be looking at?" asked Lex but he noticed what was peculiar about it. "Project Scion…how did it…"

"We're not sure, sir, but it turned into liquid from the dust sample you had acquired."

"That dust sample is the last remaining part of an advanced piece of alien technology," said Lex, and he looked at the vial. "The ship of Milton Fine, and I wanted you to keep it under lock and key. Something you seemed to have failed to do, given that it's changed."

"It's almost like it is evolving," said the scientist. "Almost as if it's trying to escape, and find a way…"

"It may be trying to escape, Dr. Jensen," said Lex grudgingly. "But it's something that must not escape. If anyone knows the truth about Project Scion, there are going to be questions. Questions you might not want to answer to, if the wrong people find out. Your ethics are without question, but…this is not a matter of ethics."

Lex heard a door creek off to the side of him. Immediately, he remained on his guard and tensed up.

The second he looked up, all of the scientists had been dropped down to the ground. They were rendered completely unconscious.

"Whoever you are, come out," said Lex, reaching to call for security.

Lex found himself knocked into a wall before he could even press one button. A shadowed figure appeared from the darkness and picked up Lex by the throat. He was knocked out cold.

The gloved hand picked up the vial containing Project Scion and pocketed it without a sound. Lex was dragged off. Time had stopped around them all.

Time would restart itself in a matter of moments, but the shadowed figure would ensure that they would have escaped with Lex Luthor and whatever project he was working out.

Revenge would be sweet. The kidnapper had been waiting for this for a long time.

* * *

The young Herald of Death bit his tongue and performed scanning spells on the ground. Using his powers, he could mentally reconstruct what occurred in his mind, down to the absolute micro-second. Clark looked over his shoulder, and waited for his assessment.

"It just backs up my theory," concluded Harry. "There's a twenty five percent chance I can stabilize Lana and she could handle your powers...but that's playing the odds. There's more of a chance that I can remove her powers, and fix any damage. The ball's in your court now Clark. What do you want to do? They're your powers after all."

Clark paused at this moment and mulled over his options.

"If there's more of a chance to remove her powers and make sure she's fine then do it," said Clark. "What are the consequences if the first method doesn't work?"

"Slow and agonizing death," said Harry in a somber tone. "But there are many things that can go wrong. With her mental state, which I can tell was already on shaky ground. I'm not going to tell you what you should do with Lana, but all I'm telling you is to remain on your guard. Those who think they are helping you, sometimes end up hurting you the most. And what Lex did…well I don't know everything, but I know enough to be concerned."

Harry sighed.

'_Both of them, Lex and Lana, they're going to be the death of me,' _thought Harry.

"I'm going to warn Lex, give him the heads up," said Clark.

Harry thought that would be best for Clark right now.

"If you think that's for the best, then go for it," said Harry. "I'll take these readings back to the Shining Light Foundation, run a simulation on the main computer. To make sure everything will be safe for when I undo the power transference. I'll be in touch."

Clark and Harry went their separate ways. Harry hoped Kara could track down Lana before that woman did something that Harry would have to fix. He had no questions about her capabilities, but given it was dark now, it would be a bit tougher to get a fix on Lana.

Now Harry tried to calm himself down, and hoped that he could get everyone out of his situation.

Hindsight being what he was, he should have stunned Lana and dragged her over to the Shining Light Foundation, but that was the price he paid for diplomacy.

* * *

Clark moved at super speed, and reached the study of Lionel Luthor. Lionel just hung up the phone the moment he reached arrived. The elder Luthor surveyed Clark, and his breath was short.

"Ah, Clark, what pleasure do I owe you?" asked Lionel. "You seem winded, given your powers; I would not have thought it to be possible."

"Neither did I, but my powers haven't completely returned to me," said Clark. "I still have some of them, and I'm better off than I was an hour ago. There was an accident, lightning, and…well some of my powers got transferred to another person.

Lionel inclined his head, and thought over the situation in his mind.

"Well, that's quite the dilemma, isn't it?" asked Lionel. "As we know, your powers were never meant to be held by mortal men or women. Such a transference could have fatal consequences."

Clark did know all too well.

"It's temporary, the powers should fade in a few days," said Clark.

"So, who's the lucky donor?" asked Lionel.

Clark paused for a few seconds, before he answered a question.

"Lana."

Lionel remained eerily silent.

"This is a worse situation than I had thought," said Lionel, breaking his own silence. "Clark, Lana's not the same girl you once knew, not anymore. The past few years have not been kind to her, son. And her marriage with my son pushed her over the edge, I fear. And when I went missing, she was the one who arranged for me to be kidnapped."

"Lana…she wouldn't do something like that," said Clark, but his voice lacked the necessary belief in his convinctions.

Lionel wondered who Clark was trying to convince.

"Those powers present a danger, to both Lana and anyone around her," said Lionel. "And Lana's already capable of malice, but that's beside the point. The point is at least her motive is predictable."

Lionel's gaze met Clark's eyes directly and without blinking.

"Find Lex, and Lana will likely be closely behind him, watching his every move. The problem is my son is making himself rather difficult to track down, and he's has his own obsessions. But never mind, have determined how to reverse this situation, before Lana hurts anyone?"

"Harry's on it," said Clark.

At this point, Lionel's silence resumed, before he spoke again.

"Harry Potter, the resident darling of the Shining Light Foundation, selfless and bold," said Lionel. "I know his type; he wears a mask in front of his intentions. And I'd hazarding a guess you offered him a full scan of your powers."

"I had no choice," said Clark.

"You could have refused," responded Lionel.

"Kara would have insisted," said Clark.

Lionel clicked his tongue before he offered his own brutally honest assessment of this situation.

"Your cousin seems to be enamored by this young man, and would do anything for him," said Lionel. "Including attacking her own flesh and blood, if Mr. Potter convinced her it was for your own good."

Clark was a bit agitated by this accusation, but Lionel seemed unfazed about this particular reaction.

"Kara wouldn't do that and Harry wouldn't ask it of her," argued Clark. "We should have never gone into the Shining Light Foundation on that night. It was a huge mistake, and if Kara never spoke to me again, I wouldn't have been surprised."

"Calculated error, yes," agreed Lionel. "But one that could have paid off in the end. The past is what it is. Just be on your guard around Harry Potter. His bloodline has been rooted in obsession, and he could have very well seduced your cousin over to his point of view, as a means to his ends."

"You're wrong, I can tell what both Harry and Kara feel for each other is nothing but genuine," said Clark, his voice rising in agitation. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. "Just…I'll find Lex…unless you know where he is."

"I would have told you, but I have a list of facilities where he could be," said Lionel and he handed Clark a printout. "Best of luck to you, but do consider what I said."

Clark zoomed off. Lionel sat back and pondered the results of his latest encounter with Clark.

'_Harry Potter, you've done well in swaying him over to your point of view,' _thought Lionel. _'If Potter finds a way to control the traveler's destiny…it can't happen.'_

* * *

Harry responded with a deep sigh, as Chloe hovered in the background and peaked over his shoulder. She waited to see if Harry would come up with anything.

"Soon I'll have pieced together a brand new sequence to create a new spell," said Harry, more to himself and Chloe, as millions of lines of data scrolled by at the speed of light.

"So this is how the magic happens," said Chloe.

Harry nodded. He could read more information in a second than most could read in an hour thanks to his powers.

"Close to getting something I think," said Harry.

"So, this isn't going to have any adverse effects on Lana," prompted Chloe.

"No, she won't have any physical damage, it will be just like she was before she got the powers," said Harry, and he focused on the screen. "Breaking down the matrix of Clark's powers is rather complex. There are infinite lines and strands of DNA. No computer created by a mere mortal could ever read it. I have at my fingertips information that many people would kill to get their hands on."

"Well, people would have killed for less," said Chloe. "I just can't believe there aren't any spells that would just reverse everything."

Harry conceded that was a good point, but he figured out the reason for it.

"Those spells if they were created, they would be abused," said Harry. "In my world, if people could take the gifts away from those of…lesser breeding in their words, they would do so. And that was the stance the government took towards the end. Those born of non-magical families had to have stolen their gifts from magical users. It was the only explanation. It was the most logical explanation, after all."

"They didn't think that there was a more logical explanation," said Chloe. "There had to be magical ancestors, a long time ago. It just makes sense."

"Yes, there were, but they wanted to show themselves superior, but the past is the past," said Harry. "I think I've got…this."

Chloe and Harry both stared, as the number sequences scrambled themselves on the screen.

"With all of that money, I'd think you'd be able to afford some good spyware protection," offered Chloe to break the silence.

Harry's teeth gritted.

"This is not a bot, a worm, a Trojan, spyware, malware, or anything like that," said Harry. "If it was, they'd be destroyed. My computer eliminates any foreign data…unless…"

It struck Harry immediately.

"Chloe, could you please step out for a minute?" asked Harry. "Don't ask, but me and my computer need to have a word alone."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, but slowly backed away at the look Harry gave her. She sensed there was something that Harry would want to do alone.

When Harry was certain Chloe was gone, he turned to the computer.

"I know you're in there," said Harry. "Now do I need to get a spell to exorcise you or will you tell me why you're trying to scramble numbers on a very important charm sequence?"

One word typed out on the computer. "Headset."

Harry sighed, and picked up the headset. He put it on.

"You have five minutes to explain, Lily" said Harry.

"I took a look at the charm you created to reverse the power transference," said Lily over the headset. "It's rather decent work, good work even, but I could have improved on it."

"What did you do?" asked Harry.

"Harry, nothing malicious, I swear on my own grave," said Lily.

"I want a full explanation about what you did," said Harry in a warning voice.

"Just a bit of a reminder to make sure this girl understands the price of what she's doing," said Lily in a quiet voice.

"I'm trying to undo the damage, not create more," said Harry in agitation.

"This Lana Lang girl stole my journal, she deserves to be punished," said Lily in a savage voice.

"I'm not going to get into an argument with you about anything involving her, but…this is really a situation where I'm trying that I'm trying to mitigate the damage on, not create more," said Harry. "This has been really hard on Clark, and on Kara as well…"

"Harry, do not let your heart defeat your head," said Lily in a warning tone of voice.

"Put the charm back to the way it was, or I'll bury your journal so deep into the center of the Earth you'll never get out," said Harry.

There was a long pause that a person could cut the tension with a knife.

"I don't see why you won't let me help you," said Lily. "Done, it's back to what you did before, I swear. But Lana's a danger to what you're here for…you and Kara, the mission…"

"Please leave my computer, and return to your journal," said Harry. "If I wanted you to help me, I'd come for you. I get why you made the deal, but I can handle this myself. I don't need anyone to guide me. I never needed it before, so why start now?"

"Very well, just remember you were sent here to guide the traveler, by any means necessary," said Lily, and then Harry could sense her leave.

Harry dropped the headset. He double checked the printout of the charm work. Sure enough, he would have to get Clark and Lana in the same place and perfectly still and have them both willing to have this charm performed on them.

He shook his head. He knew Lily was gone from his building and back into the journal. His mother had the best intentions in mind, or so she thought. Harry vowed not to trust her just because of who she was.

"Done, Chloe!" called Harry.

Chloe entered the room.

"Okay, good, did you and your computer come to an understanding?" asked Chloe.

Harry just shook his head.

"You think I'm insane, don't you?" asked Harry.

"Oh, there's no thinking about that one," said Chloe with a grin.

Harry just sighed. He moved onto checking in with Kara.

"Kara, any luck with Lana?" asked Harry.

"No, but I'm looking for her, do you want me to bring her back when I find her?" asked Kara.

"Yes, any way you can think of, I'll remain in touch," said Harry.

He ran one final simulation.

"I've got everything that I need, it's just a matter of getting all of my ducks in a row," said Harry. "Be careful, Kara."

"I am," said Kara. "I think I got a sight of her, she's heading towards one of the labs outside the city."

"I've got a fix on your location, I'll be there in a couple of minutes," said Harry. "Do what you have to do."

Harry turned around and walked over to the vault. Chloe watched him.

"What are you getting?" asked Chloe.

"Insurance," said Harry, and he opened up a vault, before he picked up a package wrapped in lead.

"I should have known you'd have some Kryptonite at arm's reach," said Chloe.

"Yeah, you should have," agreed Harry.

"It's going to get bad enough for you to use it," said Chloe.

"It always does," said Harry darkly, and he made sure the glowing green rock was secured. "I hope it doesn't, but better safe than sorry."

'_If Lana has Clark's powers, she also has his weaknesses,' _thought Harry.

* * *

A blur appeared, but stopped behind trees. Clark peered out at what appeared to be a crime scene.

Police barricades were put up and several uniformed officers scrambled around the area. Clark remained in the background, and his mind jumped to the absolute worst conclusion.

'_No, Lana, she couldn't,' _thought Clark in despair. _'She might have thought about it, but she wouldn't.'_

He took a step forward, but nearly bumped into a very familiar figure who was also snooping around in the shadows.

"Fancy running into you here, Smallville," said Lois. "I thought you'd heard what happened. Lex got kidnapped."

"Kidnapped, so no one killed him yet," said Clark, but he had to hide his sigh of relief.

"Not that I know of, well there's been no body found," said Lois. "So until we find his body, I'd figure that there is a chance he's out there living. It's weird; whoever did this couldn't have sped past all of the bodyguards, all of the security, and knocked out every single scientist in that lab. They would have almost had to have…"

"Super human powers," said Clark, dread flooding him.

"I'm going to see if I can get a better look when this investigation dies down," said Lois, eyes focused. "It's…it's getting rather tense, because none of it seems to make sense."

"Civilians back behind the barricade, and no press!" shouted a loud voice.

Clark remained rigid and took a deep breath. He felt a bit better, but he would feel even better when he was sure Lana did not do something that she would live to correct. Lex did some horrible things to her, but Clark hoped that she did not fly down the path. The path towards the point of no return.

If she did, and he felt a lump in his throat as he thought this, he would have to treat her like he would any other dangerous criminal. Clark did hope that it would not come to this, and he tried to find Lana.

There was no telling where she could have taken Lex, but perhaps it was not too late.

* * *

Clark always made these powers look so easy. This was the thought that was going through the head of Lana Lang. Her super speed was fine, but the stopping could use a little work. Especially on the rougher terrain, but she found she was getting the hang of it. Lana took a deep breath, and tried to focus her eyes.

X-Ray vision was another one that flickered in and out. She just needed it to work long enough to find out if Lex was in this building or not. Her surveillance of him indicated that he was spending a lot of time in the lab area. On several projects that he would prefer no one get an idea about.

Lana frowned, if any of these hurt Clark, she would end him.

Before she could move around to the other side, she felt something grab her by the shoulders. Lana was caught off guard and hoisted up into the air. She gave a slight scream, but a hand clapped over her mouth to silence her.

The next thing Lana knew, she was dropped in the middle of a field far away from where she was.

Kara dropped down to face her. Her red cape fluttered in the breeze, dressed in her full Supergirl attire.

"What are you doing?" demanded Lana.

"I'm trying to stop you from doing something that…" started Kara.

"Something that I'd regret?" asked Lana. She faced the blonde girl, about ready to lose her patience "Do you think I'm doing this for me? I'm doing this for Clark."

"Oh, and how is putting yourself in danger doing anything for Clark?" demanded Kara.

"Listen, you don't know half of the things Lex has put me through and he'd put Clark through if he ever found out the truth," said Lana.

Kara took a deep breath.

"What he did…if you did something violent to Lex, Clark would never be able to forgive you and he'd never be able to forgive himself. Revenge is easy, but you're in danger of becoming just like him. Just as obsessed…"

"You don't understand," said Lana in an even voice.

"What don't I understand?" asked Kara. "I saw Clark; he's worried about you and what could happen to you. And you could end up getting yourself killed if you don't get help now. These powers, they weren't meant for someone like you."

Lana's anger flared.

"You just want full run of Clark's life, don't you?" challenged Lana, but Kara snatched her by the shirt and pulled her forward so she could look Lana in the eye.

"Clark's the only family I have left, and if anyone does anything to hurt him, I'll deal with it, I'll take care of them," said Kara through gritted teeth. "But…obsession brings down everyone and..."

Lana tried to aim a blast of heat vision, but she shot it up over Kara.

Kara darted Lana out of the way, as the oil drums that she connected with exploded.

Kara blocked most of the blow with her own body.

"Oh my God, I didn't…" started Lana, coming to her senses slowly. "Kara, it's…"

"I'm fine," said Kara, pushing Lana away as she got to her feet.

Her outfit was pretty much damage proof. Her hair was slightly messed up, and her pride was damaged by being knocked off of her feet.

Realization hit Lana immediately and her breath became pained.

"I don't have the control, maybe you should take me to Harry's and just have him do what you need to…to…take them away," said Lana.

Clark zoomed in at the speed of light. He saw Lana and faced her. Lana deflated at the disappointed gaze that Clark gave her.

"Where is he, Lana?" asked Clark. "Lex…you didn't…"

"She didn't get to Lex, Clark," said Kara. "I stopped her before she did it."

"Yeah I swear Clark, I was going to…well you have an idea what I was going to do," said Lana.

That really got Clark's interest.

"So someone else got to Lex," said Clark. "There was a crime scene, someone kidnapped him."

Harry arrived as if on cue.

"Kara, what happened?" asked Harry, and he grabbed her. She looked a bit worse for wear, smelled like oil. Clark noticed this as well, and both waited for an explanation.

"Lana and I…we had a little disagreement," said Kara. "I'm okay, I heal easily, a nice hot shower, and I'll be good as new. But we've got a bit of a problem."

"What kind of problem?" asked Harry.

"Lex got abducted," said Clark, but he looked at Lana with a bit of distrust, which she wilted under.

"I didn't have anything to do with it," said Lana, frustrated and agitated that no one seemed to believe her.

"Lionel said that you seemed to have something to do with his disappearance," said Clark quietly. "You hired someone to abduct him."

Lana grew rigid. The fact Lionel informed Clark of that fact would not help her case.

"But, I didn't hire anyone to abduct Lex…Clark…"

"Is she lying?" asked Kara, eyes on Harry.

Harry turned to Lana and after a moment, shook his head.

"She's not," said Harry, but Clark looked at him. "Her body language, heartbeat, and breathing rate would be way different if she was lying. Little trick I picked up when I was traveling, kind of useful."

"So, lying to you would be useless," said Lana.

"Yeah, but I've got the charm ready," said Harry. "It's too dangerous to leave your powers like this."

"Don't suppose I could for a bit longer," said Lana.

"You have to give them up willingly, or they will destroy you," said Harry in a warning voice. "And I know that will devastate Clark."

'_God only knows why,' _thought Harry to himself, but he shook his head.

Perhaps Clark saw something in Lana, but that was not his place to split hairs.

"Stand there Clark, and you stand there, Lana," said Harry in a patient voice. "This will be over than trip to the dentist. Kara, stand in the back, we don't want any more surprises."

"Okay," said Kara.

"Lana, we're only doing this because…those powers will hurt you," said Clark.

"Yeah, but it was an interesting experience while it lasted," said Lana. "So, work your magic, I guess."

"Catch her, and if you feel any side effects, call me immediately," said Harry to Clark. "There's a less than one percent margin for error, but…better safe than sorry."

Harry waved his hand, and the light engulfed both Clark and Lana. Lana collapsed and Clark caught her.

"Clark get her back home, and get some rest, please," said Kara.

"Okay, thanks Kara," said Clark, holding Lana in his arms.

"So the charm put everything back to the way it was," said Kara.

"Yes, it was," said Harry. "Letting her keep the powers…much more could have gone wrong with it, than could have gone right. And hopefully she can find peace with what happened in her own way."

Kara wrapped her arms around Harry. The couple embraced.

"You did the right thing, Harry," said Kara, looking into his eyes with pure unconditional love. The two were lost in the moment, before she spoke again. "Lana's just got to…well if she does care about Clark, she'll realize that this is for the best."

"I sent Chloe on ahead to make sure they got back okay," said Harry, but sure enough there was a buzzing in his ear. "Chloe, did they get back?"

"They got back," said Chloe. "I heard about Lex…what do you think happened?"

"I have no idea," said Harry after pondering the matter. "He's…well it could mean any number of things. It's not my job to go running after kidnapped billionaires. He used his one get out of jail free card with me, my work's done."

"Tell Clark, we'll swing in tomorrow night to make sure there are no side effects," said Kara.

"Will do, and…you two did the right thing, even Lana will admit that in the end after she's had a couple of days to think about it," said Chloe.

The words "I hope" seemed to be hanging off of Chloe's tongue, but she did not say anything further. Harry placed an arm around Kara's shoulder, and pulled her in towards him with a smile.

The one thing Harry neglected to inform anyone was he left a backdoor open in the charm for Lana, as a reward if she had come to terms and conquered all of her demons. Harry did not want to get anyone's hopes up, and it had to be done willingly, without being forced.

Until that moment, Lana would be blissfully ignorant to the fact that she still had powers. They were locked away until the moment where she could handle the great responsibility that came with great power, if that ever happened. If they ever did unlock, there would be no adverse effects.

It was Lana's one last chance to prove herself, an unknowing test of character of sorts.

"Let's go," said Harry, and Kara happily agreed.

It was way late at night, and the two were happy to return to their home.

* * *

Kara stretched in the bathroom. Harry walked by the open door when he heard her run a bath. Harry was dressed in sweat pants and a t-shirt.

"Harry, you're just in time," said Kara, and she threw her arms around him in greeting and gave him a passionate kiss. They pulled apart after a few moments. "I was just about to take a nice long soak, but it just doesn't feel right without you."

Kara was a vision of absolute hotness. She only wore a lacy blue bra and blue knickers with red trim. She placed her leg up against his side teasingly, and leaned against Harry. He pulled her scantily clad body into his for another kiss.

The blonde returned the favor, and as if by magic, both of them were naked. They climbed into the soapy, warm water for a nice long soak. Harry leaned back, and Kara rested against him.

"It's been a long day," said Kara, and Harry soaped her back up. Her soaking wet body felt so good against his. "But it's almost worth it, to be here with you."

Harry just smiled. Kara relaxed against his chest, shifting in the water to get comfortable.

"You're going to end up spoiling me," said Kara, and she turned her head slightly with a grin towards Harry.

"You're worth it," said Harry, and he washed her hair. "Most beautiful girl in all of the known galaxies, and some of the unknown ones I'd imagine."

Kara giggled at this and Harry planted light kisses on the side of her neck. She shifted against him in the bathtub. She breathed in and out and Harry washed her front for her.

"I can't image spending the rest of my life with anyone, but you," said Kara. Her head lazily rested on his chest for a moment. Harry proceeded to the lower portion of her, and Kara's eyes closed, with her head leaned back in pure bliss. She encouraged him with both her movements and her words. "Right there like that."

Kara turned around and she lathered up Harry's chest for him. She reached around to do his back, and then slowly washed is lower body. Her hands were barely visible underneath the soapy water, but Harry sure felt what they were doing.

They were sitting practically on each other in the tub, face to face with each other. Harry was pulled slightly, just so Kara could wrap her legs around his waist. Her arms were wrapped around his back and Harry wrapped his arms around her.

Harry pulled Kara into a kiss. Their tongues battled for dominance. Their hands explored each other, as they slid against each other in the bathtub. Her soapy body rubbed against his, and the sounds she made inflamed him. They would be more than warmed up for their usual bedroom activities. In the meantime, the couple proceeded to have some good clean fun in the bathtub.

The fun continued in the bedroom into the early hours of morning. They only needed three hours of sleep to recharge their bodies, a perk of being Heralds of Death. An hour of activity was on the menu before Breakfast, followed by a nice long shower, and then they more than got their fill for dessert.

Harry and Kara felt stronger and more confident after these activities.

* * *

Through a dazed and confused state, Lex tried to shift his way out of his predicament. He found himself bound and blindfolded. All he could tell about his location where there was ticking clocks all around him. So he hazarded a guess he was in some kind of antique shop that sold clocks.

"Who's there?" managed Lex in a hoarse voice.

"Ah, Alexander, I've been waiting for this for a long time."

The voice was heavily modulated and disguised.

"Lana if that's you, this isn't funny," said Lex.

"Lana, no, not Lana, not her," said the kidnapper with a light chuckle. "The police will be looking into her though, and while she's being investigated, I'll get some time to play"

The laughter sounded like nails on a chalkboard to Lex.

"You see, Alexander Luthor, you've been protected for a long time, secured. The secure life I wish I could have had, but it was all for nothing."

"What do you want?" asked Lex. "I can pay you any money if that's what you want."

More nerve racking laughter echoed through Lex's ears.

"Alexander, not all of your problems can be solved by mere dollars and cents," said the kidnapper. "Time is on my side. I'm intrigued about this vial, this liquid, it must be valuable."

"You don't know what you're playing with," said Lex in warning.

"But I'm sure you do," said the kidnapper. "I've been keeping an eye on you for some time. You've escaped justice, but the only justice is swift and final. But, rest assure, you have more use to me alive than dead. For now at least."

Lex held his breath for a moment.

"Just what do you want?" asked Lex. "How did you kidnap me?"

"As I said, Alexander, time is on my side," said the kidnapper. "And your time has run out. The last name Luthor and the power it wields, it means nothing to me. I have nothing left to lose."

"Just what's your motivation?" asked Lex.

"Your father ruined my life," said the kidnapper.

A few seconds was taken for silence.

"That doesn't necessarily narrow it down," said Lex, but he got nailed hard with a blunt force to the side of the head.

He slumped down into the chair.

"Time makes a fool out of all of us, but it shall not make a fool of me," said the kidnapper. "I'll let everyone wonder where Lex Luthor is. They'll never find him, until I want them to, and I'll get everything that I want. Lionel Luthor will rue the day he dismissed my theories as those of a lunatic."

Lex strained to try and get a hint of who had kidnapped him.

"And if your father doesn't give me what I want, well I'll send you back in small pieces," breathed the kidnapper. Lex could feel the kidnapper's putrid breath in his face. "No money can buy your way out of this one."

To emphasis how serious he was, the kidnapper bent back of Lex's fingers, and broke it with a sickening crack. Lex tried to hide the pain of a broken finger, but his expression betrayed him.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 16 Hostage. **


	16. Chapter 16: Hostage

****_So this is a long chapter. Enjoy._

* * *

**Chapter 16: Hostage. **

"We're going to be late for work you know," said Kara, but she seemed a bit reluctant to detached herself from around Harry. With great self-control, she did so.

Kara dressed at super speed. Harry flicked his hand and the clothes he put out for the day.

"Yeah, but it was worth it," said Harry. "Not to worry through, what are they going to do, fire me?"

Kara smiled, and threw her arms around Harry to give him one final kiss. They were about ready to leave for work. The couple stopped at the sound of humming from inside the cabinet. Harry sighed and his eyes narrowed.

"The journal wants to have a word with me about something," said Harry.

"She told us what we needed to know, didn't she?" asked Kara and Harry nodded to confirm this. "I'd torch the thing before…"

"Don't you think I've tried," whispered Harry in crisp undertone. "The blasted thing is fireproof…well we'll just see what she wants."

Harry cracked open the cabinet. With a swift moment, he flung out the journal on the table. He opened it and Kara stood by his side, eyes narrowed. She almost dared Lily to try something, but the red haired woman peered from inside the journal.

"You and I need to talk," said Lily without any preamble.

"We need to talk, well after last night, you're lucky I didn't send you to the center of the Earth," said Harry darkly.

Lily shook her head, and sighed. Tension filled the air.

"I deserved that and I deserve every negative thing you have ever said about me," said Lily. "I think it's…noble that you tried to help someone that you hate."

"I don't hate Lana…it's just she's just made choices that I don't like in the past," said Harry. "And I gave her a chance. More of a chance than I should have maybe. I don't know why I did, I just did."

"Harry, it's because you hope for the best in people," said Kara softly and intertwined her arm around his. "You're not naïve about it but at t the same time, you just give them a chance, to see what they can do."

"Or enough rope to hang themselves with," added Harry.

Kara smiled and tightened her grip on Harry's arm.

"Or that as well."

Lily sighed.

"Your charm is interesting, although turning her into what essentially is a powerless Kryptonian might not have been exactly what I would have suggested," said Lily and Kara's eyes turned to Harry, giving him a slightly questioning gaze. "You didn't tell her about this."

"I didn't tell anyone about this yet," said Harry. "Lana could live out the rest of her life in bitterness, without knowing or it could open the door for something else. The choice is hers, she's walking a delicate line right now. But if she gets her act together…well whatever happens, happens."

Kara could not really get mad at Harry for this. She figured that Harry would not have made such a decision without going over all of the angles.

"Well, Clark will be thrilled if she gets her head on straight," said Kara, but she had some serious reservations that she could not fully let go of yet.

"I didn't feel yesterday was the time to tell you," said Harry with an apologetic tone.

Harry wanted to kill Lily for spilling the beans. It was almost like she tried to drive a wedge between himself and his girlfriend for her own gains. "You were kind of…"

"I was upset about the way Lana was acting," said Kara firmly. "I'm not going to pretend to like her, but…I guess she has reasons for what she did. Maybe they're not good ones, but she has her reasons."

Harry nodded. Everyone had reasons for the way they acted. It was just the choices they made that caused everyone despair that caused him agitation and frustration.

"We just got off the subject though," said Harry and he turned to Lily. "I know you want to tell me something, so spill. After that little information dump on Friday, I assumed that our training was done. Kara's Herald of Death powers still confuse me, and how they vary from mine…but I assumed that we'd set some time to work that out."

"Likewise," said Kara. "Harry had three keys that he had to grab before he tapped into his full powers. Do I need to something like that?"

"You'll know when your training is complete," said Lily in a mysterious voice that offered no hint. "The knowledge I put in your mind was basic training. I'd advise both of you to clear a week of your time soon, because I can conclude your training and then you'd be on your way. And there will be no need for me to be around anymore."

This revelation got Harry's interest immediately.

"What's the catch?" asked Harry.

"No catch," said Lily, and Harry sensed this was the most honest statement he'd ever get from her. "There's some information that I need to tell both of you. And then…once I'm done, I'll be dormant. Your training will be done."

Harry and Kara exchanged a glance, and both nodded.

"We'll get back to you," said Kara.

"Yeah, but we really need to get going," said Harry.

"And when you make it to the end, I'll show you everything Death told me," said Lily, before she added, "Including things she didn't want either of you to know."

That little tidbit caught Harry's curiosity for the moment. Yet, it was long since past time where they needed to head out. Harry and Kara put the journal away.

"So what do you think?" asked Harry.

Kara thought for maybe a second. "We should start the training as soon as possible, I think. "Maybe we can get a better sense of what we actually need to do. Plus the sooner we do it, the sooner she'll be out of our lives, and the soon we'll be able to help Clark."

Kara shifted and a thought visited her.

"Do you think it will be that simple?" she asked.

"We'll know after that week of training is over," said Harry, trying to keep optimism alive in his voice.

Harry and Kara left to make their way to the Shining Light Foundation Headquarters. They would be able to check on the progress of their latest guests. The last they knew would be they were taken to the infirmary. They hoped all of these children would recover, but it was one step at a time.

The two made their rounds around the building and checked in with all of the guests, but everything ran as smoothly as could be expected. Steps were being taken to accommodate the new guests, and only time would tell.

* * *

Lex's leg cramped up from the length of time he was restrained. At least that distracted him from the moment from the absolute agony of broken fingers. Lex tried to get a better idea of his location. The young bald man could only do so much with being bound to a chair.

He wished his ears were plugged. The ticking of clocks became a huge annoyance over time, and only got worse. He figured he had been down here for at least half of a day, and for most of the time that was the only sound he heard.

The door opened, and the footsteps welcomed a fresh sound that broke the monotony.

"The ticking drove you mad yet? The clanging and grinding of bells drive you mad yet?"

Lex refused to give the kidnapper the pleasure of answering. He remained proud. He would not break.

"WELL THEY DROVE ME MAD!"

Another thump to the head and Lex winced at the pain.

"Just who are you?" managed Lex. His throat was raw, and he could barely speak. He had not eaten or drank anything. The kidnapper had not offered him such a luxury, and Lex did not hold his breath for that.

"I told you, that's for me to know, and you to go to the grave wondering, Alexander," said the kidnapper. He paced back and forth. Lex was almost grateful, for the second of footsteps allowed for a pause from the ticking being the only sound he heard. "Time makes a fool out of the best of us…"

"You seem to have a fixation on time," whispered Lex. "Did my father fire you for being late?"

The kidnapper remained silent.

"No, I'm never late. Always on time, day in and day out, for fifteen years, but there was a secret to my success. I mastered time. Not one second squandered. Not one minute misused, but Lionel never appreciated my dedication. Never appreciated the genius I had, where I created a suit that would allow the user to stop, rewind, or fast forward time around them. No longer would anyone have to worry about not having enough time in the day."

Silence followed this declaration, but only for seconds.

"My father was right, you're a lunatic."

That comment earned Lex another thump to the head with a blunt object.

The kidnapper's rage just escalated. "My story's just begun with your father snubbing me! Remember the meteor shower eighteen years ago?"

"Everything comes back to that moment in time, doesn't it?" slurred Lex.

The kidnapper snapped a piece of wood and Lex thought for a moment was to be bludgeoned to death.

Yet that moment never came.

"Yes, the meteor shower, after your father fired me and had me blackballed, I could never get a steady job again. I opened up this antique clock shop. The meteors rained down, and sure enough, my truck was thrown off the road. I was buried. It was three days before they found me! Three days before they bothered to dig me out! And you know what I heard for seventy two hours straight."

Lex refused to indulge the kidnapper with an answer. The crazed man offered him one regardless.

"The ticking and ringing of the bells of those infernal clocks, again and again, for three days! How I wished to have the strength to smother myself! I was found, in shock, drool dripping form my chin. If Lionel Luthor just accepted my genius proposal, I would have had a normal life, a wife, children, a house, a car. Instead, I have nothing but these clocks!"

The smashing of glass could be heard.

"He stole my life, I'll ruin his," whispered the kidnapper. His voice continued to increase intensity. "He has it, I know he has it! And I'll take it from him!"

The kidnapper paced up and down the floor. His voice continued to grow more manic and psychotic by each passing moment. He already became unhinged, but something pushed him over the edge.

"I was happy to see you arrested all of those months ago, and Lionel having disappeared," said the kidnapper. The kidnapper's voice became soft and deadly. "I thought karma would have finally bitten both of you."

The kidnapper offered a hallow laugh.

"No, we can't have that! The Luthors slip out like they always do. They get out of trouble. Not this time, you'll see."

Lex tried to find a way to free himself, but that was a futile endeavor. All he could was sit and wait. The police would find him eventually.

What state would be in? That was the question that resounded throughout the bald young man's mind.

* * *

Harry surveyed the latest guest in his office. "Mr. Luthor, what brings you to my office today?"

Harry faced Lionel Luthor who this time actually phoned ahead. Two security guards were on either side of him. If he even twitched the wrong way, his life would be made miserable.

Harry gave the order to his two security guards. "Stay outside the door, so he'll speak more freely Sit down, make yourself at home, take a load off."

"No thank you, Mr. Potter, I'll stand," said Lionel. His gaze remained fixed. It never left Harry's face. "I'll cut to the chase. As you may have heard, my son had been kidnapped."

"I've heard about it," said Harry in a calm and even voice. He spent a moment shuffling through papers on his desk, before he addressed the elder Luthor. "I'm sure the police are working on a way to find him."

"I hoped that you might know something about the kidnapping," said Lionel. There was no desperation in his voice, just calm coolness. "Lex did stop by for a visit to this building. Did he say anything odd?"

"Other than his continued obsession regarding Clark," said Harry, and Lionel nodded. "Not that I could recall, no."

Lionel paced around the office. Harry allowed him to do this, before he spoke his mind.

"Just come out and say it, Lionel. You want to know if I had anything to do with Lex disappearing."

"I'd never make such an accusation without proof," said Lionel in a diplomatic voice.

"Yet, you've made accusations about me without any proof in the past," responded Harry.

There was a pause, but Lionel composed himself with dignity.

"I fail to see what you're talking about," said Lionel.

Harry chuckled. He moved through some filing cabinets on his office.

"Lex told me that you tried to demonize me to him," said Harry lightly. "You and my mother's side of the family, I notice you've had dealings. You getting that journal, it was more than idle curiosity. You assumed that it held the secrets of untold power."

"I do admit that I have some concerns regarding you," said Lionel slowly. "You see, you and I both know what Clark is. And I wish to assist him against those who may not his best interest in mind."

There was a moment of silence.

"Are you trying to protect Clark or…something else?" asked Harry.

The mental chess game was on.

"What do you know?" asked Lionel.

"I'll let you sweat that out, Lionel," said Harry. He offered a smile that told Lionel nothing about his intentions. "But you can know this. I've come here for a reason. Clark's on same path that I was years ago. He has the abilities to be something great, or something horrific."

Lionel responded promptly. "Greatness can be measured in any number of ways."

"Yes," agreed Harry. "I acknowledge that my mother's side of the family had a control fetish. I had no idea about much of it until recently. My Aunt gave me shelter, but nothing more. Who you think I am, is likely wrong. I've done nothing, but try and give Clark assistance. I'm not going to force him to take any path in life. In the end, the decision is in his hands. He'll make mistakes, but he'll learn from them."

Lionel deliberated the manner. He likely either read Harry Potter wrong, or he was far more conniving that he previously believed him to be.

Yet, he would keep both eyes on him firmly.

"Was there anything else you needed?" asked Harry. He paused, and then added, "Not that I'm trying to rush you out the door, but I do have meetings to attend and people to deal with."

"No," said Lionel. "I'm sure your security will make sure that I found my way out the door."

"Don't worry, they're the best in the world at what they do," said Harry. "And thank you for exhibiting the common courtesy of actually making an appointment."

Lionel remained calm. He took a few more moments to look around.

"Just one final thing before I leave, are you certain Lex did not mention anything peculiar?"

"No, I couldn't tell you anything about what Lex might have or might not have done," said Harry. "Along with who took him, but that's a matter for the police and none of my business. I'd look carefully into any jilted ex-girlfriends, disgruntled employees, and snubbed business partners."

Lionel nodded, before he took his leave. As if he did not think of any of these possibilities, and there were many people who could fit that bill, for the both of them.

Harry moved around his office, and made sure everything was secure. He checked his watch and left his office to meet his girlfriend for lunch. He made sure to lock up tightly on the way out.

* * *

Lana yawned and stretched, before she pulled herself up to a proper sitting position. She walked forward, and saw Clark sitting across from her place on the couch.

"So how are you feeling?" asked Clark, breaking the silence.

Lana shook her head to clear the cobwebs.

She looked tired, but in rather good spirits."Pretty good for someone who had powers and lost them. A bit hungry, but that could be because I crashed for what, twelve hours, thirteen hours."

"Something like that," said Clark.

"Any word about who really took Lex," said Lana, and Clark just paused and responded after a moment.

"No, it's just a missing person case right now, but…the situation doesn't look good," said Clark. "I'm not going to lie to you Lana, but you're likely at the top of their suspect list."

"I figured as much," said Lana in a resigned voice. "And had I been a bit earlier, it could have been me…who did something to him. The power, I really do admire you for it. It would be the easiest thing in the world to permanently take care of anyone who wronged us. They wouldn't make the same mistake again."

Clark would be lying to himself if he didn't admit he had been on the edge of temptation many times.

"It would be easy," agreed Clark. "But after it's done, there's no going back. If I lost my temper even for a minute, it would be the end. Not saying that some people don't deserve it, but…it's not my role to be judge, jury, and executioner. And your obsession with Lex…"

Clark struggled to find the right words.

"I guess it's just my way of coping," said Lana, closing her eyes. "A lot of the things both Harry and Kara said, in their own heavy handed way, made me realized by helping you, I was almost hurting you. It's going to be hard to let go what happened. Lex just has a way of…sticking with you even when you want to escape."

Clark reclined back on the couch.

"The best intentions can go wrong," offered Clark and Lana nodded in agreement.

"Maybe, I'm putting you in danger," suggested Lana in an off handed manner. "I have a tendency to get myself into these situations that I can't find a way out of. And you are right there always to save me. Even if there are sometimes…there's just sometimes where I get the sense I'm not worth the trouble."

Clark reached forward and grabbed her hand gently.

"You're always worth the trouble, Lana," said Clark. "Never sell yourself short. If it wasn't you, it'd be someone else that I would have to save."

Lana relaxed a little bit at this statement. Before their conversation could get much further, there was a knock on the door. Clark popped up to his feet, and hastened to answer the door.

It was the visitors that he feared. Several officers of the law stood on the front step and had an official warrant in their hands.

"May I help you?" asked Clark in a polite voice.

"Sorry for bothering you, Mr. Kent, but we understand Lana Lang is here," said the officer. "She's a suspect in the disappearance of Lex Luthor."

"Lana didn't kidnap him," argued Clark, but as he suspected his word fell on deaf ears.

"No one is accusing her, son," said an elderly officer in a gentle voice. "We just want to take her in, ask her a few questions about her whereabouts during the time of the disappearance. If she has nothing to hide, she'll be returned home safe and sound by dinner time tonight."

Lana got up, and remained silent as she peacefully went with the officers.

Clark was not about to let this one go without a fight. "She was with me during the time of the disappearance."

"That may be the case, but until we can get a neutral party to confirm that fact, she'll need to be taken in for questioning. The person who gave us Lana's name in this investigation was rather clear that you may try and defend her."

"Who gave you her name?" asked Clark.

The officers exchanged a nervous and awkward look.

"Sorry, but that's confidential," said the officer, and Lana was lead off in handcuffs.

She came to the realization that after all of the damage she caused, it was best to go quietly and sort this out.

'_If I was them, I'd suspect myself too,' _thought Lana. _'All things considered…but just walk calmly. They don't know anything yet about how I've been spying on Lex.'_

Clark watched Lana leave. Relief flooded him about the fact that she took this rather well, but he had a clear idea who might have turned the police onto Lana.

He needed a witness account, someone who could verify Lana was with him, and thankfully he had two people who could do that if he could get in touch with them. Clark began to dial the number for the Shining Light Foundation Headquarters.

"Please be in," said Clark in an undertone. A heavy amount of desperation was in his voice, but all he got was the front desk. "Hello, may I speak to Harry Potter? He's on his lunch break…yeah I understand, but this is an emergency. This is Clark Kent, and…yeah you'll see what you can do. I'll hold. Thanks."

Clark patiently waited for the call to be patched in. The situation was already delicate, so he took a moment to take a few calming breaths as he waited on the phone.

* * *

Kara and Harry sat across from each other, and ate their lunch in the privacy of a large office area. They shared what happened the morning with each other.

"So, Lionel Luthor was harassing you," concluded Kara.

"Harassment does seem like a strong term," said Harry, and Kara looked at him with a pointed stare and frown. "But I can't think of any term that's better so harassment it is."

"He does seem like the sort that would always like to be in control," said Kara thoughtfully. "Someone who always has his own agenda, even when he is helping someone, and it seems…maybe I'm just seeing something that's not really there with him."

Harry's curiosity was piqued.

"No theory, no matter outlandish should be discounted," said Harry, and Kara chewed on the breadstick she was eating for a moment, before she decided to offer her theory to Harry.

"Lionel seems to be answering to someone else, or maybe at least he did," said Kara. "He knows about Clark, and…I've looked up some things on him. He might have had a change of heart, but I don't know. I'm concerned about it. He's been shady enough in the past, but something changed him. Clark shouldn't trust him, yet he does."

"It's almost like Lionel's trying to get Clark to distance himself from me and you," said Harry.

Kara's mood darkened at those words.

"I'm trying to repair the bonds of family with Clark, and I'm not going to let anyone stand in my way," said Kara in a fierce and determined voice.

"No, and I admire you for that," said Harry with a fond smile. "Jor-El didn't seem to be too happy about you being here."

"Well, Jor-El is going to have to deal with me being here," said Kara, arms folded. "I see a bright future for Clark, and I'm going to be a part of it, and you are going to be too. He's capable of great things, but not because he's supposed to be…"

"Because, that's just the way he is," said Harry. "Sorry, a friend of mine told me that one time."

The words vividly echoed in his head. "Harry, the prophecy doesn't define you. Who you are defines you, and that's why you'll win."

"Well this friend, she was very wise," said Kara with a fond smile towards Harry.

"Who said it was a her?" asked Harry.

"Harry, I have an idea that it could have been only one person that said that do you, from your memories," said Kara. "She was the only true family you truly had, even if you weren't related by blood."

Harry just smiled. Hermione would not have wanted him to wallow in mourning for her death; she would have wanted him to use her words of wisdom to enlighten someone else. Life moved on, but friends always remained alive where it truly mattered.

He took a moment to check his cellphone to see if there were any incoming calls. Sure enough there were. Harry called back his front desk.

"Mr. Potter, sorry for disturbing you at lunch," said his receptionist in an apologetic voice. "But Clark Kent called. He seems rather upset, and would like to talk to you. He says it's an emergency."

Harry figured this call was coming. "I'll get him on the office phone in about a minute, tell him I'll be with him soon."

Kara gave Harry a questioning look.

"Clark's called, it's an emergency, I'll see what it is," said Harry, and immediately he grabbed the phone. Kara got to her feet immediately, but he put up a hand to stall her. "Hello, Clark, sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I didn't botch it, did I?"

"No, I feel fine, and so does Lana," said Clark, and Harry sighed in relief. "Well mostly, but Lana has just been arrested because they suspect she has something do with Lex being kidnapped."

Harry wasted no time in taking control of the situation.

"Don't go, Kara and I will be there in a minute," said Harry, and he hung up on the phone.

"Is Clark okay?" asked Kara without taking a breath.

"Physically yes, but Lana got taken away because they think she had something to with Lex's disappearance," said Harry. "Come on, we'll leave right now, and figure out what we need to do to sort this out."

Kara scrambled to grab Harry's hand, and the two popped away without another word towards their destination.

* * *

This time Clark was startled as Harry and Kara appeared in front of him out of thin air.

"Sorry, I think your poor door took enough abuse as it was last night," said Harry, and Clark relaxed slightly.

"When you said a minute, you weren't kidding," said Clark.

"What happened Clark?" asked Kara.

"They suspect her, I thought you said that she didn't have anything to do with what happened to Lex," said Clark.

"I did," said Harry, closing his eyes and trying to adopt a reassuring tone of voice. "But they don't know that. They'd only know that if they had my powers. Plus someone had to tell them that Lana could have had something to do with Lex's disappearance."

Clark, Kara, and Harry all exchanged a look with each other. All thought the same thing.

"Where's Lionel Luthor?" asked Harry. Clark gave a shrug. "He stopped by this morning, and seemed to be trying to worm information out of me about what my intentions are regarding you. Have you spoken to him recently?"

Clark was silent, and seemed to be mentally weighing his options.

"We're not going to get mad," said Kara. "But if Lionel's been talking to you, I feel…well I feel that it's important to know what he's been saying behind our backs."

There was a bit of silence. Clark contemplated the entire matter in his mind over and over again, before he decided to throw all caution to the wind and speak.

"Lionel…seems to think Harry's up to something, regarding who his mother's side of the family is. And he seems to think he's using you to get information on me and Krypton in general."

Kara's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, you'd think I'd be smart enough to figure out when someone was using me," said Kara, bracing herself for a fight.

"No one's saying you aren't," said Clark, and Kara relaxed. "Lionel's…well he just has his unique perspective on things. After what happened with the crystal, I'm just wondering if he's short sighted for some reason. Old habits might die hard, and Lionel's…"

"I'm well aware with what Lionel's done, I've researched him and Kara has too," said Harry. "You've got to believe me Clark. My family was interested…in matters beyond this planet. They were knee deep in theories that something was coming. But I had no interest in that."

"I questioned Harry at first when he found me," admitted Kara. "But he's been there for me, and helped me…to think he was taking advantage of me in any way….I would have known immediately. There are things you'll know eventually Clark. But now's not the time. We've got to figure out what to do about Lana."

"So you've heard about that."

Lionel returned to the Kent Farm. Kara grew rigid, tense, and Harry held her back.

"You were the one who got Lana arrested, weren't you?" asked Clark.

Lionel remained cool in the face of certain fire.

"No, not directly," said Lionel. "She wasn't at the top of the suspect list, believe it or not."

There was no need to ask the obvious question.

"The police had a nice chat with me for about four hours yesterday evening," continued Lionel. "They seemed to be very interested about certain matters. That is one of the cases where my past came back to haunt me, but I guess you reap what you sow."

"Lana didn't have anything to do with Lex's kidnapping," said Harry quietly.

"And how would you know?" asked Lionel.

"Sorry, my trust of you seems to be in rather limited supply," said Harry.

"If you must know, they were with us last night, around the time Lex would have been kidnapped," added Clark, ignoring the looks of protests Harry and Kara gave him.

"That doesn't absolve Lana," said Lionel. "Her record speaks for itself…much like mine does. And I don't have a clue who else could have been behind it. There are suspects, but would any of them be bold enough? Especially the part where Lana temporary received your powers."

"Please tell me you didn't tell the police anything about that," said Clark.

"Of course, I didn't," said Lionel as if he was offended at the mistrust from Clark. "Your secret is safe with me, but…who you trust with that secret might still undermine you. Lana's been watching what Lex has been doing, every single moment since she came back. Her obsession is alarming."

"If she has him under constant surveillance, then maybe she had a clue who did kidnap him," offered Kara.

Before Lionel could say anything further, his phone rang. He put up a hand, and answered it.

"I see…I see…the kidnapper left me a note," said Lionel. "Don't open it, it could be a trap. I'll take a look at it, and see what they want, what the motive is."

Lionel took a deep breath. He had no idea, and Harry and Kara moved towards Clark.

"We'll get Lana out of this mess, you go with Lionel, and see what you can find out," whispered Kara to Clark so only his hearing could pick it up.

Clark nodded, and moved off. Harry closed his eyes.

He would be able to do this by the book; it was simple enough matter to clear Lana's name and hopefully put this entire mess behind them all.

* * *

Lana sat in the holding cell, hands folded in her lap, and she sat back on the cot in the cell. The police asked basic questions. The only good thing was that no one had told them about her temporary bout with super powers. That would have sunk any chance she would have had of freedom and it would have been guilty until proven innocent.

She only half listened, but picked up two familiar voices.

"Ah, you're saying that she was with you two…and Mr. Kent…yes that does collaborate with both of their stories. There is no evidence that we can hold her on anyway, and Lionel Luthor received a note from the kidnapper just moments ago…no we're not doubting you at all."

The arresting officer walked over and put the lock in the key, to open the door.

"Ms. Lang, you're free to go, Harry Potter and Kara Kent have both vouched for your whereabouts during the time of Lex Luthor's disappearance," said the officer. "Do not leave town until the investigation is over, we'll be in touch."

"I understand," said Lana, and she saw Kara and Harry waiting there for her. It was hard to read the expressions on their faces.

An awkward moment passed between the three of them.

"Um, thanks," said Lana sheepishly. "After all that I've done, with the journal, I didn't think…"

"I know what it's like to be accused of a crime that I didn't commit," offered Harry. "It was a simple matter, you're free…well for the most part."

Lana walked out with them, but she paused when she was sure no one could overhear them.

"I've been…well I lied about the journal. I didn't pick it up. I stole it from Lex."

"I know," said Harry quietly.

"How do you know?" asked Lana.

"Harry has his ways," said Kara, but she could not bring herself to look at Lana right now. "You better get back, get some rest. Clark is trying to figure out who abducted Lex…"

"Do you have any ideas?" asked Lana desperately.

"Not one idea, but I'd like to take a look at the surveillance that you've been keeping on Lex," said Harry, and Lana stiffened. "And I'd highly recommend you cease it immediately. What Lex does from this point on…you should really move on with your life."

Lana remained silent. Her mind worked into overdrive. Every single detail flooded back to her, things she could have done differently, or rather wished she had.

"I've messed things up really bad," said Lana.

"You did," agreed Kara. "But, the question is are you willing to learn from your mistakes this time?"

There was no answer. Lana could not give an honest one to such a question either way.

"I guess it's best to take it one day at a time," said Lana.

"Smart answer," said Harry.

Silence occurred on the way home. Harry and Kara both sensed a great deal of turmoil coming off of Lana's thoughts at the moment. The events of the last few days may have given her the necessary shock to reassess her lot in life.

* * *

_Lionel,_

_I have your son. You know what I want. Twenty years have passed, you old bastard, but I'll finally get my revenge on you for shunning my brilliance. Time won't be on your side this time. You know who this is. You know I want the scrolls. You know why. And you know where you could find me. One police officer, and my trigger finger my slips, and puts a bullet inside your son's worthless skull._

_The kidnapper._

Lionel crumpled up the piece of paper in his hand, in disgust.

"Do you know who it is?" asked Clark.

"A crackpot, an utter lunatic, someone who I hoped long since fell into obscurity," said Lionel, and he took a deep breath. "Yes, I know who it is. His name is Winston Smith."

Clark never even heard the name before in his life. Lionel explained more.

"He was a pencil pusher at Luthorcorp for years and years. The type of employee that are a dime a dozen, that I would have barely exchanged a dozen words with had it not been for one simple insane proposal he gave me. He had a vision, a suit that would allow him to manipulate time at will."

"So you fired him over that?" asked Clark.

"No, that was just merely the final proof I needed to get him out the door," said Lionel. "The man had anger management issues, disciplinary issues; he did not seem to be worth the trouble. The only good quality he had was his efficiency. He was always on time, never late, got his reports done. He micro-managed everything with his job down to the nano-second."

Lionel surveyed the crumpled up piece of paper in his hand.

"And that's what drove him insane eventually," offered Clark.

"He was always a basket case, but…there's more about him than meets the eye," said Lionel. "Why would he wait for his revenge now, at this time? And how did he manage to circumvent Lex's security?"

Clark conceded those were both excellent questions, but he was damned if he had any answers to them. He stood, and a knock on the door signified an arrival. Lionel walked over and turned the door knob. Harry walked inside without any word to them.

"Got Lana off of the hook, although I'm guessing by now you know it's not her," said Harry, and Kara followed behind him a few seconds later. "We couldn't pick up anything on our end, except for a momentarily flash but that could mean anyone."

"We have an idea who could be behind this," said Clark.

"So, who is it?" asked Kara.

"Winston Smith," said Lionel in a calm and collected tone of voice.

Harry paused for a minute, and racked his brain.

"That name doesn't ring a bell," said Harry.

Lionel essentially told Harry precisely what he told Clark.

"He's a miserable little nobody, I didn't even think of him since the time I fired him until today," said Lionel.

"A nobody can be more dangerous than a somebody," said Harry in a warning voice. "You don't expect the unassuming face in the crowd."

Lionel nodded, the point was well stated.

Questions were on Harry's mind. He did not hesitate to ask them.

"The real question is what happened to him after you fired him? He just seems to have faded into obscurity. Twenty years, there has to be something about him, and what are these scrolls?"

"I don't know what he's babbling about," said Lionel in a swift voice. "I'm sure he's convinced himself that I have some ancient secret of the universe."

"Something had to give him the idea," said Clark, but Kara scanned the desk with her X-Ray vision. "Kara, I don't think…"

"It wouldn't have anything to do with the set of scrolls that are locked in a cabinet underneath your desk, would it?" asked Kara.

Harry turned towards Lionel, and gave him a searching look. The elder Luthor kept his cool and stood his ground.

"Those were scrolls I uncovered years ago, an artifact, a historical curiosity," said Lionel. "In a language that I could not even begin to decipher.

"Smith wanted to build a time machine, or whatever," said Harry. "And he knew you had the scrolls. So…"

"He got it into his mind that these scrolls held the secrets of time travel," concluded Kara.

"Time travel is something that…even if these scrolls had anything to do with time travel, it would increase their value," said Lionel, but he unlocked the cabinet and took out the scrolls.

He gently unrolled them onto the desk. Harry remained silent, as he got a good look at them.

He understood what they were really. Winston Smith may have come across as insane and delusion, but even crackpots had their one and a million shot of stumbling upon something.

On the scrolls, a step by step process was detailed on how to create a time travel device. The symbols were in a language that had been lost to time, but being the Herald of Death, that did not stop Harry. Kara understood them as well, but neither said a word about the validity of Smith's claims.

"The scrolls are useless," concluded Harry swiftly. "They contain a fable, a fairy tale, something you'd tell a five year old for their bedtime story."

"I figured as much," agreed Lionel, sensing no deception. "But if Smith finds out they're useless, he'll assume that I'm lying. "

"If we knew where Lex was, it'd be a lot easier to figure out a solution," said Harry.

"It's my responsibility, not yours," said Lionel, not wanting to be put in the debt of anyone in that particular bloodline. "I'll find Lex, the three of you should leave immediately. This is a personal matter."

"Are you sure?" asked Clark.

"Positive, Clark," said Lionel firmly. "I've been handling disgruntled ex-employees long before you even were put on that space ship."

Clark, Harry, and Kara all walked off.

"Was he telling the truth?" asked Clark.

"Yes, and no," said Harry.

That statement caught Clark unaware. His gaze focused on Harry.

"There's something blocking me from getting an exact fix of what Lionel's thinking," said Harry. "But he knows something more than what he's telling."

"Then I got to follow him," said Clark, but Kara shook her head.

"You don't even know who you're dealing with, and if he has any powers," said Kara and she looked at him seriously. "I admire that you want to do the right thing, but…perhaps we can find out more about Smith. Know your enemy, and you can defeat him easier."

Clark relaxed. In the stress of today, he nearly forgot that simple process. Smith popped up, and took Lex, took out his security, and scientists all without raising one alarm.

"He kidnapped Lex, all in a split second," said Harry thoughtfully. "I wonder if he partially achieved his mad dream."

* * *

Harry, Kara, and Clark waited a bit, to see what Chloe cold dig up on the mater.

"Winston Smith, or our mysterious kidnapper, well finding information for him was like finding a needle in a haystack," said Chloe after about an hour of searching. "But the one bit of information that I did find about him was…illuminating. He was in Smallville during the meteor shower."

"Aren't they always," concluded Clark with a sigh.

"Yeah, it's becoming a recurring pattern," agreed Chloe. "After he was terminated from Luthorcorp, he had a lot of time on his hands. He opened up a shop that repaired antique clocks. For a couple of years at least, he even delivered them to clients. No complaints, until a day where his truck run off of the road when the meteor shower hit."

"And this is where things get weird," said Harry.

"Three days before he was found, alive, but not exactly there if you catch my drift," said Chloe. "Three days in that truck, with nothing but ticking clocks to keep him company. And a few meteor rock fragments that blew through the window. He spent a good ten years in a catatonic state. His wife left him; he lost everything he ever owned. And he tried his hand at armed robbery. That was not his forte, he spent years in jail. He was a model prisoner it says here."

Harry gave a strained smile. Whenever he heard that someone was a model prisoner, he always assumed they would be far more dangerous.

"The rocks gave him powers," concluded Kara. "He manipulated time, slowed it down to a fraction of what it was."

"That would be a serious strain on the human body, wouldn't it?" asked Clark.

"Well let's defer to the expert," said Chloe, and she waved her hand to give Harry the chance to explain.

"Time travel and time manipulation are rather…difficult. You can freeze time, but it takes a charm that takes a while to master. And it's limited. Most couldn't pull it off. Time travel is limited to about twelve hours back. You can't go forward in time, because it technically hasn't happened yet. But, with the meteor rocks, the rules have changed. And Clark's right, constant time travel can put a huge strain on not only the body, but the mind. This guy likely had a few screws loose to begin with."

"You wouldn't happen to have address of Smith's shop, would you?" asked Clark.

"You'd think he would go back there after all of these years," said Chloe. "Place has been abandoned for many years."

"Which makes it perfect," said Kara.

Chloe showed Clark the address. Clark knew about where it was.

"Lionel's walking into a trap," said Harry. "Go get him, Kara and I will be right behind you."

Clark nodded in agreement, and sped off.

"I could have sworn you two weren't going to get involved with this," said Chloe.

Harry sighed. He did say that.

"These situations have a way of involving me whether I'd like it or not," said Harry, and Chloe nodded. "If I can figure out how he's manipulating time, I can stop him from doing it again."

"And we got to follow Clark," said Kara, and she grabbed Harry's hand, before the couple popped off to the antique clock shop.

* * *

Lionel walked calmly, but with a purpose. His face remained blank and expressionless. In the pocket of his suit jacket, he had the rolled up scrolls. Fairy tale delusion they might be, Smith believed them to be real and that could be used to his advantage.

He pushed open the door of the antique shop and stepped inside. Around him, he saw dusty shelves chalked full of time pieces of all flavors. There was no one here yet.

"Smith, I know you're in here!" yelled Lionel.

Lionel blinked and a split second later, he stood in the backroom. Before him stood a grey haired man with haunted and sunken in blue eyes, and he wore a trench coat with pocket watches hanging from it.

"I spent ten minutes just now visualizing the different ways I'd like to kill you," said Smith in a raspy voice. "Time has not been kind to me, but I can undo the wrongs that have been done. My life would have been perfect, had you not been in it."

"I don't know what happened to you Smith, you were a skilled worker," said Lionel in an even voice.

Smith's head snapped around and stared down Lionel, in pure rage.

"I was one of your nine to five minimum wage drones! You didn't want me to have ambition. You just wanted me to get the job done. For the best years of my life, I sure got the job done. You treated me worse than dirt, but I still said, 'yes sir, Mr. Luthor', and…the one moment I want my just do, you spurn me."

"You're selective memory is not helping you case," said Lionel. "I had a few reports about you, about how your anger scared people."

Smith chuckled.

"It was a cutthroat world in that department, never mind your company," said Smith. "Everyone wanted my job, but no one had my dedication. I'd say I was the most dedicated employee in that department, but you just threw me out like yesterday's garbage. I wasn't a person to you, Lionel, but a commodity."

"Do you hear me denying that?" asked Lionel. "I've changed, and you've changed. The dedicated man with big hopes and dreams would not have descended to kidnapping and assault."

Smith reached forward and grabbed Lionel by the throat. The older Luthor choked.

"Don't try and turn this back on me, Luthor," said Smith, grip tightened around the throat hard. "I'm not the villain in this situation. I'm doing the world a favor. Give me the scrolls, and all the lives you have ruined will be fixed. The damage will be undone. The world will be a better place without anyone with the last name of Luthor."

He pushed Lionel back.

"And then what," managed Lionel.

"The scrolls, or your son will get a bullet in his hand," said Smith, and he pulled out the beaten form of Lex from behind a curtain for emphasis.

Lex lost the ability to articulate even one word. He laid on the floor, absolutely in misery, and Lionel rushed over, but Smith held the gun at Lex's temple.

"Your next move better be handing me the scrolls, or my next move is finishing off your son." said Smith, gritting his teeth for emphasis. "And I can stop you before you fire any weapon, so there's no use in trying."

"Calm…calm down," said Lionel, taking a breath of his own. "I'm reaching into my pocket, and giving you want…do what you wish to me, Lex had nothing to do with what happened to you."

Smith's mouth contorted into a tooth rotting grin. He snatched the scrolls from Lionel. Smith seemed to be on the verge of happiness, and he shoved Lionel back.

"I've been waiting a long time for this," said Smith. "Rot in hell, you miserable bastard."

Smith pulled the trigger, but a blur shot into the room and yanked the gun out of his hand. It fired off to the side and impacted the wall.

Clark turned around, and grabbed Smith.

"Winston, whatever you're doing, it's over," said Clark, and he struggled.

"I seem to have taken my eye off of the ball," said Smith, grin twisted on his face. "Some mistake, but it's fortunate for you I have a built in reset button I can use."

Time rewound approximately a minute ago. Winston's finger was on the trigger and Clark sped in. Winston dodged his attack, and tripped him immediately. Clark remained on his feet, but the gun was in his face.

"One wrong move, and you'll be joining the Luthors in whatever hell I send them to!"

"So are you going to shoot me?" asked Clark.

Smith responded with one pull of the trigger. The bullet impacted Clark. The kidnapper looked surprised, and Clark remained on his feet without a scratch.

"Just what are you?" asked Smith.

He fired more bullets at Clark, with the words "die, die, die!" punctuating all of them, but Clark grabbed him by the arm and shoved him back into the wall. The gun dropped from his hand.

"The time trick, it's too soon to try it again, it will tear me apart," said Smith, breathing in and out.

"So there's a limit to your powers," said Clark.

Smith nodded, as he exhaled.

"Only once every ten minutes, but it's a hell of a trick," said Smith. Clark's grip suddenly relaxed, and he dropped to one knee, rather weak.

A perplexed look was on Smith's face, but he looked toward the grandfather clock. Stashed in the clock was a sample of the meteor rocks that gave him his powers, and it was busted open during his struggle.

Smith picked up his gun again, and saw Lionel move towards the clock. The disgruntled employee shot Lionel Luthor in the chest. The old man dropped to the ground.

"Bullets don't affect you, but a green rock does?" asked Smith, and he opened up the case, to removed the meteor rock. Clark tried to fight it, but he felt sick. "Yes, it does affect you."

Clark summoned his strength, to push Smith out of the way. The meteor rock dropped and slid underneath the desk.

Lex slumped over, but Smith's attention turned to Clark on the floor.

"It was you wasn't it?" breathed Smith. "That meteor shower…it was you."

Smith spun around and peered down at Clark.

"All of these clocks contain fragments of the meteors that turned me into this freak," said Smith. "You don't have to walk far to find them. They're a dime a dozen, and a rather cheap and efficient source of power."

"This isn't a road you have to go down," rasped Clark. "There are people who can…"

"Help me?" asked Smith. "What morality driven tripe are you going to shove down my throat, hero? You came here to a save a Luthor. If you're not part of the solution to exterminate them, then you're part of the problem."

Smith stood on the back of Clark's head. He pulled the first meteor rock he could find out, from the same container that held the mysterious liquid in place. Smith held up the chunk of Kryptonite. Clark could barely lift his arms.

Lionel crawled over, still bleeding but breathing. He held Smith's gun in his hand, and pulled the trigger.

Smith was shot in the back of the head and fell to the ground, dead. Blood splattered from the back of his head.

"Clark, don't worry about me…don't worry about Lex, save yourself," breathed Lionel, blood splattered from his mouth, and he clutched his chest. It hurt to breath.

Clark couldn't, he was going to die in this room surrounded by nothing but Kryptonite. Winston Smith bled on the floor.

Harry and Kara arrived immediately, and sprinted Clark away before he could succumb to the radiation.

He shook his head, and felt a little bit better, but still weakened.

"What took you so long?" asked Clark in a dazed voice.

"We had to make sure he didn't use his powers when the ten minutes were up," said Harry.

"You were there the entire time," rasped Clark, and Harry and Kara nodded.

"We were going to jump in if things got too rough for you," said Harry. "You handled yourself well."

Kara smiled. It was a good thing Lionel Luthor shot Smith in the back of the head, because she was seconds away from snapping the man's neck with her bare hands.

"Take it easy Clark, I'll get you back home," said Kara, draping her cousin's arm over her to support his weight.

"If you were there the entire time, how weren't you affected by the Kryptonite?" asked Clark.

Kara remained silent for a minute, and bit her lip intense concentration.

"I'm not sure," she admitted after thinking it over. While her cape did offer her protection against Kryptonite, she was not wearing the cape right now. "But, it's a good thing that I didn't drop dead, isn't it?"

"Yeah," agreed Clark with a strained smile.

Harry looked at both of them. He could hear sirens in the distance.

"Police are on their way, but the three of us being seen here might raise some questions that we don't want answered," said Harry. He turned to address Kara. "Get Clark back home, and I'll meet you there."

Kara supported Clark as she lifted off them both off into the air, and caused both of them to take flight.

"Do you think I'll ever be able to do this on my own, Kara?" asked Clark and she turned towards him, questioning him with a look. "You know, flying."

"You're doing it right now," said Kara with a frown.

"I mean on my own, without any help," said Clark.

"I'm merely guiding you," responded Kara. Clark gave his cousin a rather dubious expression. "If you'd like, I'd let you go, to prove to you that you can do it."

Clark looked like he had severe reservations about that scenario.

"Another time then," said Kara. "But I wouldn't let you fall. What kind of family would I be if I did?"

"I know, Kara," said Clark. "So…"

"Your inability to fly is some kind of mental limitation that you've imposed on yourself," explained Kara. "It's something you have to deal with, in your own time. To me, flight is the most natural thing in the world, the feeling of freedom and everything that goes along with you. Humans would never believe a man could fly, would they?"

"Well, no," offered Clark. "And I'm not the biggest fan of the world of…heights."

Clark looked away at this moment.

"There's no shame at of having a fear," said Kara in a gentle tone of voice. "The day that you master your fear and embrace all sides of who you are will be your greatest triumph. Flying is as easy and natural as breathing when you get the hang of it, and you will someday. And you're home now."

Kara touched down and made sure Clark could stand steady. Clark regained his bearings.

"This has been a trying week for many of us, but things will have to get better eventually," offered Kara, and Clark smiled. Kara opened the door for her cousin. "Lana's inside, likely wondering where you are about now. Go assure her that you're fine, and…"

The timely arrival of Harry caused Kara to lose her train of thought. Both Kryptonians waited for Harry to give them the news.

"Both Luthors are in critical condition, but they didn't know for sure if they will make it through the night," said Harry. "Lionel got shot point blank in the chest, and Lex suffered repeated blunt force trauma to the head."

"As for Smith?" asked Clark.

"Likely one for the afterlife," said Harry. "Just get some rest, and take care."

"Yeah, what Harry said," said Kara. "I'll see you around before too long."

Harry and Kara left and Clark walked back in. He felt rather well all things considered. The cold December weather blew a gust of wind through the air.

* * *

A long day passed for everyone, and night had fallen. Harry and Kara ate dinner and took a shower. Kara was on the phone with Clark. She felt she would be sleep a bit easier if she checked in with him and made sure he was safe and sound.

Harry allowed his girlfriend some privacy, as he put a rolled up set of scrolls away in the vault.

"Everyone is there, everyone is okay," said Kara.

"Yeah, Kara, everyone's okay," said Clark over the phone. "Well, we don't know about Lionel…or Lex, but Lana and I are both here."

"Good, take care of yourself, Clark," said Kara. "I hope the next time I stop by, it's not because I have to clear the air about some misunderstanding we had, or because of some horrific mess. Just visiting my cousin without any unpleasantness might be something that would be nice every once and a while."

Clark laughed at this over the phone.

"We can only hope," said Clark. "Sorry…"

"No, Clark, there's nothing to be sorry about," said Kara in a firm voice. "Tomorrow's another day; let's hope it's a peaceful day for a change. Please, do me one favor, and stay away from lightning or Kryptonite from now on."

"Okay, will do," said Clark.

"Okay, take care, I'll see you in before too long," said Kara.

"Talk to you later, Kara," replied Clark. "Bye."

"Bye, Clark," said Kara, and she turned around to face Harry. Harry sat on the couch already, with two mugs set out for both of them and a roaring fire. The weather was cold outside, so Kara appreciated this. "Clark's recovering from today's ordeal."

"That's good," said Harry, and Kara took one of the mugs.

She sat beside the love of her life, and took a drink. Kara smiled as she tasted it.

"I don't know what this drink is, but it's good," said Kara, and took a few more drinks of it.

"It's hot chocolate, it's supposed to warm you up," said Harry.

"Well, you might have to make it for me every day, because I can see myself getting addicted to it," said Kara.

"They didn't have that on Krypton?" asked Harry.

"No, chocolate is something that's new to me," said Kara with a sigh.

"Advanced civilization indeed," said Harry with a teasing smile, and Kara looked amused, as she drank her hot chocolate.

"But, we've…got something to talk about," said Kara. "What happened today? I should have been taken down by that Kryptonite. But, I wasn't, was I?"

Harry shook his head, and pondered.

"You didn't feel even a buzz from the Kryptonite?" asked Harry.

Kara shook her head.

"No, not even a twitch in my eye, and I didn't have the enchantment that you gave me with me," said Kara. "Do you think it might be my other gifts coming into play?"

"That's the most logical explanation," said Harry thoughtfully. "One of the perks of being a Herald of Death is immunity to any kind of radiation. It figures that you would get that from Kryptonite. I just didn't think to test it, because throwing my girlfriend into a room with Kryptonite just to see what happens isn't really the top of my list of things I feel comfortable with doing."

Kara broke out into laughter, and leaned against Harry.

"So what are these other gifts I have?" asked Kara, her eyes meeting his.

"Well you have many gifts, as you've demonstrated," said Harry, and Kara just smiled. She placed her head on Harry's shoulder, and wrapped her arms around his waist. He did likewise with his arms. "See, a lot of my gifts were unlocked when I united with the three keys. The cloak of invisibility, the wand of eternity, and the stone of resurrection, but it may vary from herald to herald, or it might not."

Kara closed her eyes and disappeared from Harry's sight.

"Harry, I'm still here, can you hear me?" asked Kara's voice.

"Yeah, and if I use the X-Ray vision I got from you, I can see you too," said Harry with a smile. "Now you turned on the invisibility, it should be a simple matter to turn it back…well you became visible already."

"I can't hold it for long," said Kara. "Maybe about thirty seconds, or less…I'm guessing it gets easier with time. The real question is, can I do magic?"

"Only one way to find out," said Harry, and he pulled out a feather. "Try and get it to levitate in the air."

The blonde Kryptonian girl released herself from him, and turned with a purpose. Kara screwed her eyes shut, and tried to get the feather to lift off of the table. She tried and struggled.

"Okay, that's a power I don't have," said Kara, after a few moments of intense effort that only succeeded in giving her a throbbing pain in her head.

"Not yet anyway," said Harry. He pulled her back into a tight embrace "I'm not sure if you have the power copying ability, but when you're training is done, you'll know. And if you have it, you can copy my powers, if you want to."

"It's only fair," said Kara, with a teasing smile. "I did let you copy my powers."

"And you were grateful for it," responded Harry, stroking his girlfriend's hair.

"Yeah, I know," said Kara. "The sooner we start our training, the sooner we figure this out, I guess."

"I'm ready when you are," said Harry. "And then we'll go from there."

Kara rested her head on Harry's chest, arms wrapped around him, and Harry steadied her on the couch.

"You look barely able to keep your eyes open," said Harry.

"I'm not tired," said Kara with a yawn. Harry looked at her, and Kara just gave a guilty little smile. "Okay, I am, but you're the one who wore me out just about an hour ago."

"Guilty is charged," said Harry. He cupped her face lovingly with his hands, and pulled her into a deep kiss. Kara wrapped her arms around him, and enjoyed it for several minutes. The kiss broke, and Harry looked at her in the eyes. "I love you, pleasant dreams."

"They're always pleasant, you're in them," said Kara with a sleepy smile. "Love you too.

Kara gave him one final kiss, before she crashed in Harry's arms. The chocolate on her lips made an interesting taste, but it suited her. Harry pulled a blanket onto the both of them, and smiled at her, before Harry drifted off to sleep himself.

* * *

"You're not going to believe this, doctor."

A nurse turned to the lead doctor, absolutely scared out of her mind.

"Winston Smith, he woke up," said the nurse, hands trembling. "He's been declared dead, there's were no vital signs, but…he's awake."

To call it a miracle would be pushing it, given the trouble Smith had caused. Smith sat up in bed, rigid, eyes glazed over and not blinking.

"Hello Doctor," said Smith in a low and crisp tone.

"Mr. Smith…I must say this recovery is remarkable," said the doctor in a shaky voice. "You took a bullet to the base of the brain, and…you should have died."

"Yes, perhaps I am a medical marvel," said Smith. "I understand protocol is to take me to Belle Reve, due to my condition."

"Yes, once you've been medically cleared, you will be sent to Belle Reve," said the doctor in a confused voice.

"Very well, proceed with your tests, you will find that I'm alive," said Smith, turning his face to hid the haunted and silvery glint in them.

**To Be Continued in Passage.**


	17. Chapter 17: Passage

_Another long one coming up, so enjoy. _

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: Passage.**

Sunlight flooded through the window with the curtains pulled slightly back. The alarm clock went off twice, before a blast of heat vision incinerated it.

Harry's eyes flickered open in his bedroom. The blonde woman draped over him looked at the alarm clock. A smile appeared on his face, as he turned to her. "Kara."

"That may be the most annoying inventions ever devised by humans," Kara remarked with a slight smile on her face. Harry tightened his arms around her waist. She lazily rested her head on his chest.

Harry opened his mouth, but shut it. He could not think of an argument against that assessment. Kara grinned, and she rested for a couple more minutes. Her ear was pressed to his chest and she listened to Harry's heartbeat. She pushed herself up on Harry, and grabbed the side of his face with her soft hands. Kara pressed her lips firmly on Harry's with a kiss. Harry returned the kiss eagerly, and his hands roamed over her body. Kara appreciated his actions, and she leaned into the kiss. Their mouths opened, and their tongues danced with each other in a fiery passion.

Every inch of her barely clothed body pressed against his. They continued to kiss for several minutes. The covers mysteriously found their way to the floor in the heat of passion. Kara was sprawled on top of Harry. The transparent fabric over her nightdress hung loosely off of her. Harry's hands traveled both on top of it, and underneath it, exploring her body.

They broke the efforts after a few minutes.

"Today's the day isn't it?" Kara managed after a moment's thought, and she kissed the side of Harry's face, down his neck, and shoulders. She paused. "The day we have to start out training."

Harry felt her mouth do wonderful things to him, but he was able to think and speak, if barely. "Yeah, it's today, I can't believe it. We might as well get this done and over with. Everything's in order, there is no reason why we should wait around."

Kara teased Harry's body. He could feel her hot mouth and moist lips working on him, and they went into their early morning activities.

"I had a dream last night with us," Harry said.

Kara opened her mouth, using her hand instead. She looked up at Harry with teasing eyes. "Yeah, given the state of you when we woke up, I'm sure you did. Maybe we can reenact it later."

Harry just smiled at that thought. "Don't make promises you can't keep. How do you know you're even up to it?"

Now Kara tingled with anticipation of what her mate had in mind.

"I love a challenge," Kara retorted and she looked Harry right in his eyes. "Especially when it's with you. I can't tell you how badly I want you right now."

Harry reached down and stroked the back of her hair.

"There is no need to tell me, when you can show me."

Kara obliged Harry's request. The activities went on for some time until both agreed that was enough for right now, and moved on for the rest of their day.

"Now, Kara, I'm giving you the morning off today, so you can make sure you tell your cousin that you'll be off the grid for the next week," Harry told her.

Kara got dressed. She wore a blue jacket, a red tank top underneath it, and tight blue jackets, with boots. She clipped her hair back, and put on a pair of glasses. Harry looked at her and appreciated how hot she looked.

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me, not that I would have forgot about it," Kara said, shaking her head. "I don't want Clark leading a search party. The real problem is trying to tell him what I'm doing, without telling him what I'm doing."

Harry placed his hands on her waist and peered into her eyes intently. "Kara, you're a resourceful girl, you can figure it out. I know you can. Don't forget, we're going into the journal after dinner. We're sacrificing a lot for this training."

Kara's expression darkened immediately. She knew what they could not do for a week. It would be kind of awkward after all to something like that with Harry's mother nearby. She was going to go nuts, but if this training paid off, a momentary discomfort.

"I'll meet you for lunch when we're done," Harry stated, and he leaned forward, to give Kara a kiss. "Good bye, good luck, love you."

"Love you too Harry," Kara replied to him, and she threw her arms around him, before she pushed him against the wall, and gave him another deep kiss. Harry allowed her to overpower him.

"You're making it very hard for me to get out the door," Harry said, after the kiss broke.

Kara backed off. She surveyed him, a slight grin appearing on her face. "Seems like that's not the only thing I'm making hard. After three hours, you'd think it would settle down."

"Well you have that kind of effect on me," retorted Harry.

"I think I can take care of this real quick," Kara said, and she got on her knees, before she began to work his pants open. "It is kind of my fault that you're in this state."

"Yeah, it is," Harry agreed, but he leaned back and allowed Kara to take care of his issue.

Once they were done about fifteen minutes later, and Kara swallowed, they made their way out the door, and flew off their separate ways.

* * *

A few days had passed since the ordeal. Lex tried to flicker his eyes open, but he still had a throbbing pain in the back of his head. He scarcely remembered the details of his entire kidnapping. Some nutcase who wanted revenge on his father had kidnapped the young man. This kidnapper believed he had the secret to time travel.

Lex slipped in and out of consciousness. He had not quite fallen into a coma, but one more good shot to the head and he would have. He feigned sleep. The doctors and nurses made their rounds, but they would not dare disturb him in his current state.

It was amazing how much a concussion put everything in perspective. The lumps on his head were a souvenir from his ordeal. They were further proof that he was a survivor. Lex's head rested back on the pillow, arms crossed over his chest. He had plenty of time to think about many things.

Lex placed a hand over his eyes, and took a deep breath. The doctor moved off, and he could think more freely without anyone interrupting him with their movements. The fact of the matter was that his memories were clearer than ever before. He could have been rendered permanently brain dead, but he had been spared once again.

Lex Luthor was a survivor. He would win, once he got a clean bill of health. He recalled splintered memories. Many things about his youth had been a bit of a blur. It was of a more innocent time before he grew up.

He remembered of a trip to the United Kingdom he made years ago. He saw it clearly in his mind. All of the houses looked the same. It was extremely creepy. His father visited a woman. She was a rather rude piece of work. She denied him information about something, some kind of traveler. Something her sister found out, and she claimed the information died with the freak and her husband.

The woman claimed no interest. Lex was only dragged along for the ride. He could have sworn that he saw a young boy in a cupboard underneath the stairs. He was shooed away before he could investigate. His father seemed to be satisfied with her answers, but disappointed at the same time.

What was the deal with the boy in that cupboard underneath the stairs? The bald young man wondered how much significance he held, but Lionel convinced Lex that he imagined him in the excitement of the day. And for years Lex bought it without any question.

'_I need to figure out about that trip, and why my father seemed so insistent on gathering that information,' _Lex thought. _'Almost twenty years ago it happened, but I need to find out the significance.'_

Lex allowed himself to be seen awake the next time the doctor made his rounds. "Mr. Luthor, you're awake."

"Yes, I just came to," Lex said in a weak voice. "May I ask about the status of my father."

"Your father will make a full recovery, but you could have suffered brain damage," the doctor said.

Lex took a deep breath.

"I feel fine," Lex argued, and the doctor performed some tests. "In fact, my head is much clearer than it ever has been. I saw my entire life flash before me, but I didn't blink."

"Your kidnapper has been hauled off to Belle Reve," the doctor informed him. "He did not put up much of a fight. The meteor infection caused him to develop insanity."

"A common symptom of those people," Lex commented idly. "So any clue of his motive?"

"No, but that's out of my area of expertise," the doctor said.

"Of course," Lex replied.

He relaxed a smile on his face. He cooperated with the doctor. The sooner he could get a clean bill of health, the better. That particular memory had brought up more memories that he suppressed. It was much like a jigsaw puzzle with a few pieces missing. Yet, the pieces formed together slowly.

* * *

Clark answered a knock on the door, and Kara stood on the doorstep.

"Are you busy, Clark?" Kara asked him.

"No, Kara, I was just hanging out here, waiting for Lana to come back," Clark said, and Kara nodded. "Why don't you come in, and make yourself at home?"

Clark immediately caught the worry on his cousin's face. Something must have been bothering her, but the question was what. Kara sighed, and she sank onto a chair.

"So, you're doing well after what happened a few days ago," Kara said, and Clark nodded. "Good, I'm glad. Any word on either of the Luthors?"

"I don't know, they're still in the hospital," Clark informed her. "Both of them could pull through, but they're not out of the woods yet. Why the interest in them?"

"I believe humans have a saving that fits this situation," Kara said, before she paused, "Keep your friends close, and keep your enemies closer."

Clark had heard that saying a few times, and saw where she was coming from.

"Lionel did save my life," Clark offered her. Kara just hummed and offered her cousin a courtesy nod.

"True, he did, but that does not cancel out what he's done in the past," Kara said warily. "And he has his own agenda."

"Don't we all," Clark offered weakly.

Kara tried to best think about how to best tell her cousin this, without trying to come across as too critical. "You have a noble heart. And it serves you well. However, it gives you a blind spot towards certain people. Some people can change, but not everyone can change. Lionel's keeping tabs on you for a reason, and he's making sure you don't get too close to anyone. Is that because he's protecting you, or is he serving his own agenda. Or perhaps he's serving someone else's agenda."

Clark's mouth remained shut. He had a good idea what she was implying.

"Lionel's a complicated case, he's hurt me in the past, but he's changed," Clark said. "Ever since. . ."

Clark stopped himself short.

"You don't need to say more, I understand," Kara said, closing her eyes and frowning at the thought. She switched tracks. "You're at a crossroads in your path right now. You can go many ways. And not all of them are good. The next step you take is pivotal."

"What if I do the wrong thing?" Clark asked.

"What if you do the right thing?" Kara countered his statement. "Or what if there is no right or wrong thing? You ask these questions Clark, and I wish I could answer them all for you. But, there is no clear answer. There's going to be tough decisions before you. The foundation you built here will serve you well as you grow into what you could be. And before you ask, that is in your hands. When you're ready, you'll know."

"What if I'm never ready?" Clark blurted out before he could help himself.

Kara gave him a light smile.

"To consider that possibility means that you're more ready than most in your place would be," Kara said to him. "When the time is right, you'll know, I stand by what I say."

The two exchanged a look, and Kara decided to drop the bombshell.

"Clark, I'll be leaving for a week, with Harry," she said. "There's something that we have to do, but it's only for a week, and we'll be back."

"Kara, it's really no big deal," Clark said, waving his hand for emphasis. "It's your life, and you have your things that you need to do. But do you mind me asking where you are going? In case there is an emergency."

She really wished she could tell him, but something stopped her.

"I can't tell you that, Clark," Kara said in an apologetic voice. "It's something that I have to do. You have things you need to do for the path you're going on. Well this is my path that I'm going on. It has to be done. I need to find out for sure what my role is here."

Clark looked at her, with a curious expression.

"I could have sworn you were the one who said she had a clear hold on her destiny," Clark retorted in a joking manner, but Kara folded her arms.

"We never do have a clear idea to our destiny," Kara stated. "There are always new things being thrown out. We think we have all of the answers, but there's always something unexpected. Adaptability is the strongest virtue you can possess. Take what life gives you, and turn a negative into a positive. I have a feeling that all of us will be a lot better off for all of us. I'll tell you when I can, if I can."

"Why can't you just tell me?" Clark asked her.

"We all have our secrets," Kara replied. "We should not be pressured into telling them before we are ready. I would think you would know the value of that better than anyone."

"Yes," Clark agreed. "But I also learned that secrets can hurt."

Kara nodded in agreement. That was why it hurt her not to be able to tell her. Once again, she considered telling Clark everything, but once again she was held back. The words were in her throat, but they would not reach her tongue. Plus, it was not completely her secrets that she was divulging.

"They can, but some people just can't handle the truth," Kara countered, when something failed her. "We can go around in circles all day about this. My purpose here is something far greater than I ever thought. But I won't let it get in my way of helping you."

The blonde Kryptonian looked at her cousin, deep in thought. There was times where she wished she could have been there for him much sooner. She missed a great deal of his life, and she wondered what he would have been like if she had been there for him since the beginning.

Despite that bittersweet thought, Kara was happy about who Clark grew into. Being brought up by a good family really did him well. It allowed him a strong foundation, he could build on, and that made her smile. Even if she wished she could have given him guidance much sooner. Especially before Jor-El got his hooks into him, and tried to use Clark as some kind of redo for his own inadequacies and failures.

"I do wonder if you're limiting yourself by sticking around Smallville," Kara said after a couple moments and Clark looked at her, questioning. "There is a larger world around there that needs someone like you to protect them."

"Smallville might not seem like much, but it's my home," Clark argued.

Kara looked at him, fondly. "And it will always have a special place in your heart. Much like Krypton does in mine, but it's a foundation for the future. A platform for something greater we can build off of. You're well on your way, but a foundation is just a foundation. It can't stand on its own. You can be great. Just think about it Clark. One day, the world will need someone to stand up for it. And that someone could be you. Take care of yourself until that point comes. I might not be always around, so just be careful."

"I would hate to think that I'm a burden on you," Clark said.

"No, I never will think of you as a burden," Kara said waving off his protests with a mere gesture. "Your journey has just begun, and it will be paved with great triumphs and even greater mistakes. If I have a little bit of influence on where you go, then I'll be happy. But I've got to get going. Just think about what I've said."

Kara pulled herself to her feet. There were times where she did wonder if she was doing a disservice to Clark by just popping into his life. He had his own life, and Kara felt that her presence turned that life upside down.

Yet, despite all of her thoughts, Kara knew that she could not leave him, not for any reason. Family was something that was important to her, and she hoped that she would not do anything to hurt Clark.

Kara turned the doorknob, but there was someone else on the other side of the door.

Lana and Kara stood face to face. Time seemed to stop, and they looked at each other.

"Oh, hi, Kara," Lana said in a shaky voice.

"Hi, Lana," Kara told her. Her voice was calm and collected. "I'm leaving right now, don't worry."

"I hope that's not on my account," Lana said.

"I didn't happen to see you through the door, believe it or not," Kara said with a sigh. She considered something, before taking the plunge. "I guess you and I both need to talk."

Dread filled Lana, and Kara lead Lana outside past the farm house. She looked around to make sure no one was watching.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Lana asked her.

"You and I didn't get off on the right foot," Kara said without preamble.

"Yeah, the entire, hurt my cousin and I'll beat you with a shovel speech kind of clued me in," Lana said. She gave Kara a weak smile.

"A shovel, didn't think about that, but that's very creative," Kara answered in a tone of voice where Lana did not know if the other girl was joking around or not. "But, that's beside the point. You've made some big mistakes. If you're willing to make things right, and get your head on straight, I guess I'm willing to give you a chance. What you did before, that's in the past. I'm sure Clark wasn't completely innocent, but. . . it does take two to tangle."

Lana nodded. If she could go back, there were a million things that she would do differently it seemed. Regrets filled her mind.

"The truth is, perhaps you and Clark might be together for a while or you may not be, I can't really predict the future," Kara continued. "And any female that would get with my cousin, I'll be watching them closely. No offense, but I don't want to see anything happen to him."

"None taken," Lana told her. "And I'm sorry about the crack I made about you wanting to control his life. And about what happened with the journal. And pretty much everything else I did that might have offended you."

"Your words a merely a foundation, Lana," Kara replied. "I'll accept them for now, but it's what your actions end up being that matter. There is a lot of turmoil in your mind that you are working through. But in the end, it will be worth your while. If you can reach that point, trust me on that."

Lana looked confused.

"Just one step at a time," Kara concluded after a moment of thought. "It can't be forced, but if something is meant to happen, it will happen."

"You really are wise beyond your years," Lana commented lightly.

Kara just gave a slight smile. "Adversity tends to breed maturity in us. Well in most of us. There are those who keep hiding from their turmoil, and retreat in their shells. They hide from a world that spurns them, and they never grow up."

Lana nodded, wondering if this was some kind of subtle shot at how she had been acting lately.

"I'll be going," said Kara. "I'll be back in a week. Make sure nothing happens to Clark. If something happens, I'll be upset. He can take care of himself, but it never hurts to have an extra set of eyes."

Lana took a deep breath, and looked at her seriously.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen to him," offered Lana.

"I hope not," said Kara, firmly, and she flew off without another word.

Lana turned around. There was a lot for her to think about. She entered the open door, and saw Clark waiting.

"The fact that you're both in one piece is something I'm happy about you know," said Clark, breaking the silence, and Lana looked at him. "You know, after the argument you two had the other day about me."

"I know, but there's a thawing between us," said Lana. "Hopefully we're all better off after that little mishap. I cut off the surveillance on Lex. Is he even out of the hospital yet?"

"Not that I know of," said Clark. "So where do we stand, the two of us?"

"We'll answer that one day at a time," said Lana after a long moment of thought. "We have a lot to get over, but I think in the end, we'll figure that out. I just wonder if it's too late for us."

"I don't believe in something being too late," said Clark. "Where there's life, there's hope, and there is a chance for us."

Lana sank onto the chair next to Clark. A lifetime full of regrets was hard to get over in a matter of days, and her past bad judgment calls. She resolved to be a much better person. If she hurt Clark again, she wasn't sure she could forgive herself.

And she knew Kara would never forgive her. She had a feeling Kara had swallowed a lot of her Kryptonian pride to give her the benefit of the doubt, for Clark's sake.

* * *

The sun shined brightly in the Shining Light Foundation headquarters. Harry worked busily at the computer. Before he took his week sabbatical, he needed ensure everything was in order before he headed out. He typed away on the keyboard, thinking about the journey ahead in the journal. He was almost absent minded in his actions, but everything was in order.

Harry worked for about an hour. That was before a knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts. Harry turned around. He was a bit agitated by the interruption, but answered the door regardless.

"Who is it?" Harry called.

"It's Claire, can I come in?" the knocker replied.

In spite his high stress levels, a smile appeared on his face.

"Oh, Claire, sure, you know my door's always open for you," Harry told her.

The doorknob turned, and pushed open. Claire walked inside Harry's office. She walked in, and Harry pushed out a chair for her, offering it to her to sit down. Claire did so. She looked at Harry for a moment. She appeared nervous. It was as if she was trying to figure out what to say.

"Was there anything in particular you wanted to ask me about?" Harry prompted her.

Claire closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"Someone said you're leaving for a week," Claire replied. "Is that true?"

Harry paused, and nodded.

"Yeah, Claire, it's something that I have to do."

Claire frowned. She tried to keep the bitterness off of her young face, but there was a bit of an undercurrent of it still present.

"You're coming back, aren't you?" Claire demanded. "I mean, I used to see you almost every day, but now you're only showing up a couple of times a week."

"Claire, I'm sorry, but I'm busy," Harry offered the girl.

Claire put her head in her hands for a second, and gave a distressed sigh.

"You and Kara are both hardly ever around anymore," Claire said in a sad voice. "Where is she now anyway?"

Harry wondered where this came from. He took a deep breath, and sighed.

"Kara's visiting her cousin, but she's leaving with me too," Harry told her.

This was the wrong thing to say to Claire, apparently. There was a bit of a scowl on her face.

"You mean you're both leaving for an entire week!" Claire exclaimed. "What if I . . . what if someone needs you guys!"

Harry caught the slip, but chose to ignore it. He put his hand on the young girl's shoulder gently.

"There are plenty of people here that can help if you need anything," Harry said to her. "I trust them, and so should you."

The girl bit down hard on her lip, but she managed to get ahold of herself. Extreme frustration appeared on her face, and she took a calming breath. The last thing she needed right now was to start a fire. It was hard for her to convey exactly what she was thinking to Harry. She had been abandoned her entire life by everyone, but she thought, she hoped Harry would be different.

Harry could sense the frustration coming off of his young charge.

"I'll be back, it's not like I'm leaving forever," Harry told Claire in a reassuring voice. "It's just a week. You do understand that nothing's going to happen to me."

Claire looked sullen, but she nodded."

"Yeah, I guess," she said in a small voice.

"What's bothering you, really?" Harry asked her. "You're not having any problems with anyone here, are you?"

Claire shook her head. Harry gave her a questioning look.

"Oh, nothing's wrong," Claire told him through gritted teeth.

"Are you sure?" Harry pressed her. He realized this is how everyone felt when they tried to get him to open up, but he was less than forthcoming with information. He looked at her. "You know you can tell me anything, Claire."

Claire opened her mouth, but she seemed to catch herself.

"Yes?" Harry prompted her.

"It's stupid alright!" Claire yelled hotly, and she managed to hold back the flames that would normally shoot out.

"What's stupid?" asked Harry. "You don't know how stupid something is until you share it with someone. I think I could offer a second opinion."

Claire just let her words flow, before she knew what she was really saying.

"Everyone else, they're talking about how they're going to spend Christmas with family and friends! And I'm going to have to stay here, at this place! I have no home to go to! And now you're leaving me right before Christmas!"

Harry looked at the girl, and she took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"I'll be back before then, Claire," Harry said lightly.

"What if something happens to you?" Claire demanded. "You can't make that promise! You and Kara, something bad could happen to either of you!"

Harry tried to think of the best way to deal with a hot tempered ten year old.

"Claire, it's going to be. . ." started Harry, but he cut himself off at the pass when he realized how stupid his own reassurance was.

"Alright?" Claire offered him. "No, Harry, it's not going to be alright! That's what my last foster parent told me! Before they took me to that doctor, who dropped me off with the government because no one can handle me! You want to know why no one could handle me! Because I'm a freak!"

Claire stopped her rant. Harry's chilling green eyes were on hers, and he made her calm down.

"Don't you ever call yourself that again, young lady," Harry reprimanded sternly.

"Why not, it's the truth?" argued Claire. "After all, I needed to be locked up in some kind of building for my own protection around the clock! Everyone else gets to go home to someone, but no one wants anything to do with me!"

Harry was about to protest, but the young girl got up from her chair. He could not even call after her, when his office door swung up. Claire stormed out of the office in a huff. Harry watched her leave, his mind going a million miles a minute.

'_I thought she got over what happened to her,' _Harry thought to himself. _'She's. . . I don't know. The holidays were always a rough time for me too. I had no one to go home to, not truthfully. The places I thought were home were all a lie. I can see where she's coming from. The problem is, I can't really explain to a ten year old what I'm doing. Even if she is smarter than most her age, it's not something that I want to pull her into."_

He sighed at these thoughts. Harry looked a file that contained Claire's adoption history and other records. He acquired it after painstaking effort. After her parents died, she bounced around from foster home to foster home. Then the government did God only knows what to her, before Sinclair found her.

Yet, it was her history before her supposed parents that fascinated Harry, even if he wondered if he was opening some kind of Pandora's Box just looking into it. There were a few clues that Claire was adopted by the Seltons at a very young age, perhaps at least a few days after she was born. Her birth mother either gave her up, or died, which one Harry had no idea.

Regardless of what he could find, Claire was a delicate situation. Her control of her powers was getting better, and her mindset had improved. Still, she had a lot of personal demons. No one deserved what she was put through.

The fact that Claire reminded Harry of a younger version of him scared him absolutely out of his mind.

It was not a situation his powers could solve, he knew that much. He would have to deal with this problem after hi straining. He tried to put out of his mind, but it was hard.

* * *

The journal sat out on the table. It was the plunge the two Heralds of Death had to take. Their hands were locked, and Harry and Kara both looked at the journal, tentative expressions on both of their faces.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Harry asked her.

"Even, if I wasn't a Herald like you, I wouldn't want you to handle this alone," Kara said in a soft voice. She grabbed Harry's hand and gave it a tight squeeze. "We might as well get it over. Take the plunge."

"I just hope we're the same people when we come out of the journal that we are when we go into it," Harry said in a worried tone of voice.

Kara gave him a reassuring smile. She brushed his hair away from his green eyes. She gazed into them. She could get lost in them easily, but she pulled herself out.

"No training can't change what's in our hearts," Kara replied, and she grabbed the journal. It was flipped open. "Okay, we'll do it on the count of three."

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat. He hoped that this would be the end of his involvement with the journal, and Lily would truthfully go away. This was information that he needed to know. Both Harry and Kara raised their hands.

"One, Two, Three."

They placed their hands on the journal. A swirling vortex of light engulfed them. They were sucked through a journal. They now both knew what an ice cube would feel like if it could feel itself be sucked through a straw.

Harry caught Kara before she hit the ground, but he tumbled in his own less than graceful way. The two of them crashed on the ground. Harry cushioned most of her blow, and the form of Lily Potter approached them.

"I'm glad you two have decided to take the plunge," Lily said. "Now, I must warn you, some of what I'm going to tell you isn't going to be pleasant."

"Can't be any less pleasant than some of the things you already told us," Harry replied darkly.

Lily just gave a slight, sad smile. She really wished things would be different. Harry's bitterness towards her was more of a consequence of his own harsh life than anything she did.

"I want both of you to open your minds, and focus. There is a slight awareness that you might have been aware of, where you might have been able to sense when someone's time is coming."

"Could we save anyone from their fate?" Kara asked her curiously.

"In theory, you could," Lily told them. "Saving someone from being shot today, they could be hit by a bus a few days later or contract a deadly virus. Of course, it is on a case by case basis whether or not you could really do anything. And the signs could be read wrong, with how much time they have left. Even Death has been known to be merciful on rare occasions."

Harry scoffed at this fact.

"Only if she wants something, maybe," Harry inputted.

"Perhaps, but there are times where Death is willing to spare those who's time is near, even if the higher ups would need some justification," Lily explained.

"Higher ups?" Kara asked her. "There's a force that is even beyond Death."

Lily paused. It was almost like she was trying to struggle how to explain this.

"In some ways, yes, but it's complicated," Lily replied. "Death really is the best person for the job, but they would replace her in a moment if they could. They all have their own agenda, but none of them have the ambition for the big job. The entire Herald of Death business was a sticking point, or at least so Death implied. But we're getting off the subject."

Lily drew breath, even if it was an unnecessary gesture.

"This is the biggest thing you need to do," Lily said and she waved her hand.

A web, for lack of the better term, appeared before Harry and Kara. There was a multitude of dots. Some of the dots were white, others were grey, others were black, and there were a few reds that Harry could spot as well.

"So, I'm guessing the colors have significance," Harry remarked.

Lily nodded, and proceeded to explain.

"The white dots are people who are not going to die any time soon. The grey dots are people who could be in danger of dying, but their path is still clear open. Their life is at least halfway over. A black dot is someone who will be dying in the next twenty four hours or less. The red dots are those who have obtained immortality. Tracking those down is one of your main goals as Heralds. Immortals upset the balance, and if they find a way to grand their immortality to other people. Even with your powers, it is easier said than done. And you have to find a way to reverse the immorality."

Kara and Harry nodded. They committed the meaning of these colors to their memories. It was through intent study of the web that Kara noticed something. She supposed she could lock onto the dots, and find specific people that she knew, but who wanted to know about something that?

She spotted a dot on the web. It shined a bright gold.

"What does gold mean?" Kara asked abruptly.

"Gold?" Harry inquired, but he noticed it when his girlfriend pointed it out.

"Lock onto the dot, and ask who it belongs to, then you might have your answer," Lily said.

Harry beat her to it, and he pressed his finger on the dot.

"Kal-El, born of Krypton, resides on Earth, lifespan variable," the web declared.

"Variable, there's nothing for sure then," Kara suggested.

Lily gave her the confirmation she needed with a nod.

"Your cousin's place on the tapestry of life always presented an interesting anomaly," Lily explained. "Kal-El is different. He represents a potential for a great shining hope. He would lead humanity to its salvation, or its utter demise. It's become clear to me that Kal-El, or Clark if you prefer, was the traveler. The traveler was believed to be the force to save humanity from itself, and its own darkest impulses."

"So, Clark needs to become a great hero, I take it," Harry concluded.

"Not necessarily," Lily retorted, and both Harry and Kara were confused. "Heroes are something that I never honestly believed in. An avenger swooping in to save the day is not something people respect. They respect power."

The couple took a few seconds to allow this to settle in, before Harry drew a breath.

"There is a fine line between respect and fear," Harry warned her.

"Kal-El being a hero might not save the human race," Lily offered in in a misty voice. "Salvation can only be obtained through conquest. The Evans family deciphered all of the clues over the generations. Humanity will end up killing itself within the next few generations. They have reached its peak point of evolution. Ideally, survival of the fittest should reign supreme, but those who are not fit to lead have been thrust into positions of power. The hopes and dreams of people have been crushed. We used to want to better ourselves. Now we wish to stick to the status quo."

Kara was compelled to stick up for humanity.

"You're wrong," Kara argued. "Things can get better. Humanity could be going through a rough patch, but if they have a symbol to aspire to, they can excel to the next level."

"Your idealism is inspiring, but you don't truly know humans," Lily said dismissively. "I could rattle off countless atrocities the human race has participated in, over the last century, never mind its history. You were lucky Clark was found by the right people. He could have been some government lab rat, or used as a glorified weapon by the government, only let out of his cage where there was a job to be done. Humanity will never willingly accept anyone different from them."

Kara and Harry seethed in their own fury.

"The destiny of the traveler is in your hands, that's why you were sent here, Harry," Lily said, addressing her son. "The sooner you accept that, the better the world will be. You don't want to cause another world to die because of your stubbornness!"

"That's not my fault and you know it!" Harry fired back, losing his head immediately. "You know something, the more I know you, the less I like about you. You're saying it; you want me to use Clark as a weapon, someone to do my dirty work. Someone to reshape the world in my image, or is it your image?"

"Humanity needs to be put in line for its own good," Lily said coldly. "There can be a utopia, and you two could lead it, with the traveler making sure all stay in line. Can't you see it? I only want what's best for you and Earth."

"No, you never wanted what's best for Harry," Kara replied. "You wanted him raised in isolation, surrounded by people who put you on a pedestal, and worshipped you. You wanted to make him into your personal puppet. You're really reminding me of my father right now, and that's not a compliment by any means."

"I can't speak for Kara, but I'm going to help Clark," Harry said. Kara gave a look that indicated she agreed and was pleased at this step. "I'll be damned if I control someone. I know what it's like to be molded into a weapon. Dumbledore did it for years, and fired me at Voldemort. You know what's funny. They could have really taken out Voldemort if they really wanted to, but they all let Dumbledore trick them into thinking that I was the only one who could."

Lily was about to speak, but Harry was not finished.

"My entire life, I dreamed of a family member coming from me, or a world where you never died! Now, I just wish you were a stranger, and I never met you. You could have been just like Voldemort in many ways."

That statement struck the wrong nerve.

"I never was going to be like that monster!" Lily yelled.

"Really, some of the things that are coming out of your mouth, sure sound like they might have come out of his, Lily!" Harry fired back at her. He took a calming breath, and continued in a cool voice. "Let's face it, this training; it could have been done without us being dragged into the journal, couldn't it? How do you expect me to trust you, when you lie to me?"

"No the training's necessary," said Lily, shaking her head. "Both for you and Kara. I'm just telling you that you need to control Kal-El. . . . "

"Here she goes again, Harry," Kara interrupted in a frustrated tone of voice. "I thought you were remarkable before I met her. Then I realized you had to overcome her blood, and grow into the person that you were."

"It was my blood that protected him for all of those years," Lily replied.

"Yeah, being in a cupboard underneath the stairs was the epitome of protection," Harry fired back sarcastically, but Kara sensed a fight coming on. She grabbed Harry, and held him back. He took a deep breath. "What's done is done, but don't expect us to fall in line and do your dirty work. It's over, you're dead, the Evans family lost out any rights to the traveler! Who I should point out is a person with his own thoughts and ambitions!"

"Don't worry, we'll help Clark, and make so no one else controls him," Kara said calmly. "Of course, they might find that hard, given that he is of strong will power. But we're not going to control him. I just rebuild my relationship with him, and I'd like to keep it that way."

Lily just shook her head, almost if she pitied Kara for her optimism.

"Family might not mean anything to you, but it means something to me," Kara added in a quiet voice.

The silence that followed was long and awkward.

"If, something happens to Clark, where he gets tainted in any way and goes rogue, do you two think you can take him down?" Lily asked them.

Kara and Harry exchanged a nervous look at that abrupt question.

"Do not let your heart defeat your head," Lily concluded with a sigh.

"It won't happen," Kara argued.

"You don't know that," Lily said curtly. "And I will say no more about this subject. I just advise you to think about what I said, and we'll continue your training."

The training continued.

* * *

Harry really had to admit that training was tough. To their credit, both he and Kara stuck with the training, and did not complain. There were a number of exercises. Lily told them all she could about their abilities.

"The Lifeline Reading, it can offer valuable information, but the information may be unhelpful and vague," Lily explained. "Plus, it sometimes interprets your words by how you perceive things. So use it wisely, but do not get hung up on what you may find out. Everything is subject to a great deal of interpretation. Plus there may be a time where the true answers have to come from within. Your own creativity and resourcefulness will shine through."

Harry and Kara nodded. Both had gone through much over the past number of days. They had a better handle of their powers. They both learned how to recall the dead, and speak to them. Lily offered them a stern warning about using that power, saying that the dead came in two categories. There were people who were at peace, and thus they would be very annoyed at being called back. Then there were people who would be desperate for another chance at life.

"If that happens, they could co-opt a living person, and send them to the afterlife," Lily told them. "Making such a mistake could cause you to be stripped of your powers. It's happened before."

Harry's attention was grabbed immediately by that statement.

"Wait a minute, it's happened before?" asked Harry.

"Death chose many Heralds throughout the years, in many worlds," Lily added. "Few of them could handle the power for too long. She only intervened and stripped them of their powers when they had upset the balance too greatly. So far, the balance remains fine. You can sense when the balance is going to be upset. Of course, your own desperate to correct the balance could lead to it deteriorating. "

"Death said that there were never any other Heralds on Earth," Harry said in an accusatory tone of voice.

"Prior to the creation of the keys, there were, after there weren't, " Lily told him. "There were eight other Heralds prior to you; the latest one was nine hundred years ago. All of them were corrupted within seven years of getting their powers. Many of them suffered the highest torment for allowing their powers to get the better of them. After the eighth failed Herald, the higher ups declared Earth to be a doomed world, but Death would not give up. She planted the keys in a hope that someday her chosen herald would find them."

"And that was me," Harry concluded.

Lily offered a strained smile.

"It could have been anyone, but when Death made the deal with me, it was the height of desperation of both sides."

"How did Death get you to make the deal?" Harry asked.

"Truthfully, I think we deserve to know," Kara added.

Silence was once again the order of the day. Lily looked thoughtful, but then she spoke.

"You've accomplished every task I've set out for you, so yes you've earned in," Lily agreed. "As you know, she made the deal with me when I was fourteen years old."

Nods clarified this statement. Lily had told them this much.

"The deal was made after I drowned on a camping trip," Lily continued. "I remember it, Petunia and I had an argument. We often had them, but this one was a bit more heated than normal. I slipped on some rocks, and drowned. Death visited me afterwards. She told me my time was up. I was in denial, but she offered me a deal. The deal was that I would get limited life if I would bring her herald into the world."

"So you jumped on it right away to save your own skin," Harry said. This was not an accusation, but merely a statement.

"Partly, but I was unsure about the deal at first," Lily admitted. "Death has her ways of convincing people to do what she wants them to do. And she doesn't pull any punches when she really wants something. The previous person she had groomed for the role turned out for the worse."

"So that's another lie she told me," Harry concluded.

Lily closed her eyes.

"Death would tell you she never lied, merely decided to ignore certain parts of the truth," Lily said, her voice dripping with hate. "This was a deal of desperation. Her previous chosen Herald fell through, when he decided to turn to a different, darker path in life. Had he not chose that path, you would never be meant to be."

"I'm not sure about that," Kara told her. "All of the legends about the chosen champion of Death, the picture. They all resemble a young man with dark hair and green eyes, just like Harry's"

"Death lied to someone," Harry concluded.

"That she may have, but she was adamant that her new chosen champion would defeat her former chosen champion," Lily told them grimly. "That was your first test. Death's original choice for her Herald was Tom Marvolo Riddle, or Lord Voldemort as he became."

Harry whistled, as he let that little revelation set in.

"I know I'm going to regret asking this, but what made Death change her mind?" Harry asked.

"Riddle tried to obtain immortality through methods that Death did not approve of," Lily replied.

Harry found dark amusement out of this. If Voldemort was not too hung up on the concept of running from his own death, and created the Horcruxes, he would have gotten the immortality that he desired. Instead, he was rotting in the afterlife.

"Were there other choices?" Kara asked.

"Yes, there were others I'm sure over the centuries, but Riddle could have had the potential to be a powerful force for good," Lily said, almost trying to reconcile it as much as both Harry and Kara did. "Death said that there was a darkness that he embraced that even she was beyond."

"Why did the Wizarding World have to die?" Harry asked her.

"You can't miss that world after all that it's done to you," Lily said.

"I don't, even if I do miss some of the people in it," Harry replied, and he closed his eyes. "I need to know the truth."

"The truth can be dangerous," Lily warned him.

Harry ignored this statement.

"I still want to know."

Lily obliged him with an explanation.

"A uninformed magical community would never have lasted too long anyway," Lily explained. "It was a miracle they kept a lid on it for as long as they did. Technology would continue to evolve, and a world that was stuck three hundred years out of date would not have any place in a world that was ruled by technology. Secrecy would become harder and harder, and the dam would have broken anyway. The moment you touched the Hallows, everything was to have disappeared. There are still magical users on Earth, but very few as you know them. The foolish wand waving and silly incantations, to borrow a phrase from Severus Snape, those type of magic users are gone."

"He said that one to you, as well," Harry said in a conversational tone.

"He did," Lily confirmed. "Death showed me something else, and it was what clinched the deal. I'm going to show you an image of what the world would look like if I had just gone on, and the Herald of Death was not born. Perhaps that will put both of your perspectives in place."

Images flashed of an Earth where there was no life. The grass was either completely brown, or burned off. The trees were either reduced to splinters, or gone completely. The sky was filled with visible and thick smog. The sun was not a bright yellow, but a crimson red. The ground was cracked, and every drop of water had been evaporated.

"My God," breathed Harry, and he saw more grim images.

"Great Rao, how could this happen?" Kara asked, eyes widened in the horror.

"The final result of a long and prolonged war between the magic users and regular people," Lily told them grimly. "Death informed me that nuclear weapons were used, and the Ministry got ahold of one in that world. They magically modified it, and amplified it. The end result was the utter decimation of all life on Earth. It could have happened fifty years from this present day, or a hundred years, but it did happen. And it was a world where the Herald of Death never united the keys, because he was never born."

Both Harry and Kara nodded, and felt a twinge of sympathy for Lily. The horrors that they saw in the images were enough to inflame their imaginations. They ran wild with scenarios at what might have happened.

"There were other causes that led to this particular decay, but the Wizarding World had to be sacrificed for the good of the world," Lily answered. "Of course, you've heard my opinion on what I think there, but that's beside the point."

Both nodded. Lily continued.

"And that concludes your training. Death did not want you to know about any others, but they existed. And many of them went mad from the power. I'd like to think you two are strong enough not to go down that road. Do be warned that there will be times where all of this great power will be useless. And that will be the truest test of how worthy you are."

"So, if you had to make the deal again, knowing what you know now, would you?" Harry asked her.

Lily looked at her son.

"Yes," Lily said without any hesitation. "I do regret how both you and Rose, and to a slight extent, Petunia, had to suffer from this deal. But despite it all, we reached the end point. We will be leaving each other soon."

"There was a third Herald, that prophecy mentioned," Kara prompted, and Harry was glad she brought this up.

"I wouldn't know," Lily answered in an even voice. "You'll have a sense when any other Heralds are near. Whoever it is, they might not even be on this planet or in this dimension yet. As far as I know, you're the only two active Heralds in this dimension. The other one, I don't know. When the time is right, you'll find out."

Harry and Kara stood to face Lily.

"So, thanks for the training," Harry said in a diplomatic voice.

"Thank you, it put things into perspective," Kara added. "I'll be able to help him. Explaining this to him is another matter entirely."

"Actually, you won't be able to tell Clark about your role," Lily told her, and Kara looked at her, startled.

"Why, is this some kind of rule?" Kara demanded.

Lily decided to break this gently to her.

"Did you ever want to tell him?" Lily asked the Kryptonian, and Kara nodded. "But something stopped you, didn't it?"

"Yes, it did," Kara said.

"The only way he can know, is if he figures it out on his own," Lily concluded.

"I really want to tell him though!" Kara exclaimed in a frustrated voice, and Harry put an arm around her. "I hate lying to him. It makes me feel like a bad person."

"You're not a bad person, this is out of your control, "Harry told her gently. "Is there any way we can imply to Clark what's going on?"

"Again, he'll have to figure it out on his own," Lily repeated. "I'm sorry, but that's just the way things work. And if someone finds out on their own, you're supposed to wipe their minds regardless."

Kara and Harry did not say a word after that. They did not do that to Chloe, and they would most certainly not be doing it to Clark when the day came when he found out.

"So, this is goodbye," Lily said.

"Yeah, goodbye," Harry told her. There was no hint to what he truly was feeling in his voice. "So you're leaving after this."

"Yes, I'm leaving," Lily informed him. "Unless something drastic happens, you won't see me again."

"And by something drastic, you mean something managing to kill me?" Harry asked her.

Lily just waved them off without another word, and Harry and Kara turned. They exited the journal. Harry felt like he understood a bit more about why his mother did what she did. He did not necessary like what she did, but he got a better understanding.

They exited the journal. The moment Harry and Kara were safely away, black fire engulfed the journal. They watched as the journal spontaneously combust, and the flames consumed it.

The two Heralds of Death had new clarity, and their guide had left them. There was nothing, but a few ashes left, that blew off the table, and vanished into thin air.

The journal's purpose was served. And Harry and Kara had a better idea of what their purpose was.

"So that's that," Harry concluded after a moment.

"I understand, but I just wish I could tell him," Kara said.

"I understand," Harry told her, and he wrapped his arms around her for a minute. Kara slipped out of his arms and got up to her feet. "Where are you going?"

Kara just looked at him, before she leaned over, and kissed him goodbye.

"Out, don't worry, I'll be back in a couple of hours," Kara said. "There's someone that I need to talk to, if I'm going to be able to help Clark."

Kara walked out, and Harry watched her fly out. He had a good idea where she was heading, and if she wasn't back in a couple hours, he would follow her.

* * *

With a heavy heart and fierce determination, Kara walked into the Fortress of Solitude. She looked around at the amazing architecture, but she was not here to admire the science. She was here for a purpose. This was not a conversation she was looking forward to in particular, but she knew to clear what happened, she had to speak to Jor-El.

Kara cleared her throat, but there was no answer. She tapped her foot impatiently. Patience did not suit her.

"I know you're here, and I know you can hear me!" Kara shouted loudly.

The Fortress rumbled to life, and the voice of Jor-El could be heard.

"Kara Zor-El, you are bold in your actions. To come to this place, and speak with me, when you intend to undermine my authority regarding Kal-El."

"I'm not undermining anything!" Kara argued. A frown appeared on her face. She took a few seconds to calm herself, before she continued. "You can't see it, in all of your logic and planning. You're using Clark as a tool, even if you're not aware of it. Do you want the best for him, or are you trying to correct your own past failures?"

Jor-El was silent for a moment, before he spoke.

"Once again, you speak of matters you do not understand," Jor-El warned her.

Kara snorted.

"I understand more than you think I do," Kara said. "Despite our differences, I don't deny your greatness. You were Krypton's greatest scientific mind. But, you should have realized that something doesn't add up."

She paused, and the elaborated.

"Clark should have been much further along his path. Yet, he's barely out the gate."

Jor-El remained silent and still.

"I do not deny what my father did, but you've made your share of mistakes," Kara continued. "If you had just listened to reason, and not let your arrogance get the better of you, my mother need not have died."

"It is regrettable what happened to your mother," Jor-El told her. "She was an innocent."

Kara found herself more annoyed. The apology rang hollow, and it was now where she realized how twisted this AI was.

"You had eight years to offer me these regrets, Jor-El, before Krypton's death" Kara said, her voice as cold as the Artic winds. "Yet, you decided to taint me by association. I know you did not improve the fact that I retained a civil relationship with Aunt Lara."

Jor-El answered her coldly.

"What Lara did was her choice, and in the past, but you present a great danger towards Kal-El's destiny, as does your companion."

Kara sighed, and placed her hands on her hips. She bit her lip.

"Still, the same Jor-El, obsessed with proving his theories correct beyond all reason," Kara said bitterly. "Here's a newsflash for you, Uncle, Clark isn't one of your science projects that you can redo over and over again if you mess up."

"I am taking every step that I can do to ensure Kal-El gets what he needs to achieve his destiny," Jor-El said darkly. "He has been unreceptive to me in many ways thus far, but one day he will understand the necessity of his role, and shall accept me."

"Maybe he will," Kara agreed. "But if that day comes, he'll become as cold as you have allowed yourself to become in this artificial intelligence form, and he will not be what Earth needs."

"Do you t believe you can do a better job of preparing Kal-El for his destiny?" Jor-El asked abruptly.

Kara did not even pause when she was asked. "Yes."

"I see your relationship with Death's messenger has given you an inflated sense of what is within your capabilities," Jor-El told her. "I will give you a warning. You are not to impede Kal-El's journey, or there will be consequences!"

The Fortress rumbled, but Kara stood. Her hands were on her hips, and a look of disinterest appeared on her face.

"Are you done yet?" Kara asked him. "I won't be intimidated by you, Jor-El!"

Jor-El did not speak, not that Kara would have allowed him to do because she was building up a nice head of steam.

"I know that I can help Clark!" Kara continued. "You're a ghost, and you don't have the control over me you might think you do!"

Once again there was silence.

"Don't worry, I'll help my cousin," she concluded quietly. "I'm here for him. We're family. Nothing can change that, especially you! I'll never abandon him."

Kara exited the Fortress, and flew back home. It might be frustrating, but that was something she felt she needed to do.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 18 "Calm."**


	18. Chapter 18: Calm

_Another long chapter, featuring important things being set up for the next several chapters. _

**Chapter 18: Calm.**

Harry and Kara turned up at the Shining Light Foundation after breakfast. It was the day after their training had concluded. They had made up for some lost time in the evening and early morning before they had arrived. The couple stood hand in hand. Harry appeared distracted, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Kara. She looked at him, with a frown on her face.

"There's something bothering you, isn't there?" Kara asked him gently.

Harry gave a long sigh, and looked into her beautiful eyes. He felt he could tell her what was on his mind, no matter what.

"Yeah, how can you tell?" Harry retorted.

Kara gave him a smile, and threw her arms around him. She softly whispered into his ear.

"The look on your face. Usually, you don't look like that. Unless, there's something bothering you."

Harry gave a smile. She knew him all too well, even after only knowing him for a few short months.

"You're right," Harry admitted to her. He placed his arms around her. "I was just thinking about what happened. Before I went into the journal."

Kara leaned forward to close the gap. She gave him a tender kiss on the lips. Harry returned the kiss, with equal love and passion. He felt his confident mount. Her arms tightened around him, and he responded in kind. The kiss lasted for a couple of minutes, before the two broke it. She pulled back. Kara's hand held Harry's, and the two drew strength on each other. Harry took a deep calming breath, before he spoke again.

"Claire wasn't too happy about the fact I was leaving, actually the fact that both of us were not around," Harry told her. A sad smile appeared on Kara's face. "It bothered her that neither of us are around as much as we used to be. With everything that's happened, she kind of got swept to the side."

Kara tightened her grip on his hand. She sensed Harry's guilt, and looked him in the eyes, to try and reassure him this was out of his hands.

"Yeah, I figured she might not be happy about something like that," Kara sighed. "How do you explain something like what we're doing to a ten year old girl?"

Harry gave her a smile, and they continued to stand in the hallway.

"You can't really do that, that's the thing," Harry said. He closed his eyes, and put his arms around Kara's waist. Kara leaned onto his shoulder, resting it on his shoulder, with Harry resting against the wall. Harry spoke again after several moments. "She doesn't deserve to be burdened by something like that. She deserves a childhood, without being dragged into life threatening situations every other week."

Kara looked up at Harry with a knowing glance at that moment. She smiled at him.

"So, the childhood you wished you had in many ways," Kara offered him.

Harry just barely smiled. He shrugged his shoulders. "If the shoe fits."

Kara relaxed against him, but turned her head. She brushed her blonde hair out of her face so she could properly look into his eyes.

"You see a lot of yourself in her," Kara stated softly. "She's done well here, and she's…well she's really come a long way since she came here. But, you know, I think we both know that there are certain things that Claire needs. Things that are beyond training to control her powers."

Harry nodded. He understood her implied meaning.

'_She has shelter,' _Harry thought to himself. _'But she doesn't have a home and not a family. And she's starting to resent it a little bit. Boy, have I ever been there.'_

Kara cleared her throat, and brought Harry out of his thoughts.

"Harry, you can make up for lost time with her, both of us can," Kara suggested to him.

Harry gave her a smile. "You read my mind."

Kara returned the smile, and giggled. "And I thought that wasn't one of your powers."

"Well you never know," Harry said. He grabbed her hands, and stared into her eyes. "Great minds do think alike. And ours do too apparently."

Kara laughed at this statement. She gave Harry a beautiful smile and leaned over towards him .Her arms wrapped around his neck. Harry repeated the action. The two continued to move forward, and their lips met into a deep kiss. They kissed, feeling the love and the connection that they had with each other in the Shining Light Foundation Headquarters hallway. The action got rather heated, and Harry roamed his hands over her body. They moved into a private office, so no guests or staff would catch them in their activities.

After they had their fun, Kara and Harry exited the office, a determined expression on both of their faces. They had their fun, now they had something to do.

"Let's go visit Claire," Kara said to Harry. "I'm sure she'll forgive the fact we left her when she sees us."

Harry smiled at her, but he had a bit of uncertainty on his face. "I hope you're right."

Kara grabbed Harry's hand. The couple led each other towards Claire's room. Harry took all caution to the wind, and raised a hand. He knocked three times on Claire's door. He wondered if she was out, as there was a long pause.

Claire did answer after about a minute. "Who's there?"

"Claire, it's me, Harry, and Kara, both of us are here," Harry said, but he got no response from the girl. He felt he should have expected that "We're back, just like I promised."

Claire remained quiet for another moment. "Oh, that's nice. You're going to be here for a little bit to visit, and then you're leaving me again. It's just a check on the guests, make sure everything is alright. Well, I'm fine, so you can just move on to more important things. I really don't mind."

Kara and Harry both got a sense she did mind from the bitterness in her voice. Kara closed her eyes.

"Claire, it's nothing like that," Kara said in a gentle voice. "We really wanted to see you. I was hoping that the three of us can spend the day together. Just the three of us, no distractions or anything."

"I get to spend the entire day with just you two?" Claire asked. Harry and Kara exchanged a fond smile. The girl was trying to keep the excitement out of her voice, but she failed big time.

"If you want us too," Harry told her.

Claire remained quiet for a minute. It was almost like she was weighing over the options of this in that head.

"What about your work?" Claire asked them. "Don't you have other things to do?"

Kara and Harry looked rather amused with this statement.

"I own the place, remember?" Harry said. "What am I going to do, Claire? Fire myself."

Claire laughed at this statement, and Harry found his own spirits lifted. This was a welcome change from the sullen brooding the young girl was undergoing the last time he saw her. Claire opened up the door, and walked out to face Harry and Kara. She looked at them, almost to verify the two of them were there. She leaned on the wall, a smile on her face.

"Make sure you get your coat," Kara told her. "It's cold outside."

Claire looked at her incredulously. "But, I can just use my powers to warm myself up!"

Kara placed her hands on her hips. She gave Claire a very prominent "just do it or else" look, and Claire knew better than to argue with her. Claire gave Kara and Harry both a shifty little smirk, before she returned to her room. She returned, with a hat, a scarf, mittens, and a jacket on.

"Okay, I'm ready to go now," Claire said, and Kara made sure her coat was zipped up, before the three of them left the Shining Light Foundation Building.

The three of them walked out for a day together. Harry took the step to turn his cell phone off. He did not want their day out to be disturbed, and he figured that the world could wait for the day. Plus, he felt that he owed Claire a day out with his full attention, and he had a feeling Kara agreed.

The smile on Claire's face made Harry a bit hopeful that her life could end up better than his.

* * *

With determination, and precision, Lex rummaged through a cabinet underneath his father's desk. It was his hope that he would find something, anything that would stir up the patchwork of memories that were slowly coming back to him. There was something missing in these memories. Something he felt he should remember. He tapped on the side of the desk, and barely kept his focus at anything, but the task at hand.

If he was paying closer attention, Lex would have noticed the door knob twist to signify someone was opening the door. With a swift movement, the door pushed open. The figure of Lionel Luthor walked into his office. He seemed to be unsurprised to see Lex standing there.

Lionel cleared his throat, and Lex spun around to face him. "So, are you just sightseeing, or hoping that I've kept a copy of my last will and testament in here?"

Lex straightened up. A smile was on the face of Lionel, but Lex remained stoic. He stared down his father. Lex Luthor was calm, cool, and collected. He tapped his foot.

"So, they let you out of the hospital with a clean bill of health, I take it," Lex remarked coolly.

"Yes, although I'm not without my suffering and agony," Lionel fired back. He took a deep breath, and it was easy to tell that the gunshot wound took its tool. "Smith was a dangerous adversary, with his ability to turn back the hands of time. And he convinced himself that I was hoarding some secret that prevented him from achieving his full potential."

"Amazing people would think that of you," Lex stated in a slightly sarcastic tone of voice.

"Yes, quite," Lionel replied evenly.

Lex and Lionel stood in the office. The silence was long, and awkward.

"You'll be happy to learn that Smith has been transferred to Belle Reve," Lex said without any emotion in his voice. "He is under the tightest security. It seems unlikely he will be bothering either of us again."

Lionel let out a low whistle. He looked Lex directly in the eye.

"Well, that's fascinating," the elder Luthor said. "Given the fact that he was shot point blank in the back of the head."

"By you?" Lex inquired.

Lionel had no guilt on his face.

"It was self-defense," Lionel informed Lex. "Any court of the world would not have convicted me for my reasons."

"The hardly ever do," Lex replied dryly.

Lionel chuckled at his son's cynical words. He grew suddenly serious.

"As I was saying, he was shot point blank in the back of the head," Lionel said firmly. "And what's more, in a spot that should have killed him."

Father and son both remained quiet.

"He should have died, but I can tell you he's alive, perhaps not well, but alive," Lex remarked. "As I said, he lives in Belle Reve. He won't be getting out any time soon. I've suggested for the administration to keep a close eye on him. Keep him sedated, for his own good naturally."

"Naturally," Lionel agreed. "An intelligent suggestion, given the nature of his powers. I'm impressed, Lex, you engaged your brain."

Lex ignored the slight against him.

"Well, I doubt next time I would be so lucky to be narrowly have escaped should I be kidnapped," Lex said. He chose his next words carefully, and looked at his father. "As for why he didn't die, perhaps your aim is off. You're not as young as you used to be. Or perhaps Smith couldn't afford proper bullets."

Lionel gave Lex a respectful nod.

"The strangest thing is that I could have sworn in my concussed state that Clark was there," Lex added, almost casually.

Lionel stood up straight. His face remained blank and without any sort of expression. He responded to Lex's accusation.

"I can assure you this Lex, since I was in sound mind, and that was Clark was nowhere near the scene of the crime."

Lex surveyed his father. He sensed no deception, but that just meant there was a stronger chance for deception.

"So, a hallucination, then," Lex remarked lightly.

Lionel offered him a nod. Time stood almost still, and Lex had more to say.

"The strangest part was these weird images that have popped in my head since then. Things that I now remember, but I didn't remember them until now. It's almost as if my mind has come back together."

"I would not put any stock in these memories," Lionel warned him. "They could be a product of your imagination."

"Maybe," Lex agreed grudgingly. "But there's one interesting memory that stands out. We went to this house, when I was young. Real conformist neighborhood and every single house looked the same. Every lawn was mowed perfectly. It was rather eerie."

Lionel waved his hand, and offered his son the chance to continue.

"You went to see this woman, and she was rather rude. Yet her rudeness was not the most disturbing part of our visit. I could have sworn that I've seen this young boy underneath the stairs. It was for a second, but I know what I saw."

Lionel's mouth contorted into a slight grimace, although he hid it well from Lex. He spoke in an even tone of voice.

"I stand by what I said all those years ago," Lionel stated. "It was a hallucination. You imagined something that was not there."

"The woman shooed me away before I reached the cupboard," Lex offered Lionel. "If I didn't know better, she was trying to hide some misdeed."

"Well, she kept a tight house, and would not want your finger prints to mark up the cupboard," Lionel explained. "She was an obsessive compulsive neat freak, for lack of a better term."

Lex got the confirmation that he need.

"So, you knew her?" Lex asked Lionel.

"We've met a few times prior to that, yes," Lionel said in a dismissive tone of voice. "It was a matter of business, and nothing personal."

Lex scoffed at this.

"For you, business can get very personal."

Lionel gave him a smile. His son was tripping down a dangerous path. If he connected certain dots together, it would jeopardize a lot.

"Do not go indulging this curiosity any further," Lionel warned Lex. "This is one instance where you will get burned if you press this issue too hard. Your curiosity and your obsession might be amusing in certain instances. This individual will not hesitate to make you disappear forever if you go too far down that road. Do not go down it. It's a dead end."

Lex was not intimidated.

"I think I'll be the judge of that," Lex said. "I'm gathering a theory already about who that family might have been."

Lionel stepped forward. He stared right into his son's eyes, unblinking. He was more serious than ever before.

"Let it die Lex. I'll have to kindly ask you to leave. You'll find nothing here you're entitled to."

Lex shook his head and drew a deep breath. He stepped towards the opened door, and Lionel cleared a path. Yet the elder Luthor did not turn his back on the younger one.

"Once again, I think I should be the judge of that fact," Lex replied crisply. "I'm intrigued in what you were after on that day. And I do wonder if has anything to do with a journal we're both all too familiar with."

Lionel took a step forward, and once again he gave Lex a warning look.

"Your obsession over the journal has blinded you, worse than ever before," Lionel said. "You've poured countless hours into tapping into the secrets that journal may have to offer. Yet, you've found nothing. What if it's nothing, but a blank book?"

Lex kept his mouth shut. He remembered his meeting with the envoy of Death months ago. The envoy hinted that the journal was powerful. He had to know exactly how.

"I'm certain there's something to it," Lex said firmly.

Lionel chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Lex demanded.

"Did you ever consider the possibility Harry Potter has deceived you?" Lionel asked.

Lex looked at his father, almost wondering if the beginnings of senility had begun to set in.

"Deceive me?" Lex asked slowly. "I'm afraid I don't follow your train of thought."

"He just left the journal where you could grab it, when he could have taken it himself at any time," Lionel explained. Lex's look of pure disbelief continued to be prominent. "He allowed you to have the journal."

It was now Lex's turn to laugh.

"Harry Potter is a flake," Lex stated, dismissing the possibility with a wave of his hand. "He doesn't have a devious bone in his body, and he's naïve beyond all believe. Given the fact, he's helping those who are beyond help. Those children who are under his care, and do not forget that recently he bailed Lana out of trouble."

Lex felt he had Harry Potter in the palm of his hand, and it would be easy to use him should it be necessary.

"Well, I can see you've made your own mind up on the situation," Lionel concluded. "And I must ask you to leave this building once more."

"If you insist," Lex stated. He gave Lionel a warning glance. "Watch your back."

"Is that a threat, I'm detecting?" Lionel responded in mock fear.

Lex gave him a knowing smile. "No, merely a warning from son to father. Smith came out of the woodwork rather easily, and no security is foolproof. Who knows how many more enemies you have lurking underneath a rock. Well, this is goodbye for them."

Lex exited without another word whatsoever. Lionel walked around the office and did an inventory of all of the itmes he knew to be there. Nothing was disturbed. He kept nothing of value in this particular room, but he liked to make sure all of his belongings remained in place.

* * *

Wind blew outside of the Kent Farm House. An imposing figure walked down the drive. He was dressed in black and had a receding hairline. This individual was dressed in a suit, with thick bifocal glasses over his eyes. His name was Hugo Strange, and he was the new administrator at Belle Reve. Strange leaned on a walking stick, and raised a hand. He knocked three times loudly and firmly on the door.

Strange waited for someone to answer the door. He got his wish a couple of moments later. A young man with dark hair answered the door. Strange found himself face to face with this impressive looking figure. He looked larger than life.

"Mr. Kent, I presume," Strange said in a thick German accent.

"Yes, I'm Clark Kent," Clark said in a cautious voice. "And your name is?"

Strange offered him a smile. There was something about his expression young Clark Kent found unsettling.

"Hugo Strange, I just arrived in Smallville a few weeks back. I'm the new administrator of Belle Reve," Strange told Clark. "Quite the number of troubled cases have been committed to that particular institute. And I've looked over their files. And you know what I've found, one common denominator for many of the patients."

Clark tried to play ignorant, even if he had a clear idea what dots Strange connected. Chloe had told him enough about Strange to cause him to err on the side of caution. "And what would that be, doctor?"

"They cite past encounters with you, my friend," Strange said and he invited himself inside. "Now once, I might be able to overlook it as just a bystander who got involved when a friend was endangered. Twice, and perhaps we are talking about coincidences, but when we are getting into dozens and dozens of cases, where you keep showing up. And you seem to be responsible for many of them being placed inside of Belle Reve."

"Well, I do try and help out when I can, and they have a habit of going after friends of mine," Clark responded casually.

Strange chuckled, and he appeared to give Clark a standing look.

"A heroism complex I take it," Strange said. Clark opened his mouth, but Strange was far from done talking to him. "I'm not accusing you of anything, Mr. Kent. Far from it, I'm intrigued by you. As a psychiatrist, I want to see what makes you tick. There must be something in your brain chemistry that would lead to these acts of heroism, or perhaps a genetic trait."

Strange surveyed Clark with a calm expression on his face. There was something about the doctor's look that made Clark feel uncomfortable.

"I find the cases of the meteor infected to be a fascinating area of study," Strange continued. "Just to think, one astrological event could have changed the lives of these many people. It does prove the old adage that absolute power may corrupt absolutely. And having studied the research done on the meteor rocks, they have offered unique effects."

"Not everyone has been drastically affected to the point where their lives are destroyed," Clark interjected.

Strange chuckled. "Perhaps Mr. Kent, but enough have to merit a cause for my concern. I do say that those who are different, are often twisted even if they do not start that way. The best of us can fall under the pressure without powers Adding powers, and the descent can be quite ugly."

Clark felt compelled to argue against this point, but Strange continued to lecture him on his theories.

"And society tends to judge those who are different quite harshly. There is an inherit prejudice encoded in humanity, whether it be coconscious or subconscious, to look twice at those who are different. And lash out, perhaps out of jealously or maybe fear, or to assure their own normality."

Clark opened his mouth to protest, but Strange was not done. He leaned on his cane, and peered at Clark over his glasses.

"I often have suggested that the super powered should all be locked up, for their own protection of course," Strange continued. He seemed to be gauging the reaction Clark's reaction, but the young man tried to keep any emotion off of his face. "The world will be a lot nicer on them if they were not put out, and had a chance to make a spectacle out of themselves. They might try and help with their powers, but they will hurt many. Perhaps you will agree, given the number of times you have encountered the meteor infected, Mr. Kent?"

"It's an intriguing theory, but I would have to disagree," Clark replied, and Strange took another step inside. Strange was almost up into his face, invading his personal space.

"Oh, and do you want to elaborate on that?" Strange asked him.

Clark chose his next words carefully.

"Until they do anything wrong, we should give them the benefit of the doubt. This hysteria could only lead to them lashing out and becoming dangerous. It's one of those self-fulfilling prophecy things."

Strange looked neither angered nor upset, but rather amused by Clark's answer.

"Funnily enough, you are merely the second person to give that answer," Strange said. "A similar answer was given to me by a Mr. Harry Potter during a brief meeting we had some time ago. He seems to feel that he can help the meteor infected live normal lives, but there are many hopeless cases. Those who are different are only fit to be put on display with some kind of freak show or to be studied. That is how the human race works."

Strange's smile twisted at that point, and he once again looked Clark in the eye.

"But then you would have no idea, Mr. Kent due to being a perfectly normal human being."

Clark disagreed with that comment one hundred percent of the way. Strange responded with a hearty chuckle, and continued to survey Clark, as if he was an object for study.

"I see you as a young man who likes to see the best in people," Strange concluded. "But there are times where he can't see the best in himself. Where he questions who he is, and I must say it is a common cause among the adopted. Yes, Mr. Kent I know you were adopted, I do research on all my subjects."

Clark gave Strange a very pointed look.

"Naturally, you are not an official subject, given you have not been committed under my care, but I will not lie to say your case does not fascinate me," Strange said. "What makes Clark Kent tick? You could be a young man, who kept his head down, but you throw yourself into these situations. Perhaps it is an attempt to find your purpose, or perhaps you merely are a death seeker. I've only known what I've read naturally."

Annoyance crossed Clark's case, but there was a bit of panic in the back of his head.

"Is there a reason why you're here?" Clark asked.

"Merely just to see the infamous Clark Kent in person," Strange said, but he peered over Clark's shoulder. Lana made her way down the stairs. "And this lovely young lady must be Lana Lang."

"Yes, I am," Lana said suspiciously. She had just woken up, and noticed that Clark was not present in bed. So she wanted to find out why. "How do you know who I am?"

Strange offered her a bit of a knowing smile that made Lana a bit nervous. Clark made sure to put himself between Strange and Lana.

"You are a common topic of conversation among many of my patients," Strange said in a calm tone, and Lana felt herself tense up. "I have studied you, not as closely as I have Clark, but I have studied you Ms. Lang. And your past fascinates me. You seem to gravitate towards powerful and strong men, but yet you have fallen hardest for some Kansas farm boy. It is merely an observation, but you're not sure who you really are."

Lana tried to remain calm, but it was hard to do.

"I barely know you, yet, you're creating a psychological profile," Lana said, looking at Strange through narrowed eyes.

Strange appeared to have made a subtle note of some sort.

"Such tension, it seems as if I have struck a nerve," Strange said. He took a step backwards. Clark towered over him. "I will be taking my leave. Farewell for now, Mr. Kent, but we may meet again."

Strange turned and walked from the farm house. It left Lana and Clark waiting. They both remained silent, and Strange's drive drove the car off. Clark watched him leave. Lana remained silent, and Clark put a hand up. He focused intently and scanned with his X-Ray vision.

"Just making sure he didn't slip a bug or anything in the wall," Clark remarked, and Lana nodded. She stepped forward, and Clark put an arm around her. "I don't think he did, no he didn't. Chloe warned me he was trouble."

"Who is he?" Lana asked, closing her eyes.

"He's a former doctor from a place that has one of the worst turnover rates for patients, it's Arkham Asylum, in Gotham City," Clark told her. Lana nodded slowly, a look of recognition spread across her face. "It's so bad that half of the doctors end up as future guests of the asylum. And he was fired for unethical behavior."

"What did he have to do to do that?" Lana asked him.

Clark wished he could tell him, but he had no idea. It was silent, a bit too quiet, and unsettling quiet at that.

"If he's creating psychological profiles off of both of us, he could find out your secret," Lana said, mind going wild with a worst case scenario. "Someone like him, it could be dangerous."

"It's more than dangerous, he seems to have it out for the meteor infected," Clark said.

Lana closed her eyes. Clark took a deep calming breath, and looked straight at her.

"And all super powered people, if he had his way, they'd all be locked up," Clark said. "He says it's for our own protection."

"Do you believe that?" Lana asked.

Clark did not say anything. There had been times where he wondered, but he had gotten beyond that. His powers could help, because he was the one who had control of them. Many other people, they could hurt. The new administrator at Belle Reve trying to figure out his secret, it could be a potential cause for concern.

"Clark?" Lana prodded gently, putting her hand on his cheek.

"Not anymore," Clark said, but he turned around and looked out the window. The day had just begun, but the visit of someone who had only been in town a few weeks and knew so much about him unnerved him greatly.

"Good," Lana said, and she offered him a kiss, relaxing in Clark's strong arms with a sigh.

Clark felt a bit more at ease, in spite himself. He did wonder in the back of his mind how long that would last, but he would enjoy the moment.

* * *

The wind blew outside and rustled leaves all around the city of Smallville. Claire, Kara, and Harry exited a pizza place. Kara just looked amused about something, and Claire did as well. Harry looked at both girls with an exasperated expression, which caused them both to crack up in laughter.

"See, Kara, the idea of ski-ball is to roll the ball up the ramp," Harry explained to her an exasperated manner. "The idea is not to throw the ball, and total the machine with your super strength."

Kara put her hands on her lips, and her lips curled into an innocent smile.

"I hit the loop didn't it?" Kara asked.

"Yeah, that was awesome," Claire added, in a praising voice. "It was on your first try, too."

Harry sighed, and he could tell he was fighting some kind of losing battle with the both of them. He had managed to patch up the destroyed machine before anyone seemed to notice, but that was not the point. Kara just smiled at Harry, and Claire walked right next to them.

"Yes, you hit it, and you hit it good," Harry replied to Kara with a smile. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and they leaned against the building. Claire ate the slice of pizza she had rescued from the place.. "To the point where I had to reconstruct the dust you made. You have quite an arm on you, Supergirl."

"I seem to have quite a few body parts that you seem to approve of," Kara said to him. She did not bother to hide the knowing grin she was giving him. "But, no one saw me, and that's what matters."

"No, no one saw you," Harry assured him, and Kara nodded. She leaned back against Harry. She grabbed Claire by the sleeve, to make sure she did not stray too far from them.

"So did you have fun today?" Kara asked Claire, with a smile.

Claire looked at them, a grin was on her face, and she took a bite out of the pizza.

"Yeah, loads of fun, the best," Claire answered her with a bright smile on her face. She then stiffened a little bit. "But it's going to be over before too long, and it will be…"

"No, Claire, the day's just started," Harry said to her. Claire's expression took a turn for the much brighter.

"Finish your pizza, and then we'll find something else fun to do," Kara said, and she checked the clock high above. "It's only a little after noon, still plenty of time."

Harry, Kara, and Claire all walked off towards a nearby park. Snow began to fly in the air, but it was rather light at first. It was only over a small amount of time where the snow got heavy. Harry's charm work managed to keep a good deal of the snow at bay, and the cold biting winds away from them.

* * *

A knock on the door brought Chloe's attention away from her work. She stepped over, and opened the door. Lana stepped inside, offering Chloe a smile.

"Oh, hey, Lana, how are you holding up?" Chloe asked her.

"Oh I've been good, just recovering from what's happened recently," Lana said, but she could not keep a straight face. "We had a visitor to the farm today, me and Clark. Someone named Hugo Strange. Clark told me you've looked into him."

Chloe's eyes snapped up, her full attention on her friend.

"He visited you?" Chloe asked, a bit alarmed by this prospect.

"He was asking questions, he studied me and Clark, and he seems to know a great deal about us," Lana said, and she took a deep breath. "Just someone like that, Clark told me what you said about him. He seems to be a bit obsessive. He said that he might be seeing Clark again soon enough."

Chloe's mind went crazy with the dire possibilities of what that particular comment meant. None of the conversations led to pleasant thoughts in her head. She tried her best to ease her mind. Lana and Chloe sat down side by side.

Lana though Chloe was being eerily quiet. "So what do you think about that?"

"Harry's keeping an eye on Strange, but I think I should tell him that he's swung by to visit you and Clark," Chloe said, and she tried to dial up Harry's number. However, she got no response. "I could have sworn he said he would be back from…the thing he was doing today."

"What thing?" Lana asked, but then she paused. "Sorry, it's just the way you said it, it just sounded so.."

"Strange and mysterious," Chloe offered. Lana nodded. "Harry and Kara, both had to go undergo…well it was a journey they both had to take together. The two of them were vague and mysterious about it, but well it just is something that's in their nature."

"You could write the book on being vague and mysterious with how you're describing it," Lana said, and Chloe offered her a grudging nod. "I don't know, there's just something. . . maybe I'm going insane."

"Why would think you're going insane?" Chloe asked.

Lana tried to best put what she was thinking. The weird subconscious feeling that something was different about her.

"When Harry had to take away the powers Clark gave for me, I thought that would close the door on us forever," Lana said and Chloe nodded slowly. "But, there's something that tells me that it didn't close the door. It just opened it wider. Don't ask me how, but I just know something. It's almost like if I got some kind of second chance in life."

Chloe now was curious about what Harry really did to Lana when he had gone in and undid the power transference. She had an off the wall theory, but she had nothing substantial to back it up with.

"Well, if something was bound to happen, it's going to happen," Chloe said. "After life's kicked you around, maybe you deserve a lucky break with this Clark thing. And I'm sure if push comes to shove, well I guess you'll figure out a way. I do have something interesting to share with you."

Lana nodded, to indicate she was listening.

"Lex's kidnapper, the guy who framed you, he recovered from a gunshot wound to the head," Chloe told Lana. "It hit him in the base of the brain, and it should have killed him."

"That's odd," Lana replied, with a frown on her face, and she was deep in thought at that. "I'm trying not to think Lex, good, bad, or indifferent; it's caused me enough misery lately."

Chloe winced. "Yeah, sorry about that, I don't want you to fall back off the wagon after you're on the right track."

"Make it sound seedy," Lana said, shaking her head. "Although there should be a twelve step program to help with recovery after any involvement with a Luthor. I'm proof enough of that, but never mind, continue your story."

Chloe tried to regain her place in the story.

"The meteor rock gave him the power to transcend time," Chloe said. "But it left him as vulnerable as the next person. And Smith was declared dead on the scene of the crime, so something must have super charged his brain. He's currently being evaluated at Belle Reve by our new good friend, Hugo Strange. And Strange gets well stranger the more I dig deeper into his past."

"What, why?" Lana asked.

"Clark told you about his previous job, right?"" Chloe inqured, and Lana nodded. "Strange conducted an interesting social experiment involving prisoners. A lot of the details have been lost, but I found out this much. Every single prisoner ended up killing each other. I'm thinking that he put them in a single area, and just left them to their own devices. Then the final prisoner got shot."

"My God," Lana gasped.

"It was for the interest of science, or so Strange said" Chloe said seriously. "And he got a job at Arkham Asylum based off of his credentials, after that experiment. Then he got fired, and he's here. What do you know about Gotham City?"

"Enough to know that I don't want to visit there any time soon," Lana said darkly.

Chloe knew that was a common answer to that question.

"Knee deep in corruption, to the point where the gang leaders are more law abiding than the police," Chloe said. "And there's this outlandish urban legend of their mysterious protector. This guy's never been photographed ever, but when the criminals are found, they are scared to death and screaming to get locked up to stay away from him. And he may have had a hand in shutting down Strange's last operation."

"Who is he?" Lana asked.

"No one's really sure," Chloe concluded. She shifted through whatever she could find up. "He's been dubbed a vigilante, and there's a reward on his head. By both the police unofficially, and the mobs who lost territory in the city. "

Chloe looked thoughtful at that moment.

"He's always one step ahead. Likely, he's a master escape artist and a martial arts master, by what little eye witness accounts I can dig up. He seems to prey on the superstitious and cowardly lot, or something along those lines."

Lana shook her head, to clear the confusing thoughts.

"As interesting as that is, we're getting off the subject," Lana said, and she closed her eyes, sighing. "I'm worried that someone who is relatively new in this town knows so much about me and Cark. Our names kept coming up."

"Well if it makes you feel better, he's likely created a psychological profile on me as well," Chloe said in an absent minded voice. "So we're all in the same boat, and as long as we don't go down with the ship, it should be fine. Clark will survive."

"Yeah," Lana agreed, but it was a half-hearted tone of agreement.

Chloe frowned, and she checked her e-mail. There was something utterly weird. She received one new message, and it was short and oddly cryptic.

**Strange may find out Kent's secret. Tell him to be careful. Watch your backs.**

The blonde woman's eyes widened, and she read the e-mail over a few times.

"Lana, look at this," Chloe said in a low voice.

Lana moved over. She read the e-mail as well, and a terrified expression appeared on her face.

"Strange might find out Clark's secret," Lana whispered, and she read the message, three simple lines over and over again. She could not decipher any kind of hidden meaning, but judging by the look on her face, Chloe could not either. "But who is this person, what does he or she know?"

"Let's find out," Chloe said.

She typed up a response e-mail to clarify, but immediately it hit a return to sender wall.

"Okay, that's weird, this e-mail address doesn't exist," Chloe commented, and Lana looked at it. She tried to mull the situation over and over in her mind, but found nothing that made any sense.

"Someone opened an e-mail address," Lana offered. "And then closed it just after they sent you the message. Who does something like that?"

That was a good question.

"Someone who doesn't want us to find out who they are," Chloe offered in a weak voice. She frowned. The e-mail address offered no hints. It was random letters, symbols, and numbers, almost like someone had just pounded randomly on the keyboard to create a really cryptic e-mail address. "I'm sure it's something that can be traced, but who knows how much time it will take."

Chloe looked thoughtful, and then added.

"And it was almost as if they knew we were talking about Clark," Chloe added, and she peered over her shoulder nervously.

'_I've been taking too many cues from Harry in the obsessively paranoid, everyone's watching me department,' _Chloe thought to herself.

Chloe and Lana made some light talk, as Chloe tried to find out anything, even a slight clue about her mysterious cryptic e-mailer. Yet, she found herself going around in circles.

* * *

Kara, Harry, and Claire stood outside. The snow blew around outside, and it looked like a winter wonderland. Claire laughed in amusement, and she looked up, to see the blizzard kicking up.

"Nasty storm coming up," Harry said in a deflated voice, and it was getting close to dinner time anyway. "We better get going."

Claire suddenly deflated. She should have known this was too good to last. Kara and Harry both sensed her distress.

"So, it's back to the Shining Light Foundation for me," Claire said. The girl tried to put on a cheerful voice. "Everyone's leaving tomorrow, you know."

"And so are you," Harry told her, and Claire looked at him, confused. "If you want to, you can spend Christmas vacation with us, at our house. Only if you want to."

Claire seemed absolutely bemused. She had to be imagining things.

"So, what do you think?" Kara asked her in a gentle voice. "Do you want to spend the next two weeks at our house?"

"Are you kidding?" Claire exclaimed in a cheerful voice. "Of course, I do, I'll be good, I swear."

Both Harry and Kara exchanged warm glances.

"I know you will, Claire," Harry said with a smile. Kara and Harry grabbed a hand each.

"This might tickle a little bit, and might make you dizzy," Kara told her. "So just hang on tightly, and don't let go to either of us. And it won't be that bad."

Claire could barely conceal the huge grin that was on her face. She felt her body being pulled through a tube along with Harry and Kara. It did tickle, but she managed to hold onto her lunch. She spiraled to the ground, but both of them hung onto her. She trusted them, the girl knew that neither of them would do anything to hurt her.

She knew she was inside the house immediately. The girl was awestruck, as she looked around and got a full view of the decor. The house was far cooler than anything she had ever seen. Claire wished she had many pairs of eyes, because she wanted to see every single thing in this house.

"If she's impressed by this, maybe we should show her where she's sleeping?" Kara offered to Harry.

Harry smiled, and turned towards the ten year old girl.

"Are you ready to see your room?" Harry asked Claire.

Claire resembled a bobble head, and nodded up and down. Kara and Harry both smiled at her. They guided the girl down the hallway. She closed her eyes, almost as if she was trying to convince herself that this was real, and not a figment of her imagination. The door swung open, and Claire took a step back. She offered a little gasp, and she took a nice look at her room.

It took her a few seconds to register what she had seen. She stammered and looked around. She turned towards Harry and Kara. "This is all mine?"

"It's all yours," Harry confirmed to her with a smile.

"You didn't have to do this," Claire told him.

"Harry didn't have to, he wanted to," Kara said. "And I wanted to as well."

"I shouldn't have yelled at you for going away for a week," Claire said in an apologetic tone of voice. Harry just waved off her apology.

"No, you were right in a way, we haven't been around," Harry said. "We're busy, but that's not an excuse to neglect the things that matter. And no one deserves to be alone on Christmas. It's supposed to be the happiest time of the year, and I know what it's like to be alone, when everyone else is having fun. It's not fair on you, you didn't ask for all of this to happen."

"I think I can speak for Harry, and say that we'll never be too busy for you," Kara told her, and Claire looked up at her. "You're practically family."

Harry nodded in agreement, and Claire's expression brightened. All traces of her brooding disappeared..

"I like it," Claire whispered. She rushed forward, and hugged both Harry and Kara. "Thank you both. I shouldn't have…I shouldn't have thought you would abandon me either you. It's just that everyone else has so…"

"You didn't want to get your hopes up," Harry said.

Claire paused, and nodded in a crisp manner.

"I know the feeling, but you're welcomed here always, like I said no one deserves to be alone," Harry concluded. "Dinner won't be for an hour, so why don't you enjoy your room. Kara and I, we need to talk."

"Yeah, you two spent the entire day with me, you didn't have any time with yourselves," Claire said in a guilty voice. "I'm sorry about…"

"No, Claire, it's not your fault," Harry told her gently, but firmly. "You've had a tough life, but it's going to get better. There's always light at the end of the tunnel."

Claire turned around. She felt optimistic she would have the best Christmas since her parents died.

Kara and Harry left Claire to her own devices. The two of them made their way to the room across the hallway that they shared. They shut the door behind them.

Immediately, Kara turned towards Harry with a smile on her face. "You took time out of your busy day to give a little girl the best day of her life."

"It's something that I had to do," Harry said to her.

"Many people would not agree," Kara told him. "But, you did, and I agree, it is something that she needed, to know that there are people there for her. The universe can be a cruel place, but it's people like you who make it better. I just wish you were the rule rather than the exception."

"Hey, if I can make one person's life better, than that's a victory, isn't it?" Harry said, and he grabbed her hands, and Kara nodded. "And you're a good influence on her too. It's not something that I would be able do alone."

Kara looked in Harry's eyes with unconditional love.

"You could, but it would be harder," Kara argued, and she pushed him back onto the bed with these words. "But I'm glad you trust me enough, I'm always glad. You didn't have to let me into your heart, but you did anyway."

Harry smirked at her, but he was lost in her beauty. He felt his heart beat faster, and every day he spent with her gave him more reasons to live than ever before.

"Well there are certain perks," Harry teased her.

"They're mutual," Kara responded, and her arms wrapped around his neck. She leaned forward and looked deeply into his green eyes. "I just feel myself attracted to you. Mind, body, heart, and soul, and it's a feeling like nothing else I've ever heard of. The moment we kissed, it was almost like it was something that was joined. Did you feel that?"

"I felt that, and every time I kiss you, or do anything else with you, it's the ultimate fulfillment," Harry told her, and wrapped his arms around her tighter and pulled her into a deeper kiss. Kara returned it. She sighed into his mouth, and Harry continued to deepen the kiss. Kara and Harry both worked their tongues into each other's mouths.

Harry decided he was the luckiest man in the entire universe with this beautiful blonde in his arms. It took him a while to get to this point, but he earned it. He broke the kiss, only to kiss the side of her neck. Kara moaned at his efforts, and intertwined her fingers into his messy hair, just making it even messier.

Kara's eyes were glazed over, and she absent-mindedly started slipping Harry's shirt over his head. She felt Harry's fingers roam, and touch her, hitting all of her pleasure points.

"Love you," Kara breathed. "You just know how to hit all of my pleasure centers, and you make me feel absolutely special."

Harry smiled.

"You make me feel special, too," Harry told her, and Kara pulled his pants over his ankles. "Better use the charm before we get lost…oh that feels good."

Kara smiled and hummed. She liked to think she got better at this, since she started. The pleasure she could feel building in him, until the moment he popped made her feel warm inside.

She also felt proud of the fact she got her heat vision better under control when the passion got intense, but that was beside the point.

It was the best taste in the world, and she swallowed, savoring the taste, and smacked her lips.

"My turn," Kara said, and she flew across the across, and positioned herself over Harry's face.

She felt a part of her brain shut off, as she lost herself to the pleasures that Harry gave her.

Harry's mind was in a daze as they continued their activities. He had found the person that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Kara was his life mate, and he could not have found a better choice if he looked for a million years in a million worlds. He could have settled for some girl, but found one that he truly belonged with.

The two Heralds of Death got it out of their systems, spending several hours in their room, which was only thirty minutes in the real world. They got quickly cleaned up, and Harry went to prepare dinner for the occupants of this house.

* * *

Godric's Hallow was a quaint little village. It was also abandoned. Lex arrived closest airport, and took a long trek through the snow. His research indicated that Harry Potter's parents were buried there, and he hoped to find any hint whatsoever about how to work the journal that vexed him.

Lex looked around the grave yard. A number of gravestones could be seen, but the young man was intrigued by one particular stone beyond his quest.

"Perverell," Lex muttered to himself. It seemed to be a strange name, but many names in this graveyard were strange. On the gravestone there was a symbol. It was an upside down triangle, with a circle in the center, and a line cutting the triangle in half vertically.

It was an intriguing symbol, and Lex wondered if it meant something of substance.

He took a step forward, and pulled back the grass, to see if there was any more information. Yet the gravestone seemed to lack a birth or death date, or perhaps it was worn off.

"Curiosity killed the cat, Lex Luthor."

Lex turned around, and saw a young woman with mousy brown hair. She wore glasses and was dressed in black and green robes.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Lex asked.

The girl gave him a look that indicated pity.

"We've met, in the past, but you have no idea what you're meddling in now," the girl said. She offered him a smile, the type of smile that indicated she knew things that Lex wanted to know. And the fact that she was well aware that the fact that he knew she knew what he wanted to know, and she knew how it bothered him.

"I'm just looking for answers," Lex said. "There was something about the traveler, and my father was part of something, Veritas, I think the word is."

The girl remained silent and still, with only a sad smile on her face.

"The truth is a harsh thing," the girl responded in a mysterious voice, breaking the silence. "Veritas, named after the Roman Goddess for truth. Secrets are being held, out of your reach. You want answers, but you are not prepared for the consequences that come with said answers."

Lex's gaze remained fixed on his mysterious mousy haired visitor. She remained calm and collected.

"Beware the shadows Lex, they move when you're not looking," the girl concluded, cryptically.

The girl offered him a mocking laugh. Lex reached forward, but the girl was gone as quickly as she had appeared. It was almost as if she vanished without a trace.

Lex's face contorted into confusion, but took another step towards the gravestone with the strange symbol. He placed one hand upon the symbol, almost instinctively.

A bright light engulfed him, and Lex propelled into the air, before he smashed down to the ground with a sickening thud.

The gravestone remained undisturbed, and motionless as an immobile, but still breathing Lex Luthor was sprawled out on the ground several hundred feet from it.

The mousy haired girl reappeared to stare down at the unconscious form of Lex.

"You were warned," the girl said in a cryptic voice.

She disappeared into the wind once again.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 19 "Mind Games."**


	19. Chapter 19: Mind Games

_I feel like I say this every chapter, but here's another long one! _

* * *

**Chapter 19: Mind Games.**

"So you're telling me that someone thinks that this Hugo Strange has figured out what my secret is?" Clark asked both Lana and Chloe, when they had informed him of the mysterious cryptic e-mail. "How would he know?"

Chloe shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. I think we've figured out Strange is a genius."

"I would have pegged him as insane," Lana offered, with a shrug.

"He's both, which is a nightmare to deal with," Chloe said with a shrug. "The point is, we don't know how much Strange knows, or doesn't know. This mysterious e-mailer, he said Strange was catching onto the secret. Not exactly that he knows for sure."

Clark shook his head. That didn't necessary make things much better.

"But that doesn't make things better," Clark said. "If not Strange, then someone has caught onto my secret."

Chloe gave Clark a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah, but that's not the cream on this cake of weird. The e-mail address was cancelled, and I did a bit of digging. I can't find any record of this company even existing. It's almost like someone set up a company, made this one e-mail address to send this one e-mail, and then disbanded the company."

"Who would do something like that?" Lana wondered out loud.

"Someone who is trying to get inside of all of our heads," Clark suggested a pained expression on his face. "If Strange knows, what do you think he's going to do? He's going to blackmail me, or have me locked up or go after people close to me. Lana, you heard what he said. He said all super powered people should be locked up, for their own protection."

"He knows something, or has an idea," Lana said. "All of the strange events with you in the middle of them, it's a miracle someone hasn't figured something out."

Chloe pulled out the information she had on Strange. The more she read it, the more disturbed she was by every little torrid detail.

"I…I don't really know what to say," Chloe said, trying to get a better handle on herself. "Strange is trying to get inside of both of your heads, trying to find out what you know, and he's got both of you worked up."

"And he's doing a very good job of it, as well."

The three of them jumped, but relaxed when they saw it was just Harry.

"All too good of a job, given how jumpy you three are," Harry said with a slight smile. "I'm a bit late to the party, do try and bring me up to speed."

Between the three of them, Clark, Lana, and Chloe explained every single detail to Harry about the visit earlier, the mysterious e-mail, and everything else. Harry listened, deep in thought. Of course, for all of the questions it might have answered, even more answers were raised. His frown got deeper and deeper by the time they finished explaining everything.

"That's pretty much it," Clark concluded, wincing slightly at how anti-climatic that sounded.

Harry remained calm. He looked outside, almost to make sure no one was listening in right now. "I see. Given Strange's track record, the fact he may be onto something should worry you a lot."

"That's something we already figured out," Lana said.

"I've found out some interesting information about Strange," Harry said. "He's been brought into court many times on charges of unethical behavior, but the charges to mysterious dropped."

"So, he paid them off," Chloe suggested.

"Not exactly, I was thinking more along the lines of blackmail," Harry told them. "Strange seems to be the type who would not spend one cent, but would accumulate information on everyone he meets. He's obsessive like that. He's been interviewing every patient in Belle Reve, going through records of past patients who are no longer with us. I popped into his office, and guess what I saw."

"Nothing good," Lana said weakly.

Harry pinched the bridge of nose.

"He's been looking long and hard into the meteor rocks, and the meteor shower," Harry replied to them. "There's really no delicate way of saying this. If Hugo Strange puts two and two together, you're screwed, big time."

Clark closed his eyes. "What should I do?"

"That's up to you," Harry said, not wanting to dictate Clark's life for him. "If I thought it'd help you, I'd wave my hand and make everyone forget."

"Wait, you can do that?" Lana asked him, a bit alarmed at the possibilities of that particular power.

"Yes, I can," Harry said, but he offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, mind wipes are only a last resort. Given that it can lead to brain damage, and if it has one misstep, you have a vegetable on your hands. A teacher of my tried to wipe my mind, the spell backfired on him, and…well he never recovered."

Clark, Chloe, and Lana looked disturbed at how casually Harry said this. He had seen a lot, too much.

"Magic is dangerous in the wrong hands," Harry concluded. "Anyway, I wouldn't do it, because of the risks and the fact that you would learn nothing. You've made mistakes, but I'll tell you one thing. The fact that your secret hasn't been blown out into the public eye by now is a credit to you."

"Or that everyone's desentized by the weirdness in the town," Chloe interjected.

"Or that," Harry agreed. "It's hard to keep a secret this big alive in this day and age. There's always someone around, taking pictures or filming video of anything that is the slightest bit odd.

Clark responded with a nod. He always thought he was careful, for the most part. There were times where his emotions got the better of him, and he could have blown everything had he not been paying attention.

"Keep a low head, and if Strange comes by again, don't do anything and don't say anything," Harry advised Clark.

"Don't worry, I won't," Clark said.

Lana frowned, and piped up. "Well someone caught onto what Strange is up to, in that e-mail.

"That vexes me as well," Harry said. He could tell the question that was on the tip of all of their tongues. "Don't worry, it's not me. Trust me. I'd be more direct if it was me. Subtle isn't exactly my middle name."

"No kidding," Chloe said in an undertone.

Harry just shut out that retort, and rubbed his fingers across his temples.

"Clark, against someone like Strange, your powers are not going to help you," Harry said. "I'm going to tell you to be careful. If Kara could be here right now, she would say the same exact thing. Strange plays a very crafty game and his mind is complex. That's not exactly something that I can get a one hundred percent idea."

"What about the person who e-mailed, Chloe?" Clark asked him. "What's there stake in this?"

Harry pondered this for a few seconds. One could cut the tension in the air with a knife, and Harry stroked his chin, thinking slowly and carefully.

"They could be a friend, they could be a foe," Harry suggested to them with a shrug. "Or they could be Strange himself. He's trying to fish for information, but being very subtle about it."

Chloe could have smacked herself. Why didn't she think of that of that?

"But, Strange is only a very outside possibility," Harry added with an afterthought. "He would have kept the lines of communication open."

"I'm putting everyone in danger, if Strange is dangerous as you say he is," Clark said to them.

Lana recognized the signs, and knew what Clark was trying to pull. She grabbed his wrist firmly. "Clark, no, just, no. Just how many times are we going to go through this?"

"Pulling that heroic savior act isn't going to help us, it's going to hurt people more," Chloe said, and she turned to Harry. "Right, Harry?"

Harry waved off this question. "I'm not getting involved in this."

"And that's because Harry knows where I might be coming from," Clark offered.

Harry shook his head.

"I didn't say that, don't put words in my mouth," Harry warned him. "I'm just saying…you know what, you want my opinion, my honest opinion."

Chloe and Clark both nodded, and even Lana listened closely.

"Fine, my opinion, I've learned that pushing people away isn't going to help anyone in the long run. And I can't believe it's me of any people who has to be the one to give you this speech. These two get themselves into near death experiences quite often, if I'm not mistaken?"

Clark nodded, and Lana opened her mouth to protest, but shut it immediately. She couldn't really argue that.

"And I'm pretty sure that these two would have gotten themselves killed a long time ago, if it wasn't for you, so they're right about you pushing them away is going to hurt," Harry added.

He felt he had drilled that rather important part through Clark's super powered skull. In a way, Harry wished someone could have given him that speech years ago, but what is done is done.

"Thanks," Lana said, but then she realized what Harry may have implied. "I think."

"You know, I can't just figure out whether I've just been complimented or insulted," Chloe said, and Harry just shrugged.

"The point I'm trying to make is this," Harry added, and his gaze fixed on Clark. "Strange is dangerous, you know that, I know that. If you start pushing others away, that will give him all of the reasons he needs to know that there is something about you that is worth studying. And even if you push them away, it doesn't change the fact that you still care?"

Clark conceded this point.

"Just live your life, without any worries, the best you can," Harry said. "Strange is waiting for you to crack. Let him slip up, and do it himself. Keep your head low, and…I don't want to promise everything will work out, but just do your best to remain as normal as you can."

Clark got the message, and Harry could tell he did.

"Kara says hi, and she'll see you soon, I expect," Harry said as an afterthought. "Don't let Strange get to you, even if he seems to be a master of getting to people. I've got to get out of here. Good night, and be careful."

Harry walked out, just barely hearing their goodbyes. Before he could vanish, Chloe followed him out of the door. He could tell that she wanted to tell him something, but not in front of Lana and Clark.

"Do you have any idea where that e-mail might have come from?" Chloe asked.

"Chloe, I'll see what I can do, but I only know as much as you do," Harry said. He offered her a slight smile. "I'm powerful, not omniscient. I can't just close my eyes, and have the answers to every question, you know"

"I knew that," Chloe said quickly.

"I'll do some digging, but the fact they junked the e-mail address really is going to make it hard," Harry told her.

Chloe barely hid the smirk she had. "We might have found a person more paranoid than you are."

"Oh, there are people far more paranoid than I could ever hope to be," Harry said, and he paused. "The real burning question is who reinstated Strange's medical credentials?"

That casual comment caught Chloe off guard.

"What?" Chloe asked.

Harry took a deep breath.

"Think about this logically, he was banished from Arkham Asylum, about six months ago. His license was suspended, without a chance to ever be reinstated for at least the next ten years. Then a couple of months ago, it gets reinstated just in time for him to get the job at Belle Reve. Blackmail might be the game, but I'm thinking someone pulled some strings to get Strange there."

Chloe scrunched up her nose, and nodded.

"And, judging by the fact you're telling me this, you have an idea who might have done the deed," Chloe offered him.

Harry just smiled and commented dryly.

"Someone who was curious enough about Clark to have Strange connect the dots in the right order."

Chloe frowned, and sudden realization struck her. Before she could voice the obvious suspect, Harry put a hand on his forehead.

Harry felt the beginnings of a migraine headache coming on. It increased in pain by the second. This was impossible, given that because of his powers, he could not suffer an illness. He staggered, but tried to remain on his feet.

"Harry?" Chloe asked him.

Harry tried to bite back the pain, but then he felt a pain akin of a migraine headache splitting through his head. Harry bit back his lip, but a scream of absolute anguish escaped his mouth.

"Harry!" Chloe yelled, eyes widening, and she took a few steps towards him. "Are you…"

"Fine," Harry managed, and he nearly collapsed, but held it together. "Chloe, I'm fine."

"Really, that's not what I'd exactly call fine," Chloe said to him, but Harry gave her a glare that indicated that he was not arguing.

Harry shook his head, annoyed that he showed such weakness, even temporarily. He saw a flash of a bright light and an outline of something in his mind's eye.

"I've got to go, check on Kara, talk to you later," Harry said.

Chloe opened her mouth to contradict him, but Harry was gone. She could have sworn he was in absolute agony a moment ago, but he managed to pull himself together.

* * *

Kara slumped forward, and felt her ears ringing. Echoes resounded in her mind, and it was horrible. It subsided, and Harry showed up, nearly collapsing.

"You felt it too," Kara managed weakly.

"Yes, I felt it," Harry said, and the two collapsed in each other's arms, before they deflated onto the couch.

"I felt so weak," Kara said sadly, and Harry wrapped his arm around her head to support it, before they pulled themselves up to a sitting position. "I felt everyone screaming out to me, to help them, but I couldn't help them."

"You couldn't help them, because they were all dead," Harry said, clutching her tightly "Remember what she told us?"

"If we allow ourselves to get overwhelmed, the echoes of the dead will get to us," Kara said in a quiet voice.

Harry wrapped his arms around her more tightly. He kissed her, in a reassuring way. Kara relaxed, a bit. Now that Harry was here, everything was okay. That was the scariest three minutes in her life. She heard everyone she ever knew on Krypton crying out to her, telling her to save them. She could hear them, but she could not see them. Their cries got more frantic, more desperate. It seemed like hours, even though it was only minutes.

"Did you hear them too?" Kara whispered to him.

Harry brushed her hair away, and looked at her beautiful face.

"Bits and pieces of it, but I saw something else," Harry told her. "Something caused our natural defenses to fail, temporarily."

"Now that we're together, everything's okay," she replied, and Harry smiled at her. His smile caused her heart to beat a little bit stronger, and looking into his eyes gave Kara strength.

"Always with you, Kara, always," Harry said to her, and Kara relaxed against him. "I did manage to see something, at Godric's Hollow."

"Where you parents are buried?" Kara asked him, and Harry responded with a crisp nod.

He sighed, and Kara continued to rest in his arms.

"You want to see what happened there, don't you?" Kara asked. "What caused this?"

"I know who caused this," Harry said, frowning. "I saw an image of him. It was Lex."

Kara frowned, but she did not break form Harry's grip. Her eyes looked into his.

"What was he doing now?" Kara asked. Her voice was laced with a bit of anger. "Why can't he just leave everything alone? It's none of his business!"

Harry had no idea what to say, but he stroked the exposed flesh on her back.

Kara felt relaxed. Harry did have the magic touch after all.

"I should really go see what Lex did," Harry told her, and offered her a light kiss. Kara sighed into it, content. He slowly pulled away from her. "But I don't want to leave you alone, after what you've seen."

"I'm much better now Harry, really," Kara said, and she grabbed him tighter. "I'll come with you…"

"No, Kara, stay here, watch Claire, and I'll see you in about ten minutes," Harry said.

Harry wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her to her feet. They exchanged another deep kiss. They floated up, and nearly hit their heads on the ceiling, from the pure power that was flowing through them.

Kara dropped down, and Harry left. She hoped that everything would turn out okay.

* * *

Harry dropped down at Godric's Hallow. The snow and winds blew in his face. He trudged through the absolute insane snow storms. He was outside the gates, and saw blasts of energy shoot up into the air.

There was some kind of light show coming from the graveyard, and Harry hastened his steps. He rushed towards the gates, and glided through the snow. He stopped at a gravestone, which gave a weird, eerie glow.

The moment Harry approached forward, and held out his hand, the gravestone immediately stopped glowing. It remained immobile, and Harry closed his eyes. He reached his hand forward, and touched the mark of the gravestone. It was cold, but there was something about it that he felt he should be able to access. Yet, he couldn't. He retracted his hand.

Harry spun around, and noticed Lex prone in the snow. He was knocked unconscious. Morbid curiosity got the better of Harry. He closed his eyes, and accessed the web to check the status of Lex Luthor's life-life. His dot flickered from white to grey to black. This little quirk caused Harry to pause, and frown. He wondered exactly he was dealing with.

The dot steadied itself on grey. Harry drew his breath, and leaned down to face Lex. Harry drew a deep breath, and reached behind his head. He pulled his hood over his head, and with a flash, he morphed into the robed form of the Herald of Death. He reached down, and without any preamble he shocked Lex back awake.

Lex's body convulsed wildly, before the young man's eyes flickered open. "Who's there?"

"Your fairy godmother," the robe figure retorted dryly.

The cobwebs cleared from Lex's head, and he realized what situation he had put himself in. He straightened immediately, and struggled to sit up.

"So, is it my time, yet?" Lex asked him.

"You were extremely lucky for it not to be. Curiosity did often kill the cat, Lex Luthor. And you decide to stick your nose into a place where it was not needed."

Lex closed his eyes. Clarity reached him, but much was still confusing.

"I touched the mark, and every single nerve ending in my body was set on fire," Lex said, and he pointed to the gravestone for emphasis. "I've been knocked out before, but this was different."

The robe figure paused.

"You touched the mark on the gravestone?" the robed figure asked him, and tried to fish out of Lex's mind exactly what happened.

There was a nod, as the man in question struggled to his feet.

"Numbness in my fingers, but that has to be from the cold," Lex added to him. "I guess the hand of fate smacked me around again, but now I have a clearer idea what I have to do. Now I know what I must do to achieve my purpose in life."

Harry noticed the word "Veritas" and thoughts of the traveler in Lex's conscious mind. He was obsessed by this.

"You have no clue what your purpose might be, Lex," he replied. "You follow up on mad leads, and are obsessed with things that are above your comprehension. What in particular brought you to this particular graveyard today?"

"Well, you see, that's the strangest thing," Lex offered him. "I had another recent brush with death, those do seem to follow me around, but I digress."

He paused for dramatic effect, and continued to speak.

"This brush with dead caused me to remember things that I was not supposed to remember. It was curious, because I remembered something my father took extra care to insist that I imagined."

"Continue," the robed figure said detached.

Even though his words were detached, his mind was less so. Thoughts stirred up in Lex's demented psyche. Harry caught onto thoughts that Luthor had about a mysterious boy in a cupboard underneath the stairs. That quite frankly perplexed Harry, because he did not recall seeing either Luthor, or being seen by them.

Then again, during those days, he was pretty much in his own little world inside that cupboard, and kept his head down.

"But, I'm sure you already know, being the avatar of the afterlife, don't you?" Lex asked, but he did not wait for confirmation. "This has been an interesting conversation, but I must go now. I have found all of the answers I'm going to see here. At least, all I'm going to find, for now."

The Herald of Death held up one hand, and his gaze was fixed on Lex. His hood remained up.

"Do consider one thing; you're at a crossroads, Lex. And about to take a dangerous step down a road that might not benefit you. There are many paths in life. The path you chose to take on this day, there's a chance for glory, or a chance for doom. But, it's not a decision that I can make for you."

Lex just half paid attention to these words.

"I believe I'm about to head down a path to greatness," Lex told the herald smugly.

"Do not get too complacent," The Herald of Death warned him. "You will first need a proper understanding of what greatness is. And I don't think you have that understanding, and you may never at this current rate."

"I may have to beg to differ," Lex said, but he shrugged. His eyes were focused on the robed figure. "Well, until I almost die again, this is goodbye."

"Next time, there may be no nearly, if you continue to indulge your curiosity at your current rate," the Herald of Death warned him.

Lex offered a curiosity nod, but turned and walked away. He continued to walk off into the night. Harry waited for him to leave. He tapped his foot on the ground, and turned around. The moment he was certain Lex was gone, he took a good and long look at the gravestone before him.

The gravestone had long since stopped glowing a long time ago. Harry took another step towards it. He carefully ran his hand up and down the symbol of the gravestone. He heard a faint humming, but there was nothing more than that. His eyes narrowed, and he peered over the symbol. He calculated every single little thing about the symbol, before he came to one logical conclusion.

It was a switch of some sort. This gravestone had a switch on it that activated something. And it also had a defense mechanism that repelled anyone who should not be messing with the symbol. Harry had no idea what it was, or how to activate it. There could be some great secret that he would be about to uncover. Would it be the type of secret that he would want to know? Harry could not answer that question. He scanned the gravestone, but found nothing else.

It was a dead end, and Harry turned on himself. He made sure no one was watching him. He had the strangest sense that someone else was here, but he shook that feeling. He closed his eyes, and willed himself back home.

Kara was waiting for him when he got back. He could tell his girlfriend had a million questions on the tip of her tongue.

"Lex Luthor apparently saw me when I was in my cupboard under the stairs days," Harry said to Kara.

Kara frowned at this, and grabbed Harry's hand. They held hands and closed their eyes. They sat down on the couch, or collapsed to be more accurate.

"Does he know for sure?" Kara asked him quietly.

"He doesn't know anything for sure, he just has a bunch of wild theories," Harry said, cradling her in his arms. "But, the wildest theories tend to eventually have some amount of truth to them."

Kara would have to agree. After tonight's events, she needed sanctuary, and the best place was in Harry's strong arms.

"You must think I'm pathetic going to pieces like that," Kara said.

"No, I can never think of that," Harry said firmly. "The strongest of us can go to pieces easily over something just as easily as anyone else. I think I've come to terms with everyone dying a long time ago. I hate to say this, but…I've gotten used to it. Death doesn't bother me anymore, in any sense of the word."

Harry paused, and what he implied just sunk in completely.

"Does that make me a monster?" Harry asked her suddenly.

"I think it does bother you, you've just come to grips to it better," Kara said, looking up into his green eyes. They had so much life in them, that she could not help but be inspired by them. "No one appreciates life more than you do, Harry. Funny, given what our job occupations are."

Harry shook his head.

"You're the one who has given me the new appreciation for life," Harry told her softly, stroking her cheek. "If it wasn't for you, I don't know what life would have brought me, at all."

Harry paused, holding Kara in his arms tightly against him.

"You saved me Kara, more than you ever could know," Harry whispered to her.

"Weren't you the one who managed to get my ship open?" Kara asked him.

"If I had not found you, I might not have cared," Harry said to her.

"No, if you hadn't found me, I might have hurt someone I care about," Kara said, closing her eyes.

Sudden realization dawned upon Harry.

"So, I guess we saved each other," Harry said to her.

"I can live with that," she agreed.

Harry stroked her cheek and her hair. His gaze met hers. For the first time in his life, he truly felt that he could connect with someone on a deeper level.

"Thank you, Kara," Harry whispered to her.

"No, Harry, thank you, I would have gone to pieces tonight without you," Kara said.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you," Harry whispered to her, seriously. "But there's a part of me that thinks…"

Kara put her finger on his lips. She knew what he was going to save.

"I'm not with you because I have to be," Kara told him, and she gently kissed him on the lips for emphasis. She withdrew to finish her thought. "I'm with you because I want to be."

Harry had to smile. He cupped her beautiful face, and planted light kisses on it, as she rested in his arms.

"I swear, no matter what, I'll never let you down," Harry whispered to her. He brushed her hair, and looked into her eyes. "My sweet Kryptonian angel."

"I know you won't, my emerald eyed savior," Kara retorted sweetly, curled up in Harry's arms, letting his heart beat lull her to sleep.

His warmth gave her courage, and focus. All she had lost paled to what she had now.

Sometimes the journey to greatness was filled with adversity.

"The symbol on the tombstone is an ancient Kryptonian word," Kara said to him, before she drifted completely off to sleep. "Its closest interpretation means, death."

"No surprise," Harry told her, and kissed her one more time. "Good night, sweet dreams, I love you."

"I love you too," Kara whispered, and she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Christmas was a few days away, but the events of a few days ago that occurred in Europe had piqued the curiosity of many people.

Crisp and gusty wind continued to blew through Godric's Hallow. It was on track to be one of the worst storms of the year. Yet, no storm would be able to quell the desire to be nosy. A few days ago, pretty much every single Internet connection in Europe had went dead for a period of fifteen hours. It was such a big story that it spread worldwide.

Many were willing to chalk it up to just a weird freak occurrence of nature. Others were thinking that this was a big conspiracy.

"Lois, I'm capable of some insanity, but flying halfway across the world and going to a graveyard in the middle of an abandoned village on some wild hunch is beyond my normal breed of insanity!"

Chloe shouted as her cousin moved up the hill. Lois moved with a purpose.

"What makes you even think what we're going to find what you were looking for here?" Chloe asked her.

Lois paused for a brief moment.

"I don't, I'm just following a tip. All of the Internet connections on an entire continent went down, but those in the villages closest to this graveyard had their computers completely fried."

"Some kind of electro-magnetic pulse?" Chloe suggested.

"It was something weirder, more so than that," Lois said. "I'm just glad we chartered a flight out here. Anyway, there was a huge light show through from this graveyard."

"Are you sure it wasn't someone pulling a prank?" Chloe asked.

She knew where this was. She knew about Godric's Hollow, Harry's parents were buried here. Yet, Lois seemed to be deaf towards her cousin's warnings. She continued to march up the hill with an absolute purpose. Her lips pursed together, and Lois looked around.

"Kind of hard to see in this storm," Lois said, squinting.

"Well, these are white-out conditions," Chloe said to her.

Lois grimaced, but she trudged through the snow. She was not above roughing gates recently had been opened, and she pushed through them. There were rows and rows of snow covered gravestones, but there was one in the center of the cemetery that stood out above the rest.

Chloe eyed it, but Lois noticed it. She tried to push herself towards it.

The blonde woman paused, and she heard a sigh in her ear. Chloe turned around, and saw a dark haired girl with mousy hair and eye glasses. She wore robes.

"People don't know when to stop meddling in things that they are not meant to mess with," the dark haired girl said a knowing voice.

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked her.

Lois stopped and turned around.

"Chloe, who are you talking to?" Lois asked in a confused voice.

Chloe opened her mouth and paused. The girl just looked at her.

"I thought I heard someone," Chloe said, and Lois just shrugged. She turned to investigate the area around the mysterious gravestone. For some reason, she could not find a way up the hill no matter how much force she exerted. She slipped, and slid, not able to gain her footing.

The girl just clicked her tongue, and swayed her feet from side to side. She crossed her arms, and just offered a slight smile.

"She couldn't see me you know," the girl said in a calm voice. "There are only some people who can see me, some can't. Of course, I'm always here, but I only let those who I want to see me, see me."

Chloe remained calm and closed her eyes.

"Who are you?" Chloe whispered.

The girl just smiled a mysterious smile.

"It's a secret," the girl told her in a mysterious voice. "This is sacred land, and you two are trespassing. There could be dire consequences for you going to this place. It is her will, it is her way."

"What are you talking about?" Chloe demanded.

The girl just offered a knowing smile.

"Shh, secret," the girl whispered in a patronizing voice. "When the time is right, all will know. I know about your friend Clark, and how special he is. And I know that there are those who are willing to control him for their own gain. To master the world, to control all, he was sent here for a purpose. But there will be those who corrupt that purpose."

Chloe became rather alarmed and looked at the girl. The girl just had a slight and sad smile.

"I was brutally slaughtered in the name of someone's vendetta," the girl added remorsefully. "But some must die, so others could live. Don't worry, I haven't told anyone about Clark. Not even Lex, but I could have. He's going to figure out soon. Clark should be more careful."

Chloe did not trust herself to respond. The girl hummed under her breath.

"So you're a ghost?" Chloe whispered to her.

The girl ignored the question.

"So many questions, not enough answers, but soon the truth comes to those who wait," the girl said in a cryptic voice. The girl turned towards Lois. "I would advise pulling her back before she does something foolish. The last person who touched that gravestone barely escaped with their life. The next person, well I'm not sure if they will be so lucky."

Chloe turned towards Lois.

"Look at this," Lois said. "Have you ever seen a symbol like that before?"

She pointed towards the triangle with the circle in the middle, and a line going down it.

"No, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea to touch that," Chloe said.

Lois looked at her with a questioning expression on her face, and just relaxed. It was just as well, because she could not even get up the hill. The symbol was out of her reach.

Chloe let out a sigh. Lois appeared to be giving up the symbol as a dead end, at least for right now.

She was now curious about it though, but there was only one person who she suspected had the foggiest idea.

Chloe wondered if the symbol, the pulse, and Harry's mysterious near collapse were all connected. Perhaps she was connecting dots that were not there, but there was only one way to find out.

"Well this was a wasted trip," Lois said, shrugging.

Chloe just offered her cousin a reassuring smile.

"Well you never know until you try."

* * *

Hugo Strange shifted through pages and pages of notes he had taken on Clark Kent, the meteors, and everything connected to him. His smile twisted. There was some missing puzzle pieces that he needed to grab onto. If he found it, he would have his hands on the secret that many would give their right arms for.

He had a hunch, but naturally a learned man did not draw conclusions until they had a full study of the subject.

"What are you Mr. Kent?" Strange said to himself in a low voice. "Are you one of the meteor powered mutants? Perhaps a bit lucky not to tap into the psychosis that has infected those who have been blessed by the rocks, both living and dead. Or are you something else?"

Strange tapped on the bars and the patients moved around the institution. The restraints would ensure that he could not be harmed. All he needed was one simple push of a button, and they would be at his will.

"Professor Strange, a Mr. Luthor is on the line for you?" his secretary said to him from inside his office.

"Ah, I was wondering when he would call," Strange said. He took a few steps forward, and grabbed the phone. "Yes, Lex, what can I do for you?"

"Just a courtesy check to double check that you are still working on the project that I'm paying you for," Lex said. "I didn't go to all of the trouble to get your credentials reinstated out of the goodness of my heart."

Strange's mouth curled into a malevolent smile.

"Yes, I know you and I know your father, Luthors never do anything unless it benefits you," Strange said. "But it is not without any benefit to me as well."

"The small talk is nice, but I'm on a deadline," Lex said. There was a pause. "Information, Strange, I need it."

"Well your friend gets around the block, so to speak," Strange in a cryptic voice. "I've never seen anything like him. There is no one quite like him. No one should be able to survive as many encounters with the super powered that he has survived."

"Cut the chase, Hugo," Lex prompted him.

"I believe your friend may be special," Strange said. "Exactly how he is special, I will have to perform a personal study. Have some one on one time with Mr. Kent, beyond what I had at the farm. The problem is, you're not the only one with a keen personal interest towards Clark Kent."

"Do tell," Lex said.

Strange enjoyed the fact he had knowledge that Lex needed, craved. He allowed himself a few seconds to let the information hang.

"No, I will keep my suspicions under wraps for now, until I have further information," Strange said.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with something called Veritas, would it?" Lex asked.

Strange's interest seemed to perk up in a moment, and he stroked his chin.

"Ah, Veritas, there's a name that I haven't heard in a while," Strange said.

"What do you know about it?" Lex said, eagerness dripping from his voice.

Strange chuckled. The doctor tapped his foot on the floor, a twisted grin on his face.

"Did I say I know anything about it? Maybe I do, maybe I don't, but that's getting off the subject. The fact of the matter is, Clark Kent has attracted interest from many parties. He is a unique young man, and I'm fascinated by him. And I'm fascinated by you, Lex."

"This isn't about me," Lex said dismissively, not quite liking where this was heading.

"Ah, but this is very much about you," Strange corrected him. "You told me to investigate everything involving young Mr. Kent. And everything includes you. Tell me Lex, you do have a fractured family. Could this attempt to find out about Clark be just a front for a quest of your own? Perhaps you are two sides of an age old struggle, or perhaps you wish to be what Clark is. Something that you never could be."

"Is there a point to all of these cryptic words?" Lex asked.

A twisted smirk appeared on the face of Hugo Strange.

"Just pointing out some observations that I've made in the course of my study," Strange said. "I will send you the notes I have made on Mr. Kent, and will contact you if I come across anything interesting."

Lex remained silent for a moment. "Fair enough, but you better not turn this around into some kind of investigation on me."

"Good bye, Lex," Strange said curtly.

Strange chuckled, if Lex really had nothing to hide, then he had nothing to fear with an inquiry into his personal life. Now he was intrigued with Lex Luthor. Perhaps not as intrigued as he was with Clark Kent, but still this bald young man held many secrets.

Speaking of secrets, Strange made his way up towards the high security cell where Winston Smith was being kept.

"Hello, Professor," Smith said in a crisp voice. The silvery glint in his eye was not unnoticed by Strange.

"Good day to you, Winston," Strange said. "I must say, your nearly Lazarus like resurrection has intrigued me. The bullet wounds should have put you down, or lead to permanent brain damage."

"You're not complaining, for I have been a wealth of information," Smith said dryly. "But I do need your assistance to correct an error."

These curious statements did not faze Strange, but he had been intrigued by them many times.

"An interesting observation, Winston," Strange said. "But what can you give me?"

A long pause, before Smith responded.

"I can give you Clark Kent," Smith said. "If you allow me to bring him back, all of his secrets will be at your fingertips."

Strange stroked his chin, and pondered the benefits of this arrangements.

"This deal does not benefit me as much as you would think, you've given me no reason to trust your word," Strange said. "Your unique vital signs do make me wonder. Perhaps you could shed some light on them."

Smith paused.

"Perhaps I had misjudged your intelligence. If you don't wish for me be set free to retrieve Clark, perhaps you would like the information on how you may capture him. As an act of good faith, for your assistance."

The tension could be cut with a knife.

"I'm listening," Strange said, and he held his clipboard.

He had a theory that there was more to Smith than met the eye. Then again, there was more to Clark Kent than met the eye. Strange found that if he uncovered the young man's secrets, he could command a high price.

Strange made plans and the game was on.

* * *

Harry clicked on the ear piece.

"Hey, Chloe, what can I do for you?" Harry asked her. Kara listened in as well.

"Are you okay, first of all?" Chloe asked.

Harry smiled. "Yeah, we're fine, both of us are, Kara got zapped by something too, but it's good. So what's on your mind?"

"Harry, you're never going to believe this," Chloe said slowly.

Harry and Kara just exchanged an apprehensive look.

"Chloe, after what I've seen, nothing's going to surprise me," Harry said. "So spill."

Chloe took a deep breath. "I was in a cemetery, Godric's Hallow, and I thought I saw a ghost."

The silence was brief.

"Oh," Harry said flatly.

"Oh, that's all you got to say?" Chloe asked him.

"I've seen ghosts every day for six years of my life," Harry said, but he paused. "Actually, now that I think about it, this is a curiosity. Ghosts are the ultimate grey area in the game of life and death."

Harry paused.

"My employer does not like them, at all," Harry said. "Of course, being a ghost is its own kind of eternal torment. So Death does get the last laugh in a way. They will never see anyone they have known ever again, and be condemned to watch how everyone lives forever.

"Why would anyone want something like that?" Chloe asked him.

"Some people fear their own mortality to an obsessive degree," Harry said after a moment of time. "It's really insane to see how people cheat the afterlife. But, never mind that. Tell me everything."

Chloe explained the encounter the best she could.

"So, you could see the ghost, but Lois couldn't," Harry concluded.

Kara shrugged; she was completely as baffled as Harry was. This little supernatural thing did not come up in their training.

"Ghosts don't normally are selective by who they let see," Kara interjected. "So it could be something else."

"Something else, something dangerous," Harry said, frowning. "And I doubt that fact Kara and I collapsed was a coincidence. There's something there. Something dangerous, and that gravestone where you saw the ghost, there's a switch."

"You're kidding," Chloe said. "What does it open?"

"Here's the thing, I don't know," Harry said. "My curiosity has long since been killed, after the nine millionth time it almost got me killed. I'm sure I'm meant to find out eventually, but the last time I tapped into the secrets of the past it did not end well."

"Yeah, your mother, we knew how that went," Chloe agreed.

Harry grimaced. The subject of Lily Potter was one that he did not want to ever think about again.

"She's gone, let's not speak of her," Harry said dismissively. "Kara and I will go and investigate the gravestone after the holidays."

"Why not, now?" Chloe asked. "Sorry, just curious about the delay."

"I'd prefer not to leave a ten year old child alone in the house," Harry said. "We're letting Claire stay for the holidays."

"Ah, that's nice, shows you do have a heart underneath all that power," Chloe said.

"Funny," Harry retorted dryly.

"I do try," Chloe said smugly. She then cleared her throat. "But back on the subject to this girl, who do you think she is?"

That actually was a good question, but Harry was at a loss for any good answers.

"It doesn't matter who she is I think," Harry said. "I'm not even sure if she is a ghost, or something else. Something strange, but we'll find out soon. If that's all, I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, I'll let you know if I find out anything about our mysterious e-mailer, and you do the same," Chloe said.

"Having people look into it," Harry told her. "It's not looking promising, but I'll let you know if I find out anything."

The ear piece clicked off. Kara scooted closer to Harry on the couch.

"Another mystery, I guess," Kara concluded.

"As if we didn't have enough," Harry said. He knew having a normal life was never going to happen, but still everything was overwhelming. He was glad he had someone to share the burden with, because he could not shoulder this particular mess alone. "There's some mysterious girl, who may or may not be a ghost. She might know about Clark. Not to mention the fact that Lex is nosing around, and getting dangerously close to finding out about Clark, and then there's Strange, and everything else."

"I know," Kara said, and she rested her head on his shoulder. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know, Lex is beginning to get too dangerous, despite my attempts to nudge him away from his obsessions," Harry said. "If something happens, yeah, I might have to deal with him."

He drew a deep breath, before he voiced another thought.

"A part of me regrets saving from that car," Harry said quietly. "If I had let him drown…"

"You wouldn't have been able to live with yourself," Kara interjected firmly, and grabbed him by the shoulders. She looked in his eyes, trying to tell him that nothing was his fault. "Harry, you said it, it wasn't his time. You didn't know who he was anyway. Granted, I wouldn't blame you if you would have let him drown, but I guess there's a saying about hindsight that applies here."

Kara continued her hold on her mate.

"And if he tries to do anything to Clark, he'll have me to answer to," Kara added, looking rather dangerous at this point.

Kara let the implied meaning of her words hang.

"What's going to happen, now?" Kara asked him.

"I don't know, Kara, and the only thing for sure, nothing is for sure," Harry said to her. "We don't know if we're going to see tomorrow. We both know better than anyone that everything we know can end in a snap in an instant."

Harry then smiled.

"We're going to enjoy what we have while w can," Harry added to her, and she nodded in agreement. "I'm just wondering about that gravestone, the more I think about it, and the effect it had on us."

"Yeah, me too," Kara agreed. She stroked Harry's hair with her fingers. The two Heralds relaxed, feeling solitude with each other. "We have the greatest power, but that would only mean our concerns would only have to be greater."

Harry offered her a light smile.

"The fact is, we have a good idea of the worst that could happen," Harry said. "I think this is the reason why the other heralds, providing they exist, went insane with their powers. They tried to fix everything, it corrupted the balance, and everything just created more problems. The entire power of the Herald of Death, maybe it is something that dooms everyone."

Kara firmly shook her head.

"And you disagree with this," Harry said to her.

"They went insane with the power, because they allowed themselves to be alone, they let themselves to lose sight of what truly was important," Kara said. "They didn't have anyone that they could identify with."

Kara offered him a smile, and snuggled up against the side of his neck.

"If it wasn't for you, I could have been like that," Harry said.

"Maybe, maybe not, I don't know," Kara said conflicted, and she looked at Harry. She swung legs over him, straddling his lap. She tightly wrapped her arms around his neck. "You can find something within you that could go beyond your role. You could have turned to complete and utter darkness, you could have given up. Beneath all of that power, beats the heart of something wonderful."

Kara turned, and whispered in Harry's ear.

"You could be the shining light that the world needs, if you allowed yourself to be."

Kara peppered Harry's face and neck with light passionate kisses. Harry wrapped his arms around her. His hands traced hands around her lower back, and cupped her backside with his hands.

"And you taught me something important, that emotions aren't something that should be feared, something that would make you weak," Kara said to him, nibbling on his ear. "It's the improper understanding of them, the fear of them that makes people weak. I don't know what path life would have taken me without you, but I know where it's taking me now."

Kara grabbed Harry's face, and planted a huge passionate kiss on him. Harry returned it. She pushed Harry back. Their hands slowly roamed over each other's bodies, as they continued to kiss deeply on the couch.

She pulled herself away, and licked her lips hungrily. "It's taking me somewhere wonderful."

Kara grabbed Harry's shirt, and pulled it over his head. His hair was messed up even more. She planted teasing kisses on his muscular, bare chest.

"I want to be with you forever, too" Kara breathed in his ear, but she felt Harry's fingers go down the waistband of her jeans. Her eyes glazed back.

"I'll never leave you," Harry said, and he met her lips with a kiss. More clothes found their way off. His hands traveled around every inch of her slender body, and he soaked it in. "I love you, always and forever."

Kara closed her eyes. She never thought she could feel like this. She only heard about people feeling like this, but Harry proved her wrong. It was possible to feel these wonderful feelings.

Harry flipped her over. Kara's prone form was sprawled out on the couch. Hair draped over her breasts, and she inhaled and exhaled.

"How could I be so lucky to have a beautiful woman like you?" Harry asked her.

"It's no less than you deserve," Kara replied, but her lips curled into a smile. "Are you going to take me now, or do I have to beg for it?"

"Be patient, or I'll have to tie you up," Harry teased her.

A triumphant grin appeared on Kara's lips.

"Are you offering?" Kara asked him, excited about the possibilities.

Harry just smiled, and lowered himself down onto her.

The two lovers found themselves submerged in each other's passions. It was the most wonderful thing. Their minds, bodies, and soul worked in perfect harmony. It was meant to be.

* * *

The entire Hugo Strange visit had Clark on the edge of his nerves. He really wanted to ask someone how to best deal with this situation. And on a whim, he decided to head up to the Fortress of Solitude. He remained calm, and looked around. He drew a deep breath, and prepared to address Jor-El.

"I've run into a situation," Clark said, and the Fortress remained silent. "There was a man named Hugo Strange who came to the Farm today. He's studying me. He could know about my secret, and what's worse he's studying my friends. They could be put into danger. He's not exactly a problem that I can solve with physical force."

Jor-El had no response.

"I've come to you, for advice, that's what you wanted," Clark said. "I've run out of options. I'm looking over my shoulder because of this Strange. Every single moment of my life, he could return. Everyone I care about is in danger because of me. We've had our differences of opinion regarding Kara recently, but I could use guidance."

Once again, the Fortress of Solitude remained silent.

"If this is another one of your tests, I'm lost to see what it might be," Clark continued. "If you could just tell me what you're trying to do, because the cryptic act is getting really old. Kara can be open and honest with me, but my own biological father can't. What do you want me to do?"

There was once again no response. Clark wondered if someone had tampered with the Fortress, but it seemed to be normal. The only difference was Jor-El had become mute.

"So, you have nothing to say to me, nothing at all," Clark said, his temper raising.

Clark turned and sped off, frustrated and if he had to admit it, a bit hurt at the cold shoulder that he was being given by the AI.

* * *

A cell phone rang inside his house, and Harry hastened to answer it immediately. Kara walked behind him, to see who had called him on his private phone.

"The secrets you seek can be found in the graveyard of your ancestors," a voice said cryptically over the phone.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked the voice over the phone.

A slight pause, and Harry hoped to keep this person on the line long enough to trace the call.

"The secrets you seek can be found in the graveyard of your ancestors," the voice repeated. "The truth is in your grasp, reach it before others do."

The phone clicked off, and Kara frowned in confusion.

"What was that about?" Kara asked.

"Normally, I would have to say that someone's playing mind games with me," Harry said, but he paused immediately. "But, I'm not really sure, with the alleged ghost Chloe saw, I'm not sure what's going on. Is she trying to tell me something?"

Kara frowned, but it clicked with her immediately.

"If this is another one of her games, I swear I'm not going to be happy," Kara said to him.

"I hope it isn't, but you never know," Harry offered her, but he had had to agree that he was not going to be happy. "We better see what's up. I thought we could leave this, but once we got that beacon, someone wants us to know something."

"I don't know if it's something we want to know, after all of the things we learned, this could be the most deadly secret of them all," Kara said. She was then struck with a thought. "But, could it be something to help my cousin?"

"It could be something to help him, or it could be something to hurt him," Harry offered her. He really wished he could offer her more reassurance. "There's only one way to find out. I hoped my curiosity would not get the better of me, but it has, again."

"If it makes you feel better, I'm interested in it as well,' Kara said, before she made a decision, for the both of them. She knew this was going to eat up at Harry, so it was time for drastic action. "Claire, grab your coat, something's come up!"

Claire exited her bedroom a few moments later. She saw both of them look concerned, and she frowned at this.

"I'm really sorry Claire, but we're going to drop you off with Chloe for a little bit, we've got to deal with something," Harry said, in an apologetic voice.

"What is it?" Claire demanded.

"We're not sure," Harry admitted to her.

"But it's important, we swear," Kara added.

The girl's shoulders slumped, but Harry grabbed her, gently. "When we get back, we'll do something fun, the three of us. But, you can hang out with Chloe for a while, and she'll keep an eye on you."

"Okay," Claire said, offering them a reassuring smile. After Harry and Kara had a talk with her, she was a bit more accepting that they weren't going to abandon her if they had to go off for a while.

Harry and Kara teleported themselves and Claire outside of Chloe's door. Claire smiled in spite herself. That was fun, even if took some getting used to.

Kara knocked on the door, and a moment later, Chloe answered.

"Harry, Kara, Claire, this is…unexpected," Chloe said, but she looked at them. It took her a second to recover "What can I do for you?"

"Chloe, please do me with a favor and watch Claire for a few hours," Harry said. Chloe nodded. "We got a mysterious message, telling us something about the graveyard at Godric's Hollow."

Chloe frowned, before she said something she had on her mind. "So is this mysterious messenger, and our other mysterious messenger one and the same?"

"You know, that's a good question," Harry said.

"It could be mind games," Chloe said.

"I thought so too," Harry agreed. "But, the fact there was something weird that you saw, and I have a suspicion something weird Lex saw as well. There are too many weird things happening to chalk up as a coincidence."

"So, we're going to figure out what that gravestone is," Kara said to Chloe.

"I don't suppose it would do you any good to tell you to be careful," Chloe said.

"You can tell us, the gesture is appreciated," Kara said.

Harry had to add his two cents. "Whether or not it would actually do any good, that's an entirely different matter entirely."

Chloe felt a feeling of dread she could not quite shake.

"We'll be off, Claire, don't get into too much trouble," Harry said.

Claire smiled. "Don't worry, I won't."

"We'll be back in an hour, a couple at the most," Kara said. "We promise."

"I know," Claire said.

Harry bent down. "Make sure Chloe doesn't get into too much trouble."

"HEY!"

Harry and Kara snickered, and Claire hugged them goodbye. Claire walked inside. The two Heralds of Death moved off, and seconds later, they appeared at the Graveyard.

They touched down. The fact there seemed to be an eerie amount of mist was not lost on them. It seemed almost foreboding.

Both were on their guard, for anything.

* * *

It was a peaceful day, with not a cloud in the sky. Lana looked out the window, half paying attention to what happened around here. For some reason, this type of day just put her on edge. Perhaps it was because of what Strange may have found out about Clark and by extension her and everyone else or perhaps there was something else.

She watched out of her window. Clark returned, and seemed to be in a sour mood. Lana opened the door, and looked at the expression on Clark's face.

"Something's bothering you," Lana said knowingly.

Clark tried to avert that particular line of questioning.

"It's nothing, Lana," Clark said in a calm voice.

"Well, it's something," Lana prompted.

Clark sighed deeply.

"Why is it that when you want someone, they're not around?" Clark asked her. "And when you don't want them around, they keep interjecting themselves into your life."

"I don't know what to say, Clark," Lana said. "It's Strange, isn't it? You heard what Harry said. If you lay low, you won't play into his hands."

Clark turned towards Lana.

"I can't just sit there, and wait for the other shoe to drop," Clark said. "That has never been in my nature. But Strange, with him, the game has been dangerous. I'm not entirely convinced he is acting alone. A world class psychiatrist does not come to a place like Smallville, not without a good reason."

Lana had a bit of a theory about Strange, but she tried to squash it.

"Lana?" Clark asked her, gently. "Is there something you want to tell me."

"I don't know, but I think Lex could be involved with this," Lana said. A pained expression appeared on her face. "I want to get away from him, just let it be, but he just keeps following me around."

"Lana, I won't let anything happen, not again," Clark told her.

There was a pause, and Lana looked at Clark.

"You can't protect me from everything," Lana said.

Clark just offered her a smile.

"I'm serious, Clark, there are some things where I can't drag you into them," Lana said firmly. "You're powerful, but you're not invincible. I think Lex is closer to figuring out what your secret is, more than ever before."

Clark tried to say that there was no way Lex could find out, but he was not sure. If there was someone he barely knew like Strange who came close to his secret, than someone he did know and was friends with, it was only inevitable.

Then there was this cryptic mystery e-mailer.

The question is what would he about it should something happen.

Clark's super hearing perked out. He heard a whizzing, and felt weak suddenly.

"Clark, what is it?" Lana asked.

"Lana, get down!" Clark yelled.

The front windows of the Kent Farm blew open, and Clark shoved Lana down, before shielding her with his body. A miniature missile shattered the windows, and caught Clark in the back. Clark dropped to the ground, in pure agony.

Lana rolled over. She coughed and wheezed by the dust that had been created. She, by a miracle, had not been cut up by the broken glass. She crawled over, and saw Clark on the ground.

"Clark!" Lana yelled frantically.

He was barely breathing, and she knew why. The missile that had been sent through the window had been laced by fragments of Kryptonite. The doors cracked open, and Clark tried to get to his knees. Lana reached over, to help him up.

By sheer force of stubborn will, Clark barely made it to his feet. He collapsed, and Lana could not properly hold him up. Several guards, dressed in masks kicked down the front doors.

"What are you doing?" Lana asked.

"Taking Mr. Kent in for observation," one of the thugs said.

"He seems very sick," another thug mocked, kicking Clark in the ribs for emphasis.

Lana fought the bubbling fury she felt.

"That's because you attacked him!" Lana yelled. "I won't let you take him!"

The guards chuckled at her daring attempts to protect him.

"I'm afraid that's out of your hands, Ms. Lang," a guard said smugly.

Lana rushed over, and tried to knock the guards back. However, she was shot with a tranquillizer dart. Lana staggered, and the woman collapsed on the ground, drugged.

A click of the radio could be heard, and one of the guards held out a two-way radio.

"We have Mr. Kent," the guard said. "What about, Ms. Lang?"

"Bring her as well, for insurance," Strange said coldly. "Make sure to keep the meteor rock fragments on Mr. Kent at all times. I wish to further study what the long term effects would do to him. If it kills him, well there's always dissection."

Clark and Lana were both shackled, and led off in restraints. Neither of them could even begin to move, and both were out for the count for the foreseeable future.

They were hauled into a back of a van, and drove off. The daring move of Hugo Strange had paid off, with some assistance.

* * *

Kara and Harry moved through the mists in the graveyard. If Harry did not personally see to their destruction, he would be almost sure that the Dementors had lived. He made sure those particular monsters had been slain years and years ago.

"Is this the gravestone?" Kara asked him.

"Yes," Harry said. "How did you know?"

"It seems familiar," Kara said with a shrug. "I remember bits of the premonition before the echoes of death overwhelmed me, when Lex touched it, when we collapsed."

Harry and Kara walked over to the gravestone. At first glance, it seemed to be normal, but appearances were often deceiving. The two of them studied the stone, careful not to touch it at all.

Something interesting happened when the two Heralds approached it. The gravestone glowed immediately. The symbol on the gravestone divided into three identical symbols. All of them were the same. Harry reached forward tentatively. One symbol was on the top, one symbol was in the center, and one symbol was on the bottom. They were all stacked, evenly.

Harry touched the symbol on the top and it illuminated. Harry touched the symbol in the middle. The top symbol went dead, but the middle symbol was now flowing with bright light. He shrugged immediately, and Harry touched the bottom symbol. Now it was the bottom symbol that was glowing, while the other two went dead.

Harry retracted his hand, and they all went dead.

"Kara, could you…"

"Yeah, let me try," Kara said.

She touched the top symbol. It was glowing. When she touched the middle symbol, it glowed, but the top symbol was dead. She touched the bottom, and the middle went off.

Harry and Kara both paused, and when the bottom symbol went dead they tried something else. They took a brief moment, and Harry touched the top symbol. Kara pressed the middle symbol, and both of them were glowing. Harry tried to touch the bottom symbol, and it activated, with the top symbol going dead.

"Well, we might need three people to activate this thing, whatever it is," Harry said.

Kara looked thoughtful. "Not just any three people, three Heralds, the three of us, we need to touch the symbols."

This presented a bit of a problem.

"We have no idea who the third Herald is," Harry said. "Or where they might be, or even if they are trustworthy."

"And until we do, we won't be able figure this thing out," Kara said, frustrated.

Harry placed his arm around her, reassuringly.

"Do we want to?" Harry asked.

Before Kara could answer, someone else piped up.

"It matters little what you want to do, but rather the answers that you must seek."

Harry and Kara both spun around. They saw the girl standing before them. Her arms were folded. She was transparent, but Harry was not fully convinced she was a ghost. She was something else.

"I hoped that my little lightshow would lure you here," the girl said, with a smug smile.

The two of them surveyed the mysterious ghost girl.

"What do you want?" Kara asked.

The ghost girl smiled. "It doesn't matter what I want. Not anymore, but all that matters is the truth. The answers you have been searching for involve the traveler. Are you worthy to hold them? Are you worthy to understand the secrets of Veritas?"

Harry had heard that word so many times recently, that now his curiosity was piqued.

"I want answers now!" Harry yelled, his lack of patience finally breaking through for the first time in ages.

The ghost girl just gave Harry and Kara a shifty little smirk, and shot off into the distance like a cork out of a bottle.

Kara and Harry had no choice, but to follow this mysterious girl. They felt their fingertips on potential answers.

Whether these answers would be something they would like the answers, or something that would not raise more questions, that remained to be seen.

* * *

Chloe tapped her fingers, keeping an eye on Claire, as she sat in front of her computer. She remained rather calm and collected, but the events of the last few days weighed heavily on her mind.

Another e-mail brought her out of her thoughts. Chloe did not recognize the e-mail address. She proceeded with the ultimate caution, and when she discovered the e-mail was safe, she opened it up.

Much like the previous mysterious e-mail she had received, it was short, and rather to the point. She clicked it open.

_Strange has Kent. The game has begun. Location is unknown. Time runs short. _

Chloe tried not to freak out, for the sake of the ten year old child across the room. Sure enough, the e-mail had once again been disabled before she could even send a return response. She hoped that it was a prank, even if there was something nagging in the back of her mind that it was far from a prank.

Something really serious was going on. Strange was far more dangerous.

The blonde woman bit her lip, and reached out for her cell phone. She began to dial the number, hoping that Clark was there. She allowed the phone to ring twenty five, thirty times, she lost count, but eventually it was proven to be a futile effort. Chloe put the phone down, and clicked on the ear piece.

She spoke in the softest voice she could. "Harry, are you there?"

There was nothing but static. She wondered if she had damaged it somehow, but then remembered that Harry told her that it had been charmed against damage. Which meant there was some kind of interference on Harry's end.

Never one to give up, Chloe tried again.

"Harry? Kara? If either of you are there, and can hear me, just give me a sign. I think something's happened."

There was nothing. Chloe looked at the telephone. Calling the police seemed to be logical right now, but how to explain what happened, that would be a huge challenge.

"Is everything okay, Chloe?" Claire asked.

"Oh, yeah, everything's just hunky dory," Chloe said with a false cheery smile.

Claire rolled her eyes. "I'm not stupid, you wouldn't look so worried if something happened, and you wouldn't use the word, hunky dory. Who uses that word anyway?"

Chloe did not want to have that argument with a ten year old child.

"Well, I think something bad might have happened to Clark, but everything should work out okay," Chloe said.

"Harry will be able to find him," Claire said without missing a beat.

Chloe sure hoped sure. Curiosity got the better of her.

"How do you know?" Chloe said.

Claire shrugged.

"I'm not supposed to tell you," Claire said, adopting an expression of innocence.

"You're not supposed to tell me what?" Chloe asked her.

"I'm not supposed to tell you that Harry planted a tracking charm on Clark, I heard both Kara and Harry talking about it," Claire said, but she then clapped her hands over her mouth, realizing she's said too much.

"So you were eavesdropping," Chloe said, eyebrow raised.

Claire flew on the defensive immediately.

"Hey, they should be more careful about leaving the door open where people might hear them," Claire protested.

Chloe frowned. It would be one thing if it was an actual tracking device, but now Harry was the only one that could track him.

She wondered about the ethical implications of what Harry did, but if this would help Clark, she certainly would not complain.

Trying to call Harry again got nothing. Chloe Sullivan was lost, and frustrated.

The waiting game was the worst thing of all.

* * *

Clark's eyes flickered open. His breath was shallow, but he could still could breathe, albeit barely. His arms were chained to the wall, and he could not even bust the chain. He could not even lift his arms. It took him a few moments to realize that the room he was in had been bathed in a red light.

"Is anyone there?" Clark asked in a hoarse voice.

"Ah, good, you're awake."

Clark looked up, and tried to focus himself. The face of Hugo Strange had been seen on the other side of a thick sheet of glass.

"We meet again, Mr. Kent," Strange said.

"Why did you do this?" Clark demanded. He tried to free himself. "I've told people that you visited me…"

"Ah, and they may expect to find you at Belle Reve," Strange said. "However, I have an alternate location where we could have our private session. You see, judging by your temper and your paranoia, you may be a very sick man, Mr. Kent."

A twisted smile appeared on Strange's depraved face.

"Let me out of here!" Clark demanded.

"If you give me the information that I want, I'll let you go," Strange said, and his beady little eyes focused on Clark's face. "I trust you do not want your pretty little friend to have physical scars to match her emotional ones."

The implications of what Strange said clicked with Clark.

"Where's Lana?" Clark demanded.

Strange just scratched a note on his clipboard.

"Where's Lana?" Clark repeated, a bit more forcefully.

"Relax, Mr. Kent, she's perfectly safe," Strange told Clark, and he peered at him once again. "Perfectly safe for the moment, and she will remain so, as long as you cooperate. She's insurance in the event you have any ideas of escaping my hospitality."

Clark gritted his teeth, and looked at Strange with a heavy amount of hate. Strange just chuckled, drumming his fingers, and clutched the side of the walls.

"You do intrigue me, Mr. Kent," Strange said. "In fact, there is only one other individual that I have met that intrigues me as much as you do. He wears a mask, but while yours is merely emotional, his is physical and emotional."

Clark tried to find a weak spot in the chain. He had no idea why he could not snap that. It was almost like something had snapped his strength. He looked at the lights, and a meteor rock swung high above his head, like a pendulum.

"Let us begin our interview," Strange continued, and he frowned, before sliding back. "You will give me the answers I seek, or I will take them for you."

The psychiatrist's face twisted into a malevolent smirk. Despite his best efforts not to react, this expression did make Clark's skin crawl.

"The choice is yours," Strange said.

"I won't tell you anything," Clark persisted, stubbornly.

Strange moved forward, and clicked something.

"A pity," Strange said, and he reached forward, to activate a device that Clark realized had been strapped to his head.

Clark screamed, as he felt agony beyond everything he had ever experienced. Every nerve ending on his body felt like it was on fire.

"You might be a tough nut to crack," Strange said. "You will find it to your benefit to tell me soon, or you will be left a vegetable. The human mind cannot withstand this stress for very long."

Strange prepared to rip the answers from Clark Kent's mind. His mind seemed to be different than anything he had ever encountered, but Professor Hugo Strange enjoyed a challenge.

* * *

The mysterious ghost girl had given them the run around apparently. Harry and Kara flew, trying to get a hint of where she could have gone. They noticed the static in the ear pieces, which meant if there was an emergency, there was no way for anyone to contact them.

Harry tried to put his mind at ease; his luck could not have been this rotten where something drastic could have happened in the short time he was away.

The taunting, almost childish laughter echoed through their ears.

"Over there," Kara said, tugging on his sleeve.

They saw a flicker of light, and Harry and Kara slowly and carefully decelerated from their vantage point.

"Come on, I thought you wanted answers!"

"Oh, I'll be getting answers," Harry said, in a firm voice.

Harry and Kara fought the biting wind, and they saw a bright light in an otherwise dark village. It was coming from what appeared to be a library or what used to be a library. Kara and Harry busted the doors open. They took a few steps, careful not allow anyone to sneak up on them. The shelves were completely bare of all books.

"Why did she want to lure us to an empty library?" Kara wondered out loud.

Harry stopped, and stared. He blinked immediately, and he drew breath. He recognized the library. The last time he had been in this place, he was not greeted by a pleasant sight.

Kara's face dawned in the same realization; the venue was familiar from Harry's memories. One of his worst memories, and she grabbed his hand. The two of them stepped forward, into the dusty library.

"She's gone," Harry whispered to her.

Kara closed her eyes immediately. The two of them continued to walk step by step down the empty shelves.

The ghost girl reappeared sitting cross legged in the air.

"Who are you?" Harry demanded. "Who sent you?"

"You're demanding, you know that," the girl said. "She sent me."

"Who?" Kara asked.

"Her," the girl said in a misty voice. "Do you want to know the secrets, or do you fear the truth?"

"It was Death, wasn't it?" Harry asked her.

"Mmm, nope, can't say it was," the girl responded dryly.

Kara looked at Harry, her mouth curling into a frown. The blonde Kryptonian scanned the door with her X-Ray vision, but was blasted back.

"No peeking," the girl responded in a sing song voice.

Kara was helped to her feet by Harry. Nothing was injured, unless one counted her pride.

Harry decided to do something reckless. He reached forward, and opened the door. He closed his eyes, waiting for something bad to happen, but much to his surprise, nothing out of the ordinary occurred.

They took more steps into the library. Pinned to the wall was an envelope, and Harry snatched it. He opened it, and held out the piece of parchment for Harry to read.

"The Veritas Society," Kara read. "Formed to watch for the coming of the traveler."

Harry's eyes averted down the list of families involved. He recognized some of the names, but the others were a mystery.

"The Lovegoods, the Greengrasses, the Grangers," Harry read down the list, noticing three particular families that he knew all too well. "Would explain why Astoria said that word to me before she died. Let's seen, Teague, Swann, Queen, Luthor, Wayne…interesting. And…Strange?"

"As in Hugo Strange, the guy who visited Clark," Kara said, a bit of alarm creeping into her voice.

"Yes, perhaps the very same," Harry said. "And Petunia Dursley was offered membership, but declined it said. Given what my mother dug up, that's not surprising, and would explain the Luthors little visit."

Harry and Kara realized that they now had something tangible to go on, names, beyond the whispers of the word.

"I was wondering when you'd get here."

Harry and Kara turned around, and saw the figure in the shadows.

Time stood still.

"You!" Harry yelled, unable to believe his eyes. "I thought you were dead!"

**To Be Continued in Chapter 20, Uncovered. **


	20. Chapter 20: Uncovering

_Here's Chapter 20 of Herald of Death. It's a big one, in many ways I daresay. And it's a long one too, again. Anyway, try to enjoy. There was one particular scene that I rewrote about six or seven times before I was satisfied enough to post this chapter. So yeah, don't quite know when the next chapter will be out. December's an insane month for me.  
_

* * *

**Chapter 20: Uncovering.**

Shock did not begin to adequately describe what Harry had felt. His gaze was fixed on the young woman who spoke to him. He saw her face, he recognized it, but there was something that was holding him back from fully believing it. He knew by now that believing what he saw, and what he heard at face value was something that was foolish.

His mouth remained open, and Kara blinked immediately. She was able to regain the ability to speak before Harry.

"What's going on here?" Kara demanded, and she rounded upon the girl. "I know who you are, I saw you in Harry's memories, but you can't be alive."

The girl just threw up her hands, indicating that she was not there for a fight, but was fully aware that the blonde's gaze was on her and knew that one wrong move would not end well.

"I know it's hard to believe," she admitted. "There are parts of this entire mess that I don't completely get myself, but you've got to believe me."

"Let's get one thing perfectly straight," Harry stated slowly, and he looked this young woman right in the eye when he said this. "I don't have to do anything, much less believe you. If you are who you appear to be, then you let me think you were dead. And if you aren't, then you're not only a threat, but someone trying to play head games with me. And I don't play around, not anymore."

Harry paused.

"So which one is it?"

The girl took a deep breath, and Harry and Kara both looked ready to fight if she made one wrong move. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife.

"We want to know the truth," Kara added fiercely, and she grabbed the young woman by sleeve to get her attention. "Who are you?"

"I'm…I'm….I know this is hard to believe," the girl said with a slight reassuring smile, but Kara did not relax her grip and pushed this woman back ever so slightly.

"Kara, it's okay, you can let go," Harry said in a soothing voice.

Kara slightly relaxed her grip, and the girl slumped against the wall. Harry's eyes narrowed. He surveyed the young woman. The face was staring back at him. It was a face he had seen many times.

"Let me explain, please," the girl pleaded.

"You have five minutes," Harry told her in a calm voice.

"I never wanted this to happen, I never meant to hurt you in such a way," the girl said.

"No one ever means to hurt people, especially me, yet you did," Harry replied in a stoic voice.

The girl nearly broke down into hysterics.

"Okay, calm down, that's really not getting us anywhere," Harry said, feeling a bit bad at how he reacted, but only slightly. There was still a chance that this was some imposter, trying to play head games with him. "I know you died. You went to meet Sinclair and her followers, and a few days later…"

Harry choked out these words. Kara grabbed his hand, and squeezed it gently, giving him the strength to continue.

"You were dead, it was brutal," Harry added. "Are you a ghost?" Please tell me you're a ghost."

"Could a ghost use a cell phone?" the girl replied crossly. "Could a ghost do this?"

The girl reached forward, and briefly touched both Harry and Kara'.

"So, not a ghost," the girl responded, but then she took a deep breath. "As for Sinclair, I remember leaving to go, but everything that came after, total blank."

"No, you don't get it, I spoke to Hermione Granger!" Harry shouted. "After the final battle with Sinclair's followers, and you…"

It hit Harry immediately, and Kara thought the same thing. Harry thought Hermione would have died, so his mind perceived an image of her. Or the hand of Death was involved, knowing that Harry would be distracted if there was a hint that his best friend might have survived.

"I found your…you can't be her," Harry said immediately, and he turned around.

Kara then turned her attention to the brunette who took a step back.

"I really don't know what kind of sick game you're trying to pull," Kara said. "Wearing the face of Harry's best friend, his dead best friend, and someone he thought of as a sister, that's lower than anything I've ever seen. I won't sit back, and let you harm my mate like that."

The brunette bit her lip.

"You're…oh you're her, you're the other one, aren't you?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kara said, and Harry stepped forward before Kara would pound the other girl into paste. "Whatever I am, it's none of your business."

"Ask me anything, things that only the real Hermione would know," Hermione said quickly. She then added in a challenging way, "Unless you're afraid of what you could find out."

Harry was never afraid, he was fearless. His eyes locked onto Hermione, and began to fire off a serious of questions.

"What did you say when we escaped from the troll during our first year?" Harry asked her.

She responded, a bit amused at how misplaced her priorities were. "I said we were lucky to not be killed, or worse expelled."

"What did we do during our third year?" Harry asked.

"Harry, you made that sound so seedy," Hermione said, but Harry gave her a glare. "Oh fine, we used the time turner, to save Sirius and Buckbeak."

"Fine, what did you say I had during my fifth year?" Harry replied.

"I said you have a saving people thing," Hermione responded.

"Who was the only person to beat Ron in chess?" Harry asked her.

"Luna, and the look on his face as hilarious," Hermione said, a bit amused by the memories.

Harry looked at her. Realizations dawned upon him, but they were not entirely pleasant.

"And how did I discover that I could fly without a broom?"

"You got drunk off of Firewhiskey, and jumped off of the Astronomy Tower, to try and win a bet that you could fly without a broom, couple days after the last battle with Voldemort," Hermione said.

There was a long pause, and Harry turned his back slightly on her. Kara walked over to him. Hermione waited nervously for the verdict.

"So, it really is you," Harry concluded softly.

"Yes, Harry, it's me, and I'm really sorry, for everything I might have ever done, or could potentially do in the future," Hermione said. "I know how much trust means to you, and I seem to have broken your trust, but I'll try and do what I can to make things right."

Harry did not want to be mad with her. But, there was just something that was unsettling about this. He had been burned one too many times in the past by people he thought were friends and his family. The truth about his mother, at least parts of it, had caused him to err on the side of caution.

"It's just not that simple Hermione, you might be the only untainted link to my past right now," Harry said. "I could just walk away right now, and pretend this never happened. I don't want to learn something about you that might sour my picture of you, like it did my mother."

"Your mother?" Hermione asked. "Oh, she's….what did you find out?"

There was no response.

"I take it you would have been happier to find out that I was an imposter," Hermione said, turning away to hide the tears in her eyes. She managed to gain her composure, and turned back around. "But I'm very real."

"I know, Hermione, and that's what scares me," Harry said coolly.

Kara turned around to face Hermione.

"You could have tracked down Harry at any time, what was with the games?" Kara asked her.

"I have my reasons, I swear," Hermione said.

Hermione immediately realized due to the look on Harry's face, this was the worst possible thing to say to him.

"So did Dumbledore," Harry answered her, and Hermione winced, that was a brutal stab right into her heart. "And so did my mother."

"Dumbledore…I'm done defending what he did," Hermione said. "And your mother…well she must have made some mistake. The hardest thing to deal with is when you grow up and come to the realization that your parents are not what you thought they were. They have a past, and some of it is not that pleasant."

Kara and Harry both nodded, they knew that all too well.

"It begins with the traveler, and a generations long obsession with him," Harry continued. "And this Veritas society, I'm guessing this all ties together loosely with the old obsession of the Evans family."

"Yes, but I don't know too much about it, other than what you have in front of you," Hermione said, pointing to the paper. "Contrary to popular belief, I don't have all of the answers. I do know enough to know that you may want to be weary of some people finding out the entire truth."

"Now that wouldn't be because their last name would be Luthor, would it?" Harry asked.

Hermione just offered a bit of a knowing smile.

"Use your imagination to fill in the dots Harry, it isn't that hard to figure this out," Hermione said with a sigh.

"No it isn't," Harry agreed with her. "But one thing that I can't wrap my brain around is the fact that you were supposed to be dead. Everyone in that world was supposed to be dead."

"Well I've learned something interesting, and that is magic has a lot of variety," Hermione lectured. "I'm sure the Ministry would have liked that our misfit band of foolish wand wavers were the only magic users in town. That might have been the case in most parts of Europe, but around the world, there were other magic users, many of them not using a wand. The Ministry, hell any government in the International Confederation of Wizards would never have wanted us to know, because they would break the control. They could not have tracked magic, unless it was used with a wand."

Hermione remained silent. She could feel the tension.

"You don't have to believe me, you don't have to trust me, and if you didn't like me anymore, I'd understand," Hermione said. "There are things that I did, that I'm not really proud of. And I'm sure there are things that you did that you weren't really proud of. But, they were all steps to build the person that you are, the person that you can be."

Kara spoke up. "How much did you know about what Harry could have been?"

"Not too much, but I had an idea, with the Hallows that he would be the only one to be destined to unite them," Hermione said. "But, I knew what would happen, if Harry touched them together, and became the Herald of Death. That's why I tried to discourage you from tracking them down, the real reason."

"So you knew," Harry said, distrust dripping from his voice, and Hermione grimaced.

"And so did Astoria, but the Greengrasses were the eyes and ears for the magical world in the Veritas Society, but they never reported what they found to the Ministry to the best of my knowledge," Hermione said.

Harry figured that was for the best. He could just imagine someone like Umbridge or Fudge, blowing an absolute gasket over an alien.

"What about the Lovegoods?" Harry asked.

"To try and guess what the Lovegoods intended would be trying to guess the meaning of life itself," Hermione said with a wry smile. "Given their obsession with the Hallows, they may have had an idea about the Herald of Death. At least Luna's mother maybe, because the more I think about it, the more I believe that her death was not an accident."

"Murder, then," Kara said.

"Yes, absolutely, someone wanted to shut her up, or try and find out information, but it was taken a step too far," Hermione said. "That's something that happened a long time ago…but still…"

Hermione regained her composure

"The thing is, I never intended to reach out for you, for reasons which I'll try and explain the best I can," she continued. "But the fact of the matter is, the minute Lex Luthor started to dig around here, I knew what I had to do. I kept an eye on the graveyard, knowing that it was a potential lightning rod, given the secrets that lie here. And those secrets involve the Heralds of Death."

Kara voiced something she had been wondering. "Are you…"

"The third Herald?" Hermione asked calmly, and Kara responded with a nod. "I can tell you that I'm not."

"So you know who it is," Kara prompted.

"I never said that," Hermione argued. "I only have a vague idea of a lot of what is going on. For a while, I didn't have my memories, and it took me a long to relearn everything without using a wand. The ability to use a wand has been stripped, I can tell you that much. Not that there were many of us foolish wand wavers left when the bomb dropped."

Harry's mind was going a mile a minute. He eyed Hermione, a bit suspiciously, but if he had to be honest, he wanted to trust her. Yet, there was so many secrets that he did not know about. Hell, the more he thought about it, he didn't even know the first names of Hermione's parents.

He was so guarded, because after the incident with his mother's journal, he did not want to know the truth. The expression ignorance was bliss.

Yet, secrets and lies were something that could harm people more than any weapon. Harry was living proof of that.

"I know the Heralds were sent here to assist the traveler, but not to fight his battles for him," Hermione continued, but she smiled. "You being you, however, you decided to get involved."

"You know me all too well," Harry said.

"And your mere involvement has caused a cosmic ripple effect, that has changed everything," Hermione added.

"I can't stand back, and not get involved," Harry said.

"And I couldn't either," Kara added, and they wore prideful looks of determination on their face.

Hermione took a few seconds to really study Harry and Kara. Kara had to be a remarkable girl, for Harry to be that comfortable with her. Harry never truly trusted anyone one hundred percent to tell them everything, but yet he appeared to open up his heart to her and it seemed to benefit him, hell both of them if she was honest with herself.

"Well, what you do is your business, and I'm sure you'll find a way to make it all work out in the end," Hermione said, before she added as an afterthought. "Watch over the traveler, because there are three schools of thought regarding him."

Hermione paused, before she gave Harry and Kara her conclusions, even if she was certain that they might have come to something similar.

"One, he could be molded into a force of good, to protect humanity from those that will harm it. The second one is that he must be molded into a conqueror, to save humanity from itself. And the third is that he must be destroyed so humanity will be able to rise to the next level."

Harry nodded, he figured as much.

"And what one do you believe?" Kara asked.

"I can't really say," Hermione said in an even voice. "I believe you two, soon to be three, will be able to do what's best for the continued existence of humanity."

"No pressure then," Harry said.

"Yes, no pressure," Hermione agreed, but she sighed. She looked Harry in the eye. "I'm sure you want to know about the gravestone, but you're too proud to ask."

"Depends on if you know," Harry said.

"Do you?" Kara asked her.

Hermione allowed herself a few thoughtful moments.

"I'm guessing that it had some kind of adverse effect on you, which drew you here in the first place," Hermione said, and Harry just blinked. It took a bit more concentration to use his powers, at least until the effects wore off. Kara seemed to be the same way from what he could tell. "Yeah, I figured as much. Some things never change, you're always too proud to admit when you're hurt. Why would great cosmic power be any different?"

Hermione got two rather agitated looks, so she knew now was the time not to be critical.

"Both of you I take it," Hermione said, and once again there was no response.

"Use your imagination, it isn't that hard," Kara answered.

"It's something that could hurt us, isn't it?" Harry asked.

"That would be the most logical explanation, yes," Hermione offered him.

"But when we touched the symbols, they activated, two of them did," Harry said.

"So, it could either help or hurt," Kara concluded.

All three of them looked thoughtful.

"There are many things that can hurt you, even with your powers," Hermione said. "There will always be someone more powerful, or at least more devious."

"Before we leave, I need to shield the gravestone, so no one can find it again," Harry said.

"I'm wondering if that will work," Hermione replied.

"Why wouldn't it work?" Harry asked.

Hermione paused, before she gave Harry her honest observation.

"It must be magic beyond life and death itself," Hermione concluded. "But I'm grasping at straws, and can only give you my best guess. It's really something that you'll have to deal with on your own time. I just hope it isn't something that it won't be for the worst."

Harry was a bit annoyed.

"Do you have anything else tangible to tell us?" Harry asked her.

"No, that paper I gave you is the best I can give you this time," Hermione said in an apologetic voice. "I really wish I could give you every single answer. And I wonder how much I'm risking even talking to you that much. I half expect to be struck down by lightning because I know too much."

There was an extremely long silence. Fortunately, Hermione was not struck down by lighting, not yet anyway.

"Hermione, we really need to be going," Harry said. "We only said that we'd be gone for an hour, and it's a bit past that time. And there's something in the air that are interfering with our ear pieces."

"I understand, you have created a new life," Hermione said.

Harry and Kara exchanged a look, knowing what they had to do.

"If you'd like, you could come with us," Harry said.

"Yeah, no one should be alone," Kara added.

Harry did wonder if he was giving Hermione this offer out of friendship, or because he wanted to keep an eye on her. There was something about her entire mysterious return from death that was unsettling, although he could not quite put his finger on it.

"That's nice, really it is," Hermione offered him, and she sighed immediately. "But, I can't leave."

"Sure you can," Kara said. "You just walk out the door, how can anything be simpler?"

Hermione offered a sad smile.

"No, I physically can't, I leave this library physically, and I lose my ability to perform magic. If I stay out of it for more than a few hours, I suffer great pain. I can never leave until I figure out why."

"Hermione, I didn't know," Harry said.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Kara asked.

"No, I'll manage, and I cannot ask you to uproot your lives for me," Hermione said.

She took a long sigh, and put her hands on her hips. She looked reflective for several moments, before she spoke to the couple.

"Years ago, you couldn't pull me out of the library," Hermione concluded. "Now, I've been condemned to spend all eternity here, I would like nothing better than to leave. I guess life appreciates its little ironies."

Harry had no idea what to say.

"Hermione…I…we'll find a way to get you out of here without consequences," Harry said.

"Don't, Harry, please, don't," Hermione said, realizing it was a mistake to show herself, because Harry would obsess over helping someone, no matter what the circumstances were. "I'll be fine, I've gotten used to it."

There was a rather uncomfortable bit of silence. None of the three knew what to say.

"I'm really happy you found someone," Hermione whispered in an undertone. "Someone who loves you for who you are, not for some hyphenated title."

"I am too," Harry said with a smile, and Kara returned it. He shifted, and spoke once again. "If you're sure you're…"

"Harry, I'm fine," Hermione persisted. "So this is goodbye."

"It won't be goodbye Hermione," Harry said firmly. "But if it is, I'm glad to have a chance to do so properly."

Hermione nodded. Harry and Kara turned around. There were no words. They had to take couple of the gravestone, to make sure no one like Lex or anyone else stumbled upon it again.

The brunette bookworm sat in the library, watching them disappear. The truth was that she really had no idea how she had returned from the dead, if she was dead, or what happened. She just knew that she was here.

There was a slight whisper in her subconscious telling her that she should encourage Harry and Kara to take steps in controlling the traveler, but Hermione shut it out. It would be their decision and theirs alone. She just gave them the potential leads to hopefully find some answers.

Tears streamed down her face. Hermione was living, but never truly alive. And the wind was her only company.

* * *

Lex worked hard into the late afternoon. Even if the holidays were very near, there was no rest for the weary. He sat calmly, and the door opened, allowing his father to walk inside.

"Something tells me this isn't to wish me a happy holidays," Lex commented casually.

"Well, I do wish this was a festive visit, but I have come here on a mission of grave importance," Lionel said, and he drummed his fingers on the desk. "This morning there was an attack on the Kent Farm."

Lex raised his eyebrows, but maintained the mask of indifference and innocence.

"That's a shame,"Lex replied in a calm and collected voice.

"Yes, I'm sure you would consider that shameful," Lionel answered crisply. "Clark and Lana both are missing, and I fear that they have been kidnapped by someone extremely dangerous."

"And is there a particular reason why you're telling me this?" Lex asked.

A moment of awkward silence was present, before Lionel continued to speak.

"I was wondering if you had any insight on the matter," Lionel replied in a calm voice. "Given, that I have uncovered information that you have been in contact with Hugo Strange, and have recently had his credentials reinstated, just in time for him to return to practicing at Belle Reve."

"Yes, I've been in contact with Strange," Lex admitted, but he looked his father in the eye. "It was just me assisting an old family friend, to get a second chance to continue to use his talents to help the poor twisted souls condemned to that institution."

"Strange is dangerous, Lex," Lionel said. "If it benefits him, he'll find a way to manipulate you for his own gains, no matter how much you're paying him. You don't know who you're truly getting in bed with."

One did not have to be a super genius to read between the lines of what was being said.

"Let's quit tap dancing around the accusations, you think I had something to do with Clark's disappearance?" Lex asked.

"I can't prove anything, but given your recent strange and increasingly desperate behaviors, it's not a possibility I would discount easily," Lionel answered.

Lex frowned, and he got to his feet, to continue to look his father in the eye.

"You will find that I didn't have Clark kidnapped. Why would I do something like that? It is highly illegal, and not the publicity I need, especially given recent events. And I wouldn't put in such a sloppy performance should I have done so. It's not the Luthor way, after all? And besides, I can account for my whereabouts over the past couple of days; I've actually been researching something else entirely."

Lionel reached forward, and saw a sketch of a triangle encased in a circle, with a line down it, but Lex snatched it away from his grasp.

"Unless you can shed some insight on what that symbol means, I don't think we have any more to say about this matter," Lex continued.

"Even if I did know, I would not tell you anything," Lionel said, but he was oddly intrigued about this symbol himself. "I'm guessing my warnings about not to dwell on your imaginary friend underneath the stairs have fallen upon deaf ears."

Lex's lack of response told Lionel all he needed to know.

"Just because you have an alibi, means very little," Lionel said.

"In the eyes of the law, it means everything," Lex answered him.

Both Luthors exchanged a look, and neither took her eyes off of each other.

"Goodbye, Lex, do keep both eyes open, and do exercise caution with Strange," Lionel answered, and he turned around. He walked off.

Lex waited to make sure his father was completely gone. He immediately dialed up Strange. The fact that Clark was gone was most troubling to him, because it meant Strange decided to take this matter one step too far.

The file he had been sent on Clark was on his desk, and had useless information that he could not have guessed on his own or had someone dig up with a fraction of the price he was paying Strange.

The phone rang and Lex carefully tapped his fingers on the side of the desk. He waited for several moments, before he gave up trying to call Strange's office. He then proceeded to call Strange's private line. He got an answer more quickly.

"Hello, Lex," Strange said in a crisp voice.

Lex remained calm. "My father has learned of our arrangement."

"Ah, Lionel, resourceful as always," Strange said with a chuckle. "Did you get the information I sent you about Clark Kent?"

"I did," Lex confirmed. "I must say, it was nothing that I could not have guessed. What I am paying you for, Strange?"

"Research takes time, Lex, and often requires a more personal touch," Strange answered him.

"So you did kidnap him?" Lex inquired without preamable.

Strange remained silent, and there was a longer pause. Lex tapped his pen on the side of his desk immediately, and waited for an answer.

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about," Strange answered. "I have done nothing outside the law. In fact, I am dealing with a patient right now. He is very sick, and may not be long for this world. I am trying to get information that will help him be at peace with who he is."

Lex leaned back in his chair, feeling a headache coming on.

"You have Clark, don't you?' Lex asked.

"Ah, Lex, is that concern I see creeping into your voice?" Strange retorted.

There was a long pause. Lex took a moment to compose himself. Strange would not get into his head, even if he had been doing it to people for years and years.

"My friendship with Clark Kent is ancient history, but I'm more concerned about the consequences of our arrangement," Lex said.

"Yes, the consequences are something that most do not think of, until they are staring us straight in the face," Strange replied in a crisp voice. "You do intrigue me, Lex. The path you take in life will be an interesting one to watch. You're really juggling a lot of ambitious plans."

Lex wondered if he had bitten off a bit more than he could chew dealing with Strange. There were hints that Strange had studied everyone remotely connected with Clark in question. And that he took his job all too seriously.

"I must be going, it is bad form to leave a patient hanging, during a session, " Strange said. "If I find out anything tangible, I will send it you immediately."

"I want to know everything," Lex told him.

"And you shall, in time" Strange answered. "Have a nice day."

Lex felt shivers going down his spine. There was just something about Strange that made his skin crawl, and it took a lot to do that. Their partnership seemed like a good idea when it started, but the obsession of Strange increased with each passing day. He was devious, and dangerous.

All Lex could do was wait and see. He remained rather calm, and returned back to his obsession on the mysterious symbol on the gravestone. There was just something about this symbol that intrigued him. He wondered if he was about ready to tap into some ancient mystery, older than life itself.

Then there were his recollections, and research into Veritas that monopolized a great amount of his time.

The bald young man knew why he had been spared. It was his opportunity to save the world from something dangerous, although what he had no idea.

* * *

Strange turned his attention back to the young man who was slumped against the wall. Clark grimaced, sweat rolling down his face, and his breath shallow. He never felt weaker in his life, and Strange took a step forward, surveying him with a nasty expression.

"I apologize for the interruption, it won't happen again," Strange said in a soft voice. "Did it give you ample time to think about what your lies are doing to everyone?"

Clark could barely hold his head up.

"I'm sure you've reconciled in your mind that your lies are protecting everyone, but what you have to offer should be shared with the world," Strange said. "Would anyone even look you in the eye if they ever found out what you truly are? The realization of would be disasterious. So why don't you tell me the truth."

Clark did not say anything.

"Or perhaps Ms. Lang will be able to offer me a bit more insight on what you are," Strange said. "Perhaps I should find a way to convince her."

"You can do whatever you like to me, just leave Lana alone," Clark managed in a pained voice.

"How nice of you to offer Mr. Kent, and very noble," Strange said with a sadistic smile.

Strange twisted a knob and more pain visited Clark. His natural defenses were being brought down and Strange plugged himself into Clark's brain. His scientific curiosity was indulged.

"Your brain waves are interesting," Strange remarked calmly. "There are unlike anything I have ever read before. But what are you?"

Strange cranked up the machine, and Clark's limbs twisted in absolute pain and misery.

"All of this misery could be saved by you just relaxing, and telling me everything," Strange prodded him.

There was no response, other than a simmering gaze of pure hatred. Clark wondered how long he could hold himself together, under the circumstances.

Strange was a master of breaking down the minds of people. He enjoyed the challenge of breaking down a strong mind, and only one person had resisted his efforts completely.

* * *

Chloe sat, and looked at the clock. She mused about how when people were worried about something, they spent a great amount of their time looking at the clock. As if they thought that time would pass quicker, and thus their lives would get much easier.

That was something that worked out a lot better in theory than in practice.

A couple of hours had passed, and there was no hint on what happened to either Clark or Lana. She did not have to wait too much longer, and the door opened up. Harry and Kara returned. Chloe bit her lip; she could tell immediately they had found out something. And that something was not pleasant.

She was just going to have to add to the unpleasantness.

"Chloe, sorry we took so long," Harry said in an apologetic voice.

Chloe nodded, and breaking this news to them gently would be the hard part.

So she opted for the not so gentle approach, to just get it out of the way.

"There's no delicate way to say this, but there's been an attack," Chloe said with a sigh.

"Something happened to Clark," Kara said, and immediately, Chloe took a step back, throwing her hands up in the air, defensively. "What happened?"

Kara waited impatiently.

"Something tells me it has to do with our demented psychiatrist," Harry said, and Chloe nodded. "Wonderful, this complicates things, and Lana too."

"It shouldn't be too bad, you were the one that slipped a tracking charm on him, weren't you?" Chloe asked him.

Harry looked at her with a start.

"Yeah, technically a breach of trust, but we'll hammer out all of those details when you find him, alive, please tell me you can find him alive," Chloe said.

"It was technically my idea, the tracking charm" Kara said quickly. "If Clark got in trouble…."

Kara fell silent.

"How did you find out about the tracking charm?" Kara asked her calmly.

Chloe just offered a sheepish smile. Suddenly, Kara's eyes averted towards Claire who was on the couch and trying to pretend that she was asleep.

"We'll worry about that later," Harry said to her. "I'll need to track him down, but there's something dampening the tracking charm."

"Is that even possible?" Chloe asked.

"It shouldn't be but it is," Harry said, but Kara paused and held up her hand to silence him.

Kara took a few steps outside, and reached through the door, before she pulled Lionel Luthor into the apartment.

"What were you doing?" Kara asked in a dangerous voice.

"That's obvious," Chloe said. "Eavesdropping, trying to find out what we knew about Clark's disappearance."

Lionel did not look apologetic at all, but Kara did not relax her grip on his shoulder.

"You don't know what you're dealing with, my son has apparently taken his obsession with uncovering the mysteries of life to a new level," Lionel said.

"Hugo Strange," Harry replied dryly.

Lionel nodded. "Yes, you've done your homework, Mr. Potter. I do wonder how much of this you saw coming?"

"I figured it was possible, but I didn't think Strange would act this soon," Harry said.

"Which means, he's found out something about Clark that interests him, and perhaps he thinks that he will use it for his own benefit," Lionel said. "Strange is a master at blackmail. I regret my part in bringing him into this mess."

"What?" Kara demanded and she was seconds away from getting some answers form Lionel in the most physical way possible, but Harry held her back.

"Wait, wait, whoa, you had something to do with this too," Chloe said.

"Not recently, but I have been in correspondence with Strange years back," Lionel said. "He's slippery, like a snake in the grass, and he will bite you."

Lionel took a calming breath.

"Judging by the looks on your face, you don't know where Clark is," Lionel said. "Therefore, you need my help in locating him."

"We'll manage fine," Harry said dismissively, and Kara did not take her gaze off of Lionel. She was trying very hard to keep her head together, to try and help find Clark. Especially when she was fixated in tearing Hugo Strange's head off.

"Yes, you'll manage, you might find him," Lionel agreed. "But in what state will Clark be in? Will he be of sound mind? Or will his brain be picked apart, and left a muddled fragmented mess?"

Harry gritted his teeth, and Kara clenched her fists at the graphic picture Lionel was painting. If Strange harmed one hair on her cousin's head, he would pay.

"I have a general location, don't worry, I'll find him," Harry replied.

Harry did have it pinpointed within the general area. Tracking charms were never exact, especially when they were placed on a person, as opposed to an object.

"You might want to start with this address, Strange takes his patients here when he wants a little one on one time with them," Lionel said, handing Harry a slip of paper. "He's done it in any place he's been at; he uses any number of methods to break their minds down."

"And how do we know you're not trying to pull something?" Harry asked.

"You don't, but you must understand, this is the only lead you have," Lionel said to him. "The choice is yours."

Harry and Kara exchanged a look.

"Well if you're telling the truth, then you're coming with us," Kara said to Lionel. "And if you do anything to hurt my cousin, then you and I are going to have a little chat."

"I have nothing, but the best intentions," Lionel replied.

Kara looked dubious, but Harry cleared his throat.

"We'll be the ones that are going to judge that," Harry answered.

Harry and Kara escorted Lionel out, before Harry put him to sleep. He did not need any more trouble.

"You'll bring him back safely, well both of them," Chloe said to Harry and Kara.

There was a long pause, and Harry nodded.

"I intend to," Kara said in a firm voice, and there was a dangerous look in her yes.

Harry and Kara grabbed Lionel, and transported him off, to the address he had given them.

* * *

Lana's eyes flickered open inside the cell she had been placed in. She took a breath, and tried to figure out what she needed to do. Her anger simmered, Strange was doing God only knows what to Clark.

A loud pained grunt was heard from down the hallway, and her eyes snapped up. Lana shook her head from side to side, and clutched her fists. Clark was in trouble, and she was unable to help him.

She got up to her feet, and closed her eyes. She would give anything to be able to save Clark. Yet, she was here in this cell, and unable to free herself.

The young woman put her hands on the exit of the cell. For lack of anything better to do, Lana began to shove and push on the door of the cell.

The door busted off the hinges, and Lana nearly staggered out in surprise, but she regained her footing. Footsteps were heard from the other side of the wall.

'_Either they made doors a lot weaker than they used to be , or something really strange is going on here," _Lana thought to herself, but she slumped against the wall and heard several loud sounds, amplified to what they normally would have been.

The footsteps of security guards could be heard from nearby. Lana slumped into the shadows, hiding behind a trash can, and watched as the security guards looked into the cell.

"She's gone!"

"How is that possible, that door's reinforced?"

Lana heard the guards move around. She closed her eyes, and made a break for the end of the corridor. In a blink of an eye, she found herself at the end of the hallway.

She blinked when she realized she was at the end of the hallway in a split second. This was not feasible for any human, even at their peak condition.

It hit her immediately, but it didn't make any sense.

Harry took away those powers after all.

Didn't he?

Lana took a deep breath, and tried to focus herself. She would worry about the whys later, and the pained grunts indicated she needed to focus more on saving Clark. She thought Clark was a bit closer than he was. There was a set of stairs behind where she was located.

The guards moved towards her, and Lana blinked, before jumping out of complete reflexive action.

She was on the ground one second, and then two floors up the next second.

"Hang on Clark, I'll find a way up there," Lana mumbled.

Lana made her way up to the floor. This entire facility was a labyrinth of hallways, and rooms, and Clark could be in any one them.

'_Clark makes this look so easy,' _Lana thought to herself. _'The saving people part." _

She grew rigid immediately, and several security guards were behind her a second ago, and then something took them out. They were all knocked on the ground, and she could have sworn she saw a dark and brooding figure disappear back into the shadows.

Lana was confused by who did this, but she was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Right now, she had to find Clark. He had to be around here somewhere.

* * *

Outside of the facility, Harry and Kara arrived, with the unconscious form of Lionel Luthor. Harry waved his hand and Lionel stirred awake, dazed.

"Looks like you were correct, Clark is here," Harry said.

For some reason, his tracking charm worked better when he was in a closer proximity. There was a huge amount of static in the air that cackled around them. Harry suspected that he could have found Clark much easier, had he not been bombarded with that attack earlier today.

Kara scanned for the top floor, careful to focus, and to find where her cousin was being held.

"Clark's up there, with Strange, and Lana's on her way up there too," Kara said. "You don't think…"

"I don't know," Harry replied.

"Do you wish to indulge me about what this particular conversation is about?" Lionel asked.

Harry and Kara did not, but made plans to safely get up to the top floor, and get Clark and Lana both out of there, before Strange was any the wiser.

It was a simple shot, but they had to do it carefully. And they needed to find out what Strange found out, if anything.

It was tense, but if they worked carefully, they would be able to get Clark out of there in under ten minutes.

Lionel was left, forgotten, but he shrugged. They were capable of liberating Clark.

* * *

"I have something, well that's quite interesting, you were not born of Earthly soil, now were you Mr. Kent?" Strange asked. "A ship, a dying planet, and a meteor shower, well this is quite interesting, and you arrived on the same day. But of course you did, your adoption occurred around the same time. Could it be you, Mr. Kent? Could you be the traveler?"

"The traveler, what are you talking about?" Clark slurred.

Strange chuckled.

"Come now, let's not play games, Mr. Kent," Strange said. "I was most concerned about what Doctor Swann had found out all of those years ago, and I tried to gain his confidence to attempt to find out more. But for some reason, he did not trust me. You see, I feel such a threat should not be allowed to live. You might look like a human and perhaps even think like one, but you'll never be one of us."

"I am human," Clark argued.

Strange chuckled. "It seems like denial is not something that is exclusive to humans either. You feel guilt, yes, guilt. Your planet died, but you were sent here. Above all else, you were the one who survived."

Strange continued to speak, and now was on a roll.

"You should feel guilty. For if you did not come the balance would not have been upset so much. You hide behind this mask, the mask of Clark Kent, but that's not who you truly are."

"You're wrong," Clark argued, trying to shut out the pain he was feeling "Clark Kent is who I am."

"More denial, and more lies," Strange said, and he turned a knob. The equipment was finally able to get more through reading, and Clark was breaking down. "But I know who you truly are, Kal-El of Krypton. This secret is far more valuable than what Lex Luthor could pay me. Every government in the world would enjoy having a living, breathing specimen such as yourself in their clutches."

Clark felt a ringing going through his ears.

"Are there more of you here?" Strange asked.

Clark tried to block out anything else, to shut his mind off, to prevent Strange from tearing every single detail out of his mind.

Strange paused, and he heard loud crashing from above. He turned to the security monitor, and frowned.

"Do excuse me, Kal-El, I have a bat in my belfry," Strange said, and he took a step forward to give his security guards orders.

Clark had no idea what that meant. His head throbbed, blood poured out of his nose, and his senses were super heightened to the point where the dust particles settling on his skin hurt. He had never felt this much pain, and he felt more normal, more human underneath these red lights than ever before.

The glass shattered, and he looked up, unable to focus properly. Yet he recognized the voice.

"Clark, oh my God, I got to get you out of here!" Lana yelled, and Clark barely was able to speak.

"Strange, he knows," Clark breathed. "Lana, get out of here."

"Not without you, I'm not leaving without…" Lana stated firmly, but she felt absolutely flushed.

The Kryptonite dangled above her. She felt weak, perhaps not as weak as Clark, but still dazed and sluggishly she moved forward.

"No, I got to get you out of here," Lana said lunging forward before it overwhelmed her, but she dropped to her knees.

"Lana, what's going on here?" Clark asked.

"I'm not sure, something…something…I thought I lost those powers, but they came back when I needed them the most," Lana breathed, but she pushed herself up, struggling to her feet.

She had to save Clark before it was too late.

"Harry said they were gone," Clark managed, barely able keep awake.

"They were, but I don't know," Lana said, but the footsteps of Strange could be heard. She tried to pull on the chains, but they would not budge. "He's coming back, he's going to finish you right now, Clark I'm so sorry, I wasn't able save you."

Lana tried with all of her might to pull the chains free from the wall.

"Lana, it's the thought that counts," Clark said, and Lana collapsed to the ground at that moment.

The sadistic face of Hugo Strange approached. He had sealed off this floor, it would take an act of God to get up here. Not even his fabled flying rodent problem would be able to reach this floor in time.

"We're going to die, aren't we?" Clark asked.

"No, we can't," Lana said.

"You will," Strange said, and he held up a needle, dripping with liquefied Kryptonite. "I feel that your remains will be a lot easier to move then your breathing body, because there's a chance that your powers will come back. Good night, Kal-El, humanity will thank me for the sacrifice I'm about to make."

Lana threw herself in front of Clark to try and take the shot, but nothing happened. Strange was pulled back with full force, and whipped hard into the wall at super strength. Every single one of his vertebrae snapped from the impact, fracturing into his spinal column.

Lana allowed herself to open her eyes seconds later. Kara stepped over Strange, and turned to Clark, absolutely horrified at the state of him.

"Clark, you're…it was so close," Kara said, and if she was one second slower, Clark would have been killed.

She could not think about what could happen, but Strange got exactly what he deserved.

"Kara, you found us," Lana said. "Clark's in really bad shape,"

Harry appeared a moment later, and removed the Kryponite from the equation. Despite Kara's new found immunity to it, they did not want to chance seeing what happened when she actually touched it with her bare skin. He blasted lamps hanging above Clark.

"Strange knows my secrets," Clark slurred, feeling a bit of strength returning to him.

"That's not a problem," Kara said to him, and she could tell that Strange was not breathing.

Clark found himself utterly gob smacked.

"How could you say that Kara…" Clark asked her, but then it hit him. "You didn't…"

"Clark, we need to get out of here," Kara said evasively, and she tried to remove the band Strange had placed on Clark, but it jolted, and caused Clark even more pain.

Kara stepped back, eyes widened. She needed to get Clark out, without hurting him.

"This could be a problem," Harry said, and he looked at the headband wrapped about Clark's head. He gritted his teeth, and thought carefully. "Some kind of charm to nullify it…no that could kill him. I've got to figure this out, just give me a few seconds."

Suddenly, the lights went out around the complex, and the rest of the power had gone out. This allowed Harry to safely remove the metal band from around Clark's head, before it could reactivate and likely hurt him from the power coming back on.

Clark pulled himself to his feet, staggered, but he mostly remained standing. A bit dazed, but managed to keep a focus on Lana.

"Kara, you can get them out of here, I have a few more things to tie up," Harry said.

"Okay, be careful," Kara said, and she gave Harry a quick kiss goodbye. Harry scrambled off, and Kara grabbed Clark and Lana firmly by either arm. "Just close your eyes, and we'll be back at the farm before you know it."

Before either Clark or Lana could protest, they were pulled through what felt like a tube. They flew through, and they were safely back home.

Clark narrowly avoided blacking out from the impact.

"How did you do that?" Clark asked.

"I flew really fast," Kara said, and technically given the mechanics of the teleportation, she was not lying.

Harry made his way through the complex, and stepped over the body of Strange. Someone had intervened and cut the power. Not that he was complaining. It cut down the job to a fraction of what it was going to be. He scanned the floors, and tried to find if anyone else was there.

An open window indicated that someone was there, but whoever it was, they were long come. A filing cabinet was opened, and sure enough it contained detailed notes regarding Clark and several of his friends, made by all of the interviews that Strange conducted. Harry knew that this information could not fall into the wrong hands.

He turned around, and tried to look for Lionel Luthor, but he had also mysteriously vanished from the premises. Harry wondered if Lionel was the one who cut the power.

The guards made their way up, and they were yelling. Harry turned over, and caused them to all fall asleep.

"When you wake up, you'll find out that Clark Kent was discovered to be perfectly normal," Harry whispered. "Strange was killed by one of his former patients wanting revenge."

Harry turned around in an instant, and disappeared into the night. It was a quite the process tweaking that many minds, and not something that he relished doing.

With the written records in his hands, he could dispose of them immediately. Tempted that he was to look into them, he decided not to, at least for now.

The file containing the information regarding both of the Luthors hovered in his hand. Curiosity plagued Harry, but he stashed it away in his bag.

'_Just in case,' _Harry thought to himself.

He moved off to the night, to make sure there were no other surprises lurking around in the night. His mind was going a mile a minute. Today had been an eventful day, but then again, there was never a dull moment in his life.

* * *

Clark collapsed on the couch. His powers and strength would return back to him soon. Lana sat on the chair, in a bit of a numb shock. Now that the full extent of what happened hit her immediately, she wondered what was going on. She half wanted to ask Harry about what happened, what might have gone wrong, but she wondered if it was just a feeling thing.

Kara stood in the doorway, watching the both of them. The disaster was averted, but she really did hope that Clark could recover from this. If the state of him physically matched his mental state, she shuddered to think what Strange put him through.

Which was why she only felt the scarcest amount of remorse for.

"Both of you should get some rest you know, a near death experience is not something you can shake off," Kara replied.

Clark just offered a weak smile in response, but something that had been plaguing him had come up.

"Kara, can I ask you a question?" Clark asked.

"I believe it is within your capabilities to do so," Kara replied, but she had a shrewd hunch what Clark was going to ask.

"Did you murder Hugo Strange?" Clark asked.

Kara sighed. She should have known that was coming. This was going to be a fun conversation.

"Well, technically I did, but to be more accurate, his obsession killed him," Kara replied delicately. "He was dangerous, more than you could ever know. He was seconds away from killing you. What was I supposed to do?"

Clark could not offer an answer, but he managed to find his voice.

"Kara, you could have knocked him out," Clark offered her, but there was a long exasperated glare given towards him.

"Yes, I could have," Kara agreed. She shook her head. "But, he knew about everything. He was willing to break your mind to find out everything. He's dangerous. It's a situation that I didn't want to be put in. And I hope to every deity in every civilization in the galaxy, that you don't ever find yourself put in a situation like that."

Clark opened his mouth, but Kara was not done.

"I'm not apologizing for saving your life," Kara said firmly. "Strange was willing to kill you, and he would have killed me, Lana, Harry, or anyone else if he had the opportunity. It's hard, but I had to save you, and sadly killing him was the only way."

"She has a point," Lana offered, not feeling much sympathy for what Strange did herself.

"I know," Clark said, but he closed his eyes.

He allowed himself a moment to reconcile everything in his head.

Strange had the liquid Kryptonite, he was about to inject Clark with it. Clark was helpless, more vulnerable than a drowned kitten. Strange found out everything about Clark's friends.

"This is all my fault," Clark concluded.

"What's your fault?" Kara asked him.

"The fact you were put in this mess," Clark said.

"Oh, sure Clark, it's all your fault that some madman wanted to crack open your mind," Kara replied sarcastically. "I'm sure global warming, world hunger, and every disease known to man, that's all your fault too."

Kara paused, before her expression softened.

"I'm really glad you're going to be okay, a bit banged up, but you'll be fine," Kara said, but she turned around. "Harry should be here in a minute. If you have any more questions about what happened."

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. The door opened, but it was not Harry. Rather Lionel Luthor entered. Kara remained calm and stepped back. She did not keep her eyes off him, but he entered, calmly and carefully.

"Clark, it's nice to see that you've recovered from your ordeal tonight," Lionel said, barely even acknowledging the presence of either Kara or Lana. "Hugo Strange is a formidable individual, and….well I hope he didn't find out anything."

"Don't worry, he didn't," Clark said.

"That's good, really good, so he will be unable to pass on any further information to Lex," Lionel said. "Strange's own greed should work to our advantage. He wanted to blackmail you for the highest dollar, but I think that he wanted his hands on some of the Luthor money. I'm truthfully sorry about what might have happened regarding Strange, but the important thing is you're still in the land of the living. I think that's one thing we can all agree about."

"For once, I would have to agree as well."

Harry popped up immediately, and everyone turned towards him.

"I uncovered most of everything Strange found out, about everyone," Harry said. "So anyone who might happen to go through his office to acquire anything after his death, well they'll be in for a disappointment."

"And I trust you didn't take this as an opportunity to find out information for yourself," Lionel said.

Harry just smiled. "I have more direct ways of finding out information, and tonight I've found out plenty. You and I both know the real reason why Strange was so obsessed with Clark. I'd be careful with who I'd associate with from now on."

Lana frowned. She knew what Harry implied, and her distrustful gaze focused on Lionel. Harry turned his attention to Clark.

"You'll be fine Clark, physically, mentally…well only time will tell," Harry said. "Hugo Strange proved to be dangerous, and was lucky enough to find an opportunity to grab you. Where Kara and I were conveniently out of town."

"It won't happen again," Kara said, and she would fight to her dying breath to make sure that something like that did not happen again.

"No, it won't," Harry said. "But Strange might be just scratching the surface. There are others who know the truth. And we should be thankful there was someone to cut the power when they did."

Lionel looked puzzled.

"Someone cut the power," Lionel said.

"So, it wasn't you?" Harry asked.

"No, I had no idea, I managed to slip away at the first opportunity," Lionel answered him, and he leaned back against the wall, taking a careful breath. "But perhaps it is fortunate that we did. Now, Mr. Potter, I require a brief word with you, if I may."

Harry instantly was on his guard, but he played Lionel's game. Kara followed him, when she saw Clark was resting and in one piece. Lionel stood calmly, and held a piece of paper.

"I visited my son earlier today," Lionel said calmly. "And he was sketching this symbol. I was wondering if you knew the significance to it."

Harry and Kara took a moment to look on the symbol. They took a moment to act like they were puzzling it out, even if they knew precisely what it was.

"I can't say I know anything about that symbol," Harry said.

"It's new to me," Kara said with a shrug.

Lionel looked at both of them, and disappointment flushed his face. Harry wondered if he bought their words as genuine. There was a few seconds pause, and the elder Luthor paused.

"So, I'm guessing it's another one of my son's fanatical obsessions," Lionel said.

"Perhaps, your guess is as good as mine," Harry said, keeping a completely straight face. He had no idea when he learned how to lie, but he was going to follow through.

"Well, I'll bid you farewell then, it's been a long day for many of us," Lionel said, and he turned around, to walk off into the night.

Harry and Kara watched him leave. The cool air bit into their arms, but they only scarcely felt it. The two looked at each other, speaking in hushed undertones.

"I think he actually believed that we didn't know anything about the symbol," Kara whispered.

"Lex won't find anything about it, it's not in any normal books," Harry said. "But maybe it will deter him other obsessions."

Kara looked rather dubious at this fact. Something told her that Lex Luthor would not be so easily thrown off.

"I can handle him, if he gets too close," Harry said, and they pushed open the door to return inside. Lana waited for them, half listening to everything. "Yes, Lana, what can I do for you?"

"Today, I was in the cell, and heard them torturing Clark from a different floor," Lana said, and there was a bit of a pause. "And I was able to bust out. And I sped past them, and I was able to jump stairs, in a single bound."

"So, what are you trying to imply?" Harry asked.

"I thought you said you removed those powers," Lana said slowly.

Harry just offered a smile. "Did I say that?"

"Yes, you did, you gave me a lecture about how great power is not so easy to handle," Lana said.

"Oh yes, I remember that," Harry said, slowly building up a head of steam. "I removed the powers at that present time. I do recall that. However, there's something I don't recall. Did I ever imply that they would never come back?"

Lana was absolutely gobsmacked. Pleased in a way, but still a bit confused. Kara looked kind of amused at the mixture of emotions on her face.

"They won't have any kind of adverse effect on me?" Lana asked him.

"The fact you're asking that proves that you can handle them this time, but no, they shouldn't," Harry told her. "Use them wisely."

"I will," Lana said, knowing that if she did something wrong or misused her powers, Harry could likely snatch them away, and this time it would be permanent. There would be no return; she would have blown her last chance to be with Clark. "Um, thank you."

"Well, no need to thank me, you wouldn't have received those powers if you didn't exhibit a certain amount of selflessness to earn them," Harry said.

"So do you think that this will give me a better chance for an actual long lasting relationship with Clark?" Lana asked.

"I can't answer that, there are only two people in the entire world that could answer that," Harry said. "Where you go from here, that's really mostly up to you, and the choices you make from here on out. You must have made the right choice otherwise your powers would not have manifested themselves. I was very careful how I did the charm work."

Lana stepped forward, but Clark was asleep right now. As much as she wanted to explore the full benefits of her powers, Clark did need some rest, and as it turned out she did too.

Harry and Kara both turned around, and made sure everything was secure. They repaired the damage done by Strange, and his forces. Then Harry put a few charms up that would alert him and Kara of any unwanted intruders immediately. They were not as strong as those put on the Shining Light Foundation Headquarters.

"You have everything?" Kara whispered to him.

"Yeah, all of the files, all of the information Strange had, I even popped over to his office at Belle Reve to find the duplicates," Harry told her. "And I took a peak at what he sent Lex. Nothing too concerning, just police reports and interviews about the encounters that Clark had with the meteor infected in the past."

Kara relaxed immediately, and offered a brief smile. Harry and Kara had one more piece of business to wrap up tonight, before calling it an evening, and it had been a long one.

* * *

Lex remained by the phone, waiting for any further information that Strange would have been able to uncover about Clark. He was beginning to distrust this entire business arrangement, and in a way regret it.

The phone call he was waiting for came through. He answered it before the second ring was completed.

"Strange?" Lex asked.

"Sorry, Mr. Luthor, there's been an accident, Hugo Strange is no longer with us," the person on the other end of the phone said to him.

"What happened?" Lex demanded.

His contact remained apologetic. "One of his patients, he escaped, and came for Strange. He took out all of the security, and vanished into the night without a trace. He left Strange dead, we tried to revive him. Must have been super strength, his entire spinal column was shattered."

Intrigue appeared on Lex's face.

"Super strength, that patient would not be Clark Kent, now would it?" Lex asked.

"No, not Clark Kent, Clark Kent is normal as you and I, and he has been released, well what's left of him anyway," the contact on the end of the phone replied.

The contact might have been assured that everything was fine, but Lex was not convinced. He took a deep breath.

"Listen to me, I want you to take Strange's files, all of them, on Clark Kent, and send them to me immediately, along with any research he's done on him," Lex told his contact.

There was a long pause.

"I'm afraid that's impossible."

"I'll make it worth your while to give me that information, it must not fall into the hands of anyone else," Lex said.

"No, it's impossible, because it's gone, there were files missing from Strange's office, and he uncovered much."

Anger did not adequately describe what Lex had felt right now. He clutched the phone tightly in his hand, and took a deep breath, to remain absolutely calm. The fact was Strange might have found out something about him, but there was no idea what. Even if Strange was dead, someone had those files, and information on him.

There was no need to panic. The files might have been lost due to sheer incompetence. He would have to pull some strings to find out for sure what was going to happen.

Lex's eye fell on the symbol he had sketched once again. It was nothing like he had ever seen before in any civilization ever. He wondered if the three components of the symbol meant something, like some equation.

It would be a worthy endeavor to study.

* * *

Chloe looked up, and saw Harry and Kara standing right in front of her. Before she could say anything, Harry filled in her on what happened, at least the short version.

"Clark's fine, Lana's fine, and Strange…well he's not fine," Harry concluded.

Chloe took a few seconds to process this information.

"So, he's on the other side now," Chloe said.

"It was his time," Kara said, resigned that with her role as one of the Heralds of Death, killing was something that she had to do. Plus she was protecting Clark.

"It's not easy, despite what you are, is it?" Chloe asked.

Kara shook her head. "It isn't, but to save Clark, I would do it again."

Harry looked thoughtful. "All of the people I had to fight, many of them it was to the death. And it was not easier. The blood on my hands each and every time that it's been put there, it's been bittersweet at best. But some people…well that's just the only way."

"Strange didn't pass anything to Lex, then?" Chloe asked.

"Nothing that anyone who's lived here in any amount of time couldn't figure out," Harry said. "I'm curious about how Strange knew about the meteor rocks, not to mention how to weaken Clark and how to try and force the information of his brain."

"It's not like we could ask him," Kara said with a sigh. "Guess I should have kept him alive long enough to find these things out."

Harry squeezed her hand, to reassure her. "No, you only had a second to react. You did what you had to do. We'll find out, there's another way, but something weird was going on."

"Actually, this might qualify,' Chloe said to them, and she punched up a police report she had received through one of her contacts. "Winston Smith was found dead in his cell, completely mangled beyond recognition."

This floored Harry completely.

"Strange, I was under the impression Smith died weeks ago," Harry said slowly.

"So was I, but he was being kept in Belle Reve," Chloe said. "His door was ripped off of its hinges. Either someone's been eating his Wheaties, or we have a situation on our hands. There was nothing left of Smith, but a few fragments, blood. This happened earlier today."

Harry's first thought was Strange, but the timeline just did not match up in his head.

"I'll see what else I can find, just adding to the many things I have on my plate," Harry said.

"You are really taking a lot on your plate," Chloe commented seriously. "Do yourself a favor and don't work yourself to death."

Harry shuddered at her choice of words. "Believe me, working myself to Death is the last thing I want to do."

Kara gently walked over, scooping the sleeping Claire off of the couch. She cradled the girl in her arms gently, as to not wake her, and wrapped a blanket around her. She walked over to be with Harry.

"It's been a long day, but at least everything will be back to normal," Harry said, before he realized. "Or what passes for normal."

"I'm afraid I'm unaware of the meaning of that word," Chloe joked.

"Yeah, well join the club," Harry said.

"There's a club now?" Chloe asked.

"Take care of yourself, and see you around," Harry said. "Bye, Chloe."

"Yeah, bye," Kara said. "And thanks."

"Yeah thanks," Harry said.

"Goodbye you two and it wasn't a problem at all," Chloe said, and immediately they were gone. She sighed.

Chloe just offered a shrug, and checked her e-mail. She was almost hoping for an e-mail from her mysterious anonymous pen pal, but there was nothing.

* * *

The shadowed figure moved around in Hugo Strange's old office in Belle Reve. The file cabinets had been removed of all information regarding Clark Kent, and the information regarding anyone connected to him had aslo been removed. With a crisp nod, the figure stepped into the shadows, and moved over to the computer systems. Using the uplink, he tried to access the computerized records regarding Kent.

There was nothing on the computer. Whoever had been in here had made sure to wipe everything regarding Clark Kent, and any studies Strange did on him.

The dark brooding figure in the shadows done his own research, based off of notes his father took before his untimely murder, regarding his role in Veritas and the coming of the traveler. The detective came to one conclusion.

All of the strange meteor activity and the coincidental timing of his adoption proved only one person could be the fabled traveler.

The dark figure stepped into the night, a grappling hook shooting out as he swung out the window. He would need more information before he made a decision on Clark Kent. He could be a valuable ally in the mission, or the gravest threat the world had ever faced. He prepared contingencies in the event that this young man went mad with power.

Yet, there was this mysterious third party that had wiped all of Strange's studies off of the face of the Earth. For that, there was no information.

He would have to correct his ignorance immediately.

* * *

It was a bit after midnight, and Harry sat, with notes in front of him, in front of the fireplace in his home. There were a number of thoughts going through his head after the events of the last couple of days.

'_Never a dull moment,' _Harry thought to himself. _'Well, another crisis was averted, narrowly. A storm's brewing, I just don't know how and I just don't know when.'_

Harry closed his eyes. It was amazing how great power just increased the scope of what a person had to deal with it. In a way, he was ready for everything, but in another way, he was apprehensive.

"Harry?"

Harry turned around, and Kara stood in the doorway, dressed in a sheer white nightdress. Well technically, more like hovered, but she dropped down to the ground. She walked over, and handed Harry a cup of hot chocolate, before taking the other one for herself.

"Figured you could use some company," Kara said with a smile, and Harry got a good look at her. She really looked beautiful. "Claire's all tucked in for the night."

"Thanks, Kara, I've just got a lot in my mind," Harry replied. "I just find it hard to go to sleep."

"Same here," Kara said with a sigh. "Guess I got a taste of how insane your life could be."

"Kara, I…" started Harry, but Kara put her finger on his lips.

"And I find it kind of exciting to be honest with you," Kara said. "A bit nerve racking, but it's exciting, something that in the end, I think we're going to do something great, together."

Harry sipped on the hot chocolate, and took a look outside of the window. He tapped up the side of the cup.

"Secrets that people would kill for, it wouldn't be the first time I knew them," Harry answered immediately, and Kara offered him a smile. "The Veritas thing, I've done a bit of digging, not too much, but a number of the members do tend to drop dead."

"You'll figure it out, Harry, you really will," Kara said, knowing that Harry was avoiding the topic of his best friend's status of the return to the living. So she was not going to bring it up.

As it turned out, Harry decided to bring up the subject.

"Hermione's return…I thought I would be happy," Harry said, and Kara encouraged him to continue. "But, there's just something about it that seems off. Something about it that seems unsettling, but I can't put my finger on why."

"Do you think she's up to something?" Kara asked him.

Harry paused. "I don't want to believe that she's up to something. But it's a possibility. The fact her family was involved in this entire mess a long time ago…it makes me suspicious. I wonder if she was telling the truth."

Kara put her hand on Harry's. She would be lying to herself if she had similar reservations.

"But, the Veritas thing is worth looking into, so I'll be doing a lot of digging after the holidays, and figure out where I would go from there," Harry concluded, but he relaxed. "At least everyone got out of that mess with Strange okay."

"Clark didn't seem too comfortable with the fact that I had to kill Strange," Kara said, but Harry looked at her. "If he only knew the truth, but I've tried everything to let him know."

"There's always a way," Harry said, and he turned to her, to look at her properly. "He'll need to know the truth eventually. I just wonder how well he'll take it."

Concern appeared on Kara's face, but Harry put a hand up.

"If anyone understands the need to keep secrets, its Clark," Harry offered her, and Kara relaxed just a tiny bit. Their eyes met each other. "We'll deal with it, when the time comes, together."

Kara turned her attention to the Christmas tree that Harry had set up. Granted, it was nothing outlandish, but it looked amazing.

"You did a good job on the tree," Kara said.

"Thanks, but it was nothing with the right charm work," Harry said.

Kara smiled, and scooted a bit closer to Harry, placing her hands on his legs.

"Harry, your modesty is cute," Kara said. "I was reading some of the books in your library. Some of the charm work takes a lot of concentration, and most could not pull it off. You should be very proud of the work you did. You're very powerful, and amazing in other ways."

In spite of himself, Harry looked a bit pleased.

"You're amazing too," Harry said to her, and he held her hands tightly, looking in her eyes. The two sat in front of the fireplace, lost in the moment they shared with each other. "With you, I don't have to pretend to be something that I'm really not. I'm free to be who I really want to be. The scars on the outside were healed, but the scars on the inside didn't heal right away."

He paused, before he continued.

"Until the day I met you. You make my life worth living, you make me complete."

Harry captured her lips in a tender kiss. Kara returned it, and they melted into each other's embrace. The truth was, as much as Harry said her love healed him, his love did wonders of making her life a lot better as well. The kiss deepened. To them it was natural as drawing a breath. They were meant to be together, always and forever.

The kiss broke, and Kara pushed back on the couch.

"I got you something," Kara said. "For the holidays, you're a very hard young man to shop for, but I made you something that I thought that you'd like."

"Kara, you didn't have to get me anything," Harry said.

"I know, but I did, anyway," Kara replied to him, and she pulled the gift out. "It's not much, but…"

"It's the thought that counts," Harry offered her, and Kara nodded. "Besides, you're the true gift."

"Yeah, but you'll get to unwrap me later," Kara replied playfully, but she held the wrapped package and pushed it into Harry's lap. "Here you go, Merry Christmas, Harry."

Harry opened the gift. A beautifully hand drawn portrait slid it. It depicted Harry and Kara embracing outside of a handsome crystal structure, in an entire city full of advanced architecture.

"It's us, on Krypton," Kara told him. "It's the best of both of my worlds. Sorry, if it's not much, but that's the best I can think of.

"Kara, it's amazing, just like you, thank you," Harry said, and he recognized the significance of the garb, which meant the gift he had got her was appropriate.

Harry put the portrait on the wall, right next to the drawing that Claire had sketched of the three of them months ago.

"I've got something for you too," Harry said.

Kara was curious at what Harry got her. He walked over and pulled out a small gift wrapped box. He placed it in Kara's hand. The Blonde Kryptonian opened it, tearing through the wrapping paper.

There was a black box, and Kara opened it up. Inside the package was a diamond ring, and Harry smiled at her.

"It's beautiful," Kara said in an awed voice.

"Just like the girl who it belongs to," Harry replied with a smile. "And there's something I want to ask you."

Kara listened closely, and Harry dropped to a one knee. He took the ring from the box, and slipped it on her finger.

"Kara Kent, will you marry me?" Harry asked her.

Kara's eyes widened, and she was rendered speechless for a minute. She threw herself at Harry, knocking him to the floor. She began to kiss him madly on the floor. Harry returned the kiss with equal fury. It was at this point where Harry could truly notice that she was wearing nothing underneath her nightdress.

Kara pulled herself up to sitting position, and a wide smile appeared on her face. She was hoping that he would ask, but she had no idea that it would be this soon. It just made what was in their heart official. Kara could feel the bond that she shared with Harry, and it would only be strengthened by the ties of marriage.

"The answer is yes, by the way," Kara said.

"I thought so," Harry offered her, and the two got up to their feet.

"I couldn't imagine spending my life with anyone else ever," Kara said.

"And our lives are going to be a very long time," Harry replied.

The two sat with each other, by the fireplace, just enjoying each other's company.

"Harry?" Kara asked him, untying her nightdress.

"Yes," Harry replied.

"Make love to me until we both pass out," Kara said to him.

Harry looked at her bold request, but he could think of nothing that he wanted to do more right now.

"With our stamina, that could take hours," Harry said, and Kara wrapped her arms around him.

"And you're complaining about this?" Kara replied playfully.

"Not in the slightest," Harry said, with a smile.

After today, they needed to relieve tension anyway, and this would be the best way to do so, along with celebrating their love with each other.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 21 "Bats."**


	21. Chapter 21: Bats

_Here we go Chapter 21. Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 21: Bats.**

The previous evening was one that was eventful for both Harry and Kara to say the least. It would be one that they would never forget any time soon.

Harry opened his eyes, and somehow they were up in their bedroom. Kara was curled up against him. Her head rested on his chest. Harry wrapped an arm around her waist, and took a long look at her. She really was the most beautiful thing in the universe. She positively glowed with radiant beauty, and she smiled peacefully in her sleep, before her eyes slowly opened.

"Hi," Kara said to him, with a smile. Kara shifted against him. She rolled over on top of Harry, and gave him a good morning kiss. Harry returned it.

"Sleep well?" Harry asked her once the kiss had broken.

Kara smiled, before she reached forward, and put her hands on Harry's shoulders.

"You know I did," Kara said. She stopped and felt Harry brush against her. She leaned forward, to whisper seductively in his ear. "And you seem to be up and ready for some more."

Harry smiled at her, and she lovingly nibbled on his ear. Her hands traced patterns around his bare chest, and she hummed under her breath.

"Last night you asked me to marry you," Kara said to him.

"I did," Harry said. "And you said yes, quite enthusiastically, I might add."

Kara giggled at her reaction from last night.

"And I'm glad," Kara said to him, and she leaned forward, planting a series of kisses on his neck and shoulders. She rubbed her hands down his chest, feeling his muscles. She pulled herself up. She straddled Harry, and flipped her hair out of her face. She looked down at Harry, a smirk appearing on her face. She licked her lips. "It's something I've dreamed about, and it happened."

Harry wrapped his arms around her lower back, and pulled her closer to him.

"I've dreamed about a girl like you, someone who I could spend the rest of my life with," Harry said, and he held her tightly against him. "You're everything I ever wanted and more. You're the most perfect, wonderful girl in the entire universe. You're beautiful, both on the inside and the outside."

Kara looked down at him with pure love.

"It just goes to show you, the right person makes anything possible," Kara told Harry. She reached down and cupped his face in her hands. Their eyes peered into each other like they were looking into each other's souls. "I thought I'd never feel these things, until I met you Harry. You're one of a kind, and I love you."

"I love you too," Harry said to her. The words came so naturally to him with her. Harry had so many things he wanted to say to this blonde goddess in his arms, but her nude body this close to him made it rather hard to concentrate.

Their lips met with a combination of passion and power. Kara and Harry's hands roamed over each other's bodies, and they deepened their kiss with each other. They proceeded to indulge in each other with some earning morning love making. It was not was wild and intense as what they did the previous evening, but it did leave them both satisfied.

* * *

Christmas had just passed into the ether, but the weather of the season had remained. Winds blew all through the country side, and snow and ice covered the roads. Had the children not been off on winter vacation, this would have been perfect weather for a snow day. The weather forecast indicated the snow would be ceasing once the Christmas season was over, and things would be warming enough to melt the snow. So, it would be back to school just in time.

Harry and Kara pushed their way through the winds, flying over towards the Kent Farm House. A few days ago, Clark and Lana had both been rescued from the tender mercy of Hugo Strange. That was an interesting day, but it ended rather well for all.

The engagement ring on Kara's finger was proof for that. Kara felt lighter than air, as in a matter of months, she would be married to the love of her life, and she could hardly wait.

In her heart, almost from the moment she saw Harry, she knew he was the one for her. Most certainly she knew the moment they kissed for the first time. Kara felt the connection they had with each other.

In a matter of months, she would be Kara Potter, and she could hardly wait.

Kara placed her hand on Harry's arm gently, and the two settled down. Harry wore a black coat, pants, and a white shirt, along with black boots, a black and white scarf and hat. Kara wore a red coat, blue shirt, and tight red sweat pants, with black boots, a red and blue scarf, and a blue hat.

"I wonder if Lana's enjoying her new powers," Harry said to Kara.

Kara just smiled, and she heard a crashing noise from inside the Kent Farm House. A bit of a smirk appeared on her face, as she heard Clark's exasperated voice from inside the house.

"Something tells me that she might be having a bit of fun with them," Kara said in amusement, and she took a few steps forward. She grabbed the doorknob, and twisted it open.

Lana had Clark down on the ground, pinned down.

"Clark, it seems like you can't get up," Lana said to him. "And I thought you said I needed a bit more practice in controlling my powers."

Clark just grimaced. He knew he would be regretting those words, from the moment Lana had a smirk on her face. He mentally calculated the best way out of this situation.

"Okay, Lana, really you've proved your point, you have perfect control over your powers," Clark said with a grimace, but there was a slight good natured smile.

"Do I really?" Lana asked. "Maybe we should test them a little more. Or maybe it's your powers that need a bit more fine tuning."

Clark looked up, and Lana let her up.

"Please tell me you let her take you down," Kara said.

"Um, she got the leverage," Clark said in an undertone.

"Sure she did," Kara said with a smile on her face. "Seems to me like you're the one who needs a bit more control of her powers, my dear cousin."

Clark opened his mouth to protest, but words failed him. Harry stood off in the shadows, a look of amusement crossing his face. He thought Clark was a good guy, but sometimes he just brought these things onto himself.

"I really hope you two haven't been getting into too much trouble," Kara said.

"Yeah, we're…well we're just taking this one step at a time," Lana said, and Harry and Kara turned to her. There was a questioning look in Harry's eyes. "There aren't any side effects if that's what you're asking. Other than the fact that I'm eating twice as much."

"That's perfectly normal, you will have a higher metabolism, especially if you're burning off of all of that energy from the constant use of your powers," Harry explained. "That's something that's true with any kind of special abilities. Magic is about the same. If you don't eat enough, it's hard to pull off the charm work."

Harry knew this all too well. Years of an improper diet at the Dursleys had caused him to be unable to perform many spells properly. Of course going between the very little food at the Dursleys, and the often over the top Hogwarts feasts did some rather strange things with his abilities as well.

They settled over the years, thankfully, but he recalled those moments in time bitterly.

"Well now that we're here, Harry and I have something to share with the both of you," Kara said, and both Clark and Lana looked at both of them. Harry decided to be the one to drop the bombshell.

"Kara and I are getting married," Harry said to the two of them.

There was a moment where there was a gasp, before Clark and Lana registered what they were saying.

"Really, that's great, congratulations you two," Lana said, and Clark nodded.

"Yeah, I'm really happy for the two of you," Clark said after a moment. It caught him off guard. He expected them to be married before too long, but it was a bit sooner than he could have thought.

"I figure, we're going to be together anyway for a very long time, so make it official," Harry said, and he put an arm around Kara's waist. "Kara's the only girl that I ever truly loved."

Kara smiled at that thought. Harry had told her that much many times. And he meant it every single time he said it.

"Aw, that's sweet," Lana said. She turned to address Harry. "Didn't you have anyone from…"

"No, although I'm sure many of them would have gone faint if I had proposed," Harry said with a dry chuckle. "Plus they only would have liked me for my money or my fame. They all grew up with the story of Harry Potter, or learned rather quickly. Some separated the legend from the person better than others, but it was in the back of their minds. That's not who I am."

"Harry, I love you, no matter how rich you are," Kara said, resting her head against Harry's broad shoulder as she stood next to him. An impish smirk appeared on her face. "Besides, if you ever did lose all of your money, all I have to do is crush a couple of pieces of coal into diamonds, and we should be set up for a while."

That made Harry laugh, Kara could do that, she always made him smile. The true problem was that Harry never really felt a connection to anyone in that world, not really. He was just some mythical figure, a living legend that no one in their right mind could live up to.

Not to mention some of the outlandish tales that had been marketed about him. He read some of those children's books based off of his so called adventures, and they were excellent fiction. The type that even Gilderoy Lockhart would think that would be absolutely absurd.

Come to think of it, Harry never did receive any royalties for the use of his name and image. Then again, it was far past the point now.

"So, have you two set a date?" Lana asked.

"No, it might not be until the spring, if that's alright with Kara," Harry said.

Kara gave Harry a quick, but loving kiss on the lips. "Don't worry, its fine with me, any time you want. "

Harry and Kara both made a mental note to sit down and hash out the further details of their planned wedding.

"We're just about to go have breakfast," Clark said. "If you two want to…"

"No, Clark, that's nice of you to offer, but we just had to pop out of the house quickly to run a few errands while Claire's still sleeping," Harry said to them. He knew she was still asleep, because his house would inform him when his young charge had awoken. "We're just making sure both of you are alright."

Lana didn't say anything, but Clark had some trouble sleeping after his captivity at the hands of Strange. Being forced to relieve traumatic memories did do that to a person. She did find it an exercise of creativity to find ways to help relax Clark, but it was only a momentary distraction from the overall pain.

"Yeah, well I'm on the mend," Clark said, but he turned to Harry. He considered his next words. "I do have something to ask you, about my birth father, you know Jor-El."

"What did he do now?" Kara asked her cousin. The topic of Jor-El was still a very touchy one for her, and she took a deep breath.

"Well, he hasn't really done anything as of late," Clark said, and Kara just folded her arms, a slight frown appearing on her face. The fact Jor-El was silent worried her a slight bit more. "I went up to him for some advice regarding what to do with Hugo Strange, and he didn't respond. He didn't offer a word."

Kara felt a small pang of hurt that Clark went to Jor-El first over her, but she shook it off. She could not let her own insecurities get the better of her. While she embraced most of her emotions, insecurity was one that she could do without most of the time.

"So I was wondering if you knew what might have happened to Jor-El?" Clark asked.

Harry had a theory that he decided to offer Clark. "I'm thinking that something might have happened during that electro static impulse that rang out all throughout Europe last week. Maybe some of the backwash hit the Fortress of Solitude, and somehow disconnected the Jor-El AI from it."

Clark considered it, but he thought that might not be the case.

"But the technology is Kryptonian," Clark argued.

"Magic seems to be the culprit, that's what Kara and I were investigating when…when the incident with Strange happened," Harry said, guilt dripping into his voice.

"Yeah, we really should have been here," Kara added.

"Neither of you could have known that Strange would have tried something on that exact day," Lana inputted, trying to be the voice of reason. "I really hope a side effect of my super powers isn't a super self-loathing. Although, I don't really need powers to do that."

Lana thought back to all of the mistakes she made before, but that was the past. Lessons she learned the hard way, and nearly came back to bite her in the worst way. These powers were a gift, and one that she could not squander.

"With great power, there most also come great self-loathing," Harry replied with a shrug.

"And I could have sworn it was great responsibility," Lana said.

"A little bit of both actually," Clark said wisely. Every time he failed to save someone, even with his powers, or worse he indirectly hurt someone, the pain seemed to be amplified. Yet in many ways police officers, members of the military, firefighters, likely felt the same thing when they could not save the day in time. "But, do you think that Jor-El will come back online?"

"I'm not sure," Kara said. On one hand, she was internally dancing for joy that corrupt influence was out of her cousin's life. On the other hand, a part of her wondered if it would be that simple. "Give it time, and we'll know. Perhaps it's a blessing in disguise Clark."

"Or perhaps Jor-El decided it was time for me to sink or swim regardless of the consequences," Clark said.

"Well it's not like you'll be in this alone," Lana said gently.

Harry and Kara exchanged a look with each other. They vowed to make their way up to the Fortress at the first possible moment to see what had gone wrong. They took a few steps to the door.

"We'll find out what happened, it's weird," Harry said. "Although if it was the magical discharge, it might take a while for it to reboot itself, and without having a look at Jor-El's plans for the AI, it's not as if I can go in and fix things straight away."

Harry was rather curious what the plans were like. If nothing else, he could get a clearer idea at what in the world Jor-El was thinking when he made his Fortress AI in that particular way. Kara seemed to have similar thoughts, with her opinion on the actual Jor-El being very low.

"We'll be off, you know our number if something comes up," Harry said.

"Yeah, I think I have it written down somewhere," Clark said. "Congratulations you two and I really mean that. Both of you deserve some happiness in your lives."

Harry and Kara smiled at that.

"Talk to both of you later, don't do anything we wouldn't do," Kara said.

Of course, Clark didn't have to know that particular statement gave them an unlimited license to do pretty much anything. Kara and Harry got up to a lot with their powers.

"So, race to the kitchen, Lana," Clark said.

Lana gave him a playful smile and a nudge. "Oh, really, you think you can outrun me?"

"Let's find out," Clark said.

Harry and Kara watched the other couple with a smile. Hopefully this second chance would be made the most of it. Harry did not want to fall into the habit of blindly giving them.

"Nothing like a good race to keep things interesting," Harry said in a knowledgeable voice. "Kara and I had one the other day."

"Who won?" Lana asked curiously.

Kara and Harry both exchanged a covert look with each other. They decided to keep those details.

"Well we have to have some secrets," Harry said, but he recalled the race fondly. It wasn't just the competition, but rather the enjoyment of having fun with someone he loved.

Plus the aftermath stuck out in his mind vividly. There would be no need to relay the details of the aftermath in polite company. Although, the feeling of being above the ground, high in the sky, and making love to the woman of his dreams would be something that he would cherish forever. A few months ago, he would not have thought to be that adventurous, but he had been given a second chance. He was willing to make the most of it.

Explaining the broken windows was something that was more difficult, but that's why repair charms were invented.

Their sparring sessions had always turned out equally as interesting as well.

"The point is Clark, there's no shame in getting your arse kicked by your girlfriend," Harry said.

'_Especially when she kisses it and makes it feel better afterwards,' _Harry thought to himself.

"Sometimes, I pin Harry down, sometimes I let him me down, and sometimes we roll around a bit," Kara added. "Variety is the spice of life, isn't it?"

Lana looked amused, and got the sense that Harry and Kara enjoyed a very productive and eventful love life. Not that it was any of her business.

"Right," Clark said, and he tried to not think of what Harry and Kara did in their free time. The looks on their face and the few words painted a vivid enough picture. He shook his head, and tried to focus. "So, we'll be seeing you two around."

"Seriously take care of yourselves, and try not to go too insane at first," Harry said.

"Yeah, I don't want to hear that you collapsed the house," Kara joked. "Harry could fix it in a minute, but that's not the point. It would not look good."

Lana laughed at the visual, and look on Clark's face. Harry and Kara exited the house.

"So breakfast?" Lana asked.

"Yeah," Clark said, but Lana sped into the kitchen and waited from the other side of the table.

"I thought you were going to beat me to the table," Lana said.

"Lana, you did get a head start, I wasn't ready," Clark said.

"Oh, are you ready for this?" Lana asked him, and she grabbed Clark by the shoulders. She playfully, but firmly, pushed Clark against the wall, and kissed him on the lips.

For some reason, the fact that his girlfriend was now a tad bit stronger than him weighed on Clark. Oddly enough, he was not complaining all that much, but that could be because his mind was distracted for the moment from said complaining.

"I think I proved my point," Lana said, and she backed off slightly.

"I don't know, did you?" Clark asked her.

Lana smiled at him. "Yeah, I think you're enjoying this a bit too much."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Clark retorted.

"Some people call you a boy scout, Clark," Lana said to him, before she whispered into his ear. "I wonder how good you are at undoing knots."

Clark briefly wondered what he got himself into. The morning would be a very eventful one and breakfast was forgotten about, at least for the moment.

* * *

Harry and Kara left the Kent Farm. Super hearing had many benefits, but there were also a few drawbacks.

Namely the fact that you heard things that might potentially scar you for life.

"I'm happy Clark has someone, but could they have waited until after I was out of earshot?" Kara grumbled to herself.

"Scarred for life, my beautiful blonde heroine?" Harry asked, and he gripped her by the shoulders. He pushed her hair out of her face, and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. "Would you like something to take your mind off if it?"

Kara tingled with excitement and anticipation, and Harry planted a kiss on her lips. He wrapped his arms around her, and guided her back into their bedroom. Everything else was forgotten, at least for the second.

There was only Harry and Kara, and the love they felt for each other.

* * *

Clark pushed open the door, and Lana followed him, with a satisfied look on her face.

"So, where are you heading off to?" Lana asked him.

Clark answered her immediately. "Off to Metropolis, I've got pick up a couple of things. It shouldn't be that long."

"Oh, can I come along?" Lana asked him.

"Lana, remember with the snow and ice, you got to adjust your footing slightly, and slow down a little bit," Clark lectured. Lana just smiled, she knew, but she just let Clark go. "If you slide into something at super strength, it will be like an eighteen wheeler truck sliding into something. And it will hurt, or even kill anyone."

"So, there's an entire science to your powers," Lana said.

"Yeah, I've had a few mishaps," Clark said.

'_Mostly with the heat vision," _he added to himself mentally.

"Well, I overcompensated a little bit, but I'm sure the bed can be fixed easily," Lana said.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Clark replied to her dryly. "So, are you ready to run there?"

"Run?" Lana asked, a wicked burst of inspiration striking her immediately. "Yeah, that might be fun."

Lana pushed open the door, and the wind and the snow blew into her face.

"But, I was thinking of something else."

Clark was about to ask what she had in mind, but he never had a moment to do so. Lana plucked Clark off of the ground, and took flight. The Kryptonian was caught completely off guard, at the fact that Lana could fly. Then again, he seemed to be the only Kryptonian that did not have the ability to fly.

The wind blew into their faces, and Clark tried not to look down. They made it from Smallville to Metropolis in less than a minute. Even though it seemed like much longer. Lana set Clark down gently on the ground.

Clark took a moment to find his footing, and grabbed onto Lana to make sure he did not fall face first into the snow.

"Lana?" Clark asked.

"Yes, Clark," Lana said, trying to keep her face straight at the look on his face.

"Do me a favor, and warn me next time you try and take off with me in your arms," Clark said, and Lana just was internally in hysterics. She straightened up immediately. She had her fun.

"Clark, sorry, but it really was too good to pass up," Lana said, and she just looked at her. "Flying's not that big of a deal, I don't know why you haven't picked it up by now. Plus, I didn't drop you, did I?"

"No, you didn't," Clark replied grudgingly, and Lana just offered a bright smile.

"So, no big deal then," Lana said, and they stepped out of the alleyway where she had landed in. "And no one saw us."

Clark shook his head, but he could not dispute that. Lana managed to get them from Smallville to Metropolis without being seen. Perhaps it was a miracle, but Clark was not going to complain about it.

"Just got to catch my breath," Clark said, and he took a moment against the wall. Unexpected and sudden flight did not agree with him. Especially when one added in his fear of heights, and that led to quite the nerve racking combination.

Kara told him that once he embraced everything that he was, and then flight would come easily. That was easier said than done. There was a mental block where Clark had that prevented him from flying, with his own fears and insecurities.

"Don't worry Clark, I'm sure it gets a lot easier with time," Lana said. "I'm a bit rattled myself…not as much as you are it seems."

Clark took a step away.

"You are really okay, aren't you?" Lana asked quietly. Fun was fun in all, but she didn't want to really hurt Clark.

"Lana, I'm really fine," Clark told her, and took a few steps forward. Clark walked into the alleyway. "Really, you just caught me off guard. I know you didn't mean anything malicious. I would have done the same thing if the situation had been reversed."

Lana nodded, although she wondered if she would have been slightly annoyed if the situation had been reversed. Then again, Clark seemed to a bit agitated of the unexpected flight.

"Your powers, well they're stronger than I thought they would be," Clark mused. "And that might take a bit to compensate them. But, can I offer you a word of advice?"

Lana motioned to Clark, offering him an opportunity to proceed.

"When around anyone that doesn't have super strength, treat them like you would a small infant," Clark told her. "You can't hurt me, but anyone else is fair game. So just remember that."

"That's sound advice," Lana said.

The two walked around the snowy and icy streets of Metropolis. No one noticed the sudden arrivals, but the snow storm gave them an ideal amount of trouble. Clark did the couple errands that he had to go into town for. They spent less than an hour in Metropolis.

Clark's super hearing picked up a loud crash in the distance. He turned around, and saw a young man with dark hair in his mid-twenties being accosted by a group of masked goons. He was backed up against a wall, before being thrown between the thugs.

"On the ground now, rich boy," one of the goons said to the man, and tossed him to the ground immediately.

Lana frowned, seeing what Clark saw.

"We got to help him," Lana said.

Clark had to agree, but the man suddenly used a sudden burst of adrenaline to knock one of the thugs around with a martial arts strike. Clark and Lana moved forward.

They discreetly used their powers, not really being seen. Lana knocked one of the muggers to the side, and Clark sent another one flying. The young man was not going to go down with a fight, and he knocked two of the muggers down with one shot.

The muggers decided to run off.

"Are you okay?" Clark asked the young man, helping him to his feet.

"Fine," the young man said, and he pulled himself to a standing position. "Most people wouldn't have jumped in when someone was being mugged."

"Well, we're not most people," Clark said.

"That much is obvious," the young man told him in a bright voice, and he shrugged off his injuries. He turned off to the side, to make sure no one else was coming. "But the assist was appreciated. The one day my bodyguard takes a day off, and I get mugged. That about figures, doesn't it?"

The young man turned around and faced both of his rescuers.

"And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" he asked.

"Clark Kent," Clark said.

"Lana Lang," Lana said.

"And you are?"

"Bruce Wayne," the young man told them.

Lana and Clark had heard the name before. He was only one of the most famous people in the world. He had just recently within the past year returned to head his company, Wayne Enterprises, after traveling the world for years and years. He had a reputation of being a party boy, but both knew from experience not to judge people based off of perceptions. Some people were nothing what they seemed and other people were exactly what they seemed.

The jury was still out on this particular individual.

"The millionaire?" Lana asked.

"Billionaire, actually," Bruce corrected her. He offered a good natured smile. "Don't worry, people get that one wrong all of the time."

"You do have some impressive moves, even without our help," Clark said.

Bruce remained stoic, as if it was no big deal.

"Well, self-defense is something that is well worth the while of those in high society to learn," Bruce said to them, and he stepped forward. "Anyone who has a high amount of money is going to be a target."

The billionaire paused before he continued to talk to both of them.

"And you two held your own as well. Shows that you care, even if you could have just as easily looked the other way."

"There's nothing to be gained by looking the other way," Clark said.

Bruce gave them an approving look. It was lesson that many in his home town of Gotham City could learn. Yet, they looked the other way because it was easy to do.

"Some might be in disagreement, but it's safe to say I'm glad you're not," Bruce said, and his limo pulled up. He shook hands with both Clark and Lana. He surveyed the pair of them for a minute. "I must be going. I've got a board meeting I need to be to tonight in Gotham City."

Bruce turned around, and Clark and Lana were left alone.

"He's nothing like the tabloids say," Lana said, breaking the silence. "Then again, you can't really judge anyone by those rags away."

Clark looked at the limo was it drove off. It was rather curious that Bruce Wayne was able to hold his own, at least long enough for them to show up. He brushed off those thoughts away. The story that Bruce had self-defense training did seem to add up. Plus, he did travel the world. So he would have to have picked up a few tricks of the trade.

The matter was mostly put out of their minds, and Clark and Lana moved off to enjoy their day together. Until the snow and ice overwhelmed the pair of them.

* * *

The Shining Light Foundation was still closed for the holidays, but Harry and Kara had returned there to do some work. The office space was the perfect place for a meeting. Claire sat in the corner in the next room, on a beanbag chair, reading a comic book.

In the desk in his office in a place of honor, was a nice hand written letter from Senator Martha Kent. It commended Harry for the work he did with the Shining Light Foundation, helping super powered children understand that their abilities were not a curse, but a gift. That letter meant a lot to Harry and to Kara as well.

Kara was pleased to her baby cousin was raised by such wonderful people like the Kents. He did turn out alright after all, getting a very solid grounding he was going to need to grow into a great person.

They had matters on their plate regarding Clark that was less pleasurable, and might mean disaster if certain information fell into the wrong hands.

Kara and Harry had the various notes that had uncovered about Veritas over the past couple of days, but they were not many. Strange had a few clues hidden in his files, being a part of the society years back. Yet even he offered no information that was too concrete.

Still Harry was resourceful at solving mysteries by now with very little information at his disposal.

There was a safe deposit box, located somewhere. Inside the box, Harry summarized was a way to control the traveler. The Veritas Society had been splintered, and divided over what to do. Some members had wanted to control the Traveler, while others wanted to assist him. In a small way, Harry could see why both sides thought what they thought. There was prestige and power in both schools of thoughts. The reasons were nobler in some ways than others.

"Virgil Swann set up this society," Harry said, reading through what little he was able to uncover. He did some digging, enough digging to be worried. The mysterious and often brutal deaths of several of the members did cause Harry a great deal of worry.

The secrets of the society caused many lives to be lost, and many others to be potentially ruined.

"Too bad he's dead," Kara said. "We could call up a shade…"

"Which is a crapshoot at best, with how willing he is to part with information and there's no margin for error," Harry interjected. He would not too trusting of the entire call someone from the dead aspect of his powers after the entire Hermione fiasco. "It's an idea granted, but not one I like to explore except for a last ditch effort. His daughter's still alive from what I can tell, so she might be the best person for us to get any information, if she happens to know anything.. We're going to have to track her down, and try and meet with her. But our main concern is the safe deposit box."

Harry thought about it. The fact that there were magical users in Veritas made him wonder if there were enchantments protecting the box, or at least shielding its location. Without a good idea where it was located, there was no way to find out. Hermione either did not know, or was not going not offer him any assistance for the situation.

Harry really didn't care one way or another. Hermione's entire presence and return to the dead still baffled him. There was just something about it that did not settle right with him.

He was not sure he bought the entire bound to the library for all eternity thing.

Regardless of what Hermione's intentions were, Harry still felt compelled to uncover the secrets before anyone else could.

And there was one glaring person that could not know the truth no matter what.

"Whatever we do, Lex can't get his hands on this safe deposit box, whatever it is," Harry said.

"He won't, you're one step ahead of him," Kara said.

"Let's hope I can manage a few more steps than that," Harry said, and he continued to flip through the notes. The file containing the Luthors was a few inches away from his hand. The tantalizing details within were almost too much to pass up.

'_Know your enemy,' _Harry thought to himself.

A knock on the office door had brought Harry and Kara's attention away from their work. They filed their notes away in a safe so they did not fall into the wrong hands. While security was airtight, it was not foolproof. They needed a full safety net.

"Come in Chloe," Harry called.

Chloe pushed the door opened, and walked in. She looked at both Harry and Kara. "So, I heard about you two, getting engaged."

"Well, I'm sure it's going to be all over the high society section of the newspaper in the next couple of days," Harry told her, and Chloe responded with a nod.

"Congratulations you two," Chloe said. "And I really mean that from the bottom of my heart."

"Thanks," Kara replied.

"Yeah, thanks," Harry said.

"So, why did you want to see me?" Chloe asked.

Harry paused for a moment, before he let the bombshell drop.

"I've managed to get a bit of a lead on your mysterious cryptic pen-pal," Harry told her.

"Oh, really, you managed to get something?" Chloe asked, and she looked a bit surprised. "I've been going down every single avenue that I could find. But there's nothing but dead ends and potholes."

"Sometimes you got to head to the bad part of town to find someone," Harry said. "And there is no worse town that Gotham City. I did some tracking, and the e-mails, both of them were sent there."

"Really?" Chloe asked in a surprised voice. "Do you have any idea who sent them?"

Harry just offered her a brief smile. He decided to be the bearer of bad news. "That's where the trail runs cold. Tracking the e-mails to Gotham City, that was a miracle in itself. Actually tracking the e-mails to their source, that's another problem. My contact in Gotham is trying to dig something up, but so far she's been unable to find me anything tangible."

"And how reliable is she?" Chloe asked.

"I think she can be trusted, in a sense," Harry said. "Or about as much as an anonymous hacker that I found on an Internet chat room can be. I didn't tell her anything about the nature of the e-mails. I only gave her the address. Who knows what she'll uncover. The person who sent them went to a lot of trouble in covering their trail."

"So, Strange could have seen them," Chloe suggested.

"We thought so at first, too," Kara said.

"It's someone else though, someone mysterious," Harry said, and he turned around, deep in thought. "I'll see what I can dig up in the future, but there are other things that I need to with. And those things might equal a big problem."

"How big of a problem?" Chloe asked.

"It's a big one, believe us," Kara said. "There's….there's something involving Clark, and there are people out there who would like to see him harmed."

"A bit too late on the news with that one, there's always been people after him," Chloe said, and Harry and Kara just looked at her, more determined than she had ever seen them before. "And just because of the look of your face this is serious."

"To be honest, it's potentially bad, I haven't even figured out all of the angles of it," Harry said. "We're researching everything, but this is something we have to do. It has to do with the mission that we were sent here for, by our employer."

"So, are you going to give Clark a hint of what he's up against?" Chloe asked.

"When we know for sure what he has to deal with, we might be able to," Kara said, and she did wish she could be a bit more helpful. She leaned back and sighed.

Harry thought about it. The truth could hurt, but lies and secrets could hurt even more. He would have to tell Clark before too long, just to give him a heads up. Harry knew better than anyone else how much keeping secrets could ruin many lives.

"So, Lana got to keep her super powers after all," Chloe said casually breaching the subject. "Which is strange, because I was certain someone was adamant that she had to lose them."

Harry just offered a shrug. "Yeah, I couldn't really give her a hint that she would be able to get them back until she was ready. For all I knew, she might have tried to force the issue, and that would not end well for her. The point is, she proved herself, and hopefully she can put the entire Lex thing completely behind her."

Chloe would have to agree with this hope. The problem was Lex was someone who made it very difficult for people to put his actions behind them.

"So, why exactly did you let her keep her powers?" Chloe asked.

Harry paused for a second. "To give her a chance to prove me wrong."

"Come again?" Chloe asked.

"Well, Lana didn't get off on the right foot with either of us," Kara admitted.

"I'm not making excuses or anything, but she's had a turbulent life," Chloe said.

"I know," Harry said in a sympathetic voice. "Hopefully Lana and Clark find what they are looking for, for their sake."

Harry paused for a moment, before he continued.

"If the dark spector wasn't hovering around us all, I would be a bit more at ease," Harry said. "There's a storm coming, I just don't know when."

"Things won't be easier when the third Herald gets here," Kara offered.

"Wait a minute, third Herald?" Chloe asked them.

Harry and Kara exchanged a smile.

"Yeah, there are apparently three of us, but the third one of us hasn't arrived just yet," Harry replied. "I don't even know what this person would be like. I don't know if her intentions would be noble or nasty."

"So, we're going under the assumption that this mysterious third Herald is a woman," Chloe said slowly, and Harry just turned to Kara.

"Kara seems to be going under the assumption that the third Herald is a woman, and let's face it, she's much smarter than I am."

"Thanks for the compliment Harry, but you don't need to sell yourself short," Kara said. She looked rather pleased with the compliment never the less. "All we know about this third herald is she's currently not in this dimension. There's no one with an energy signature quite like ours, and we searched the entire world for a third one."

"Or she hasn't been born yet," Harry offered.

"Or that," Kara agreed.

Chloe pondered the situation. She really had no ideas to offer them. That was more their area of expertise.

"She could complicate things," Chloe said slowly.

"We'll deal with her when she arrives," Kara said firmly. "For all we know, that might not be for another hundred years or so."

"Or it could be in the next twenty four hours," Harry said, but he shook his head. "I wouldn't worry about it. I've faced worse problems than this third Herald. I really wish I could find more about your e-mailer though."

"Hey, you know it was in Gotham City, that's more of a start I got," Chloe said. "And that's a start you can build on."

Kara and Harry nodded. They had a lot of work ahead of them. Harry had a theory that the mysterious e-mailer and the person who cut the power to Strange's facility might have been one and the same the more he thought about it. Call him crazy, but that's the conclusion he drew.

Harry and Kara made their way outside of the office, letting Chloe out. Claire finally looked up from her comic book.

"Took you long enough in there," Claire offered with a smile on her face. "What were you doing?"

"Boring adult stuff, trust me, it's nothing you wouldn't be interested in," Harry said.

Claire looked at Harry for a second, before she nodded. Kara walked over and grabbed Claire's coat from the rack off to the side.

"Talk to you three later," Chloe said.

"See you around Chloe!" Harry called.

"Yeah, bye," Kara said, bent down to make sure Claire's coat was on her, along with her hat, scarf, and mittens.

There was a muffled, "bye Chloe," behind the scarf of Claire. Chloe smiled at the girl, before she turned around.

"I can barely move," Claire complained as Kara put the coat and jacket on her.

"Better to not be able to move, then to catch a cold," Kara told her firmly.

"I told you, I can just use my powers to warm myself up," Claire said, but Kara just looked at her.

"I know, but you should still bundle up," Kara said to her.

"Someone's report card came in the other day, and she got straight As," Harry said, and Claire looked at both Kara and Harry. "Good job Claire."

"We're both really proud of you," Kara replied warmly.

"Yeah we are, you've come a long way," Harry said.

Claire looked rather pleased with herself. Those words coming from those two meant a lot to her. They were the closest thing to family that she had.

No, they were her family. There was no closest thing about it.

"I worked hard," Claire said. "Some of those subjects were hard, but I did well in the end."

"Just keep doing the best you can, that's all we ask for," Harry said.

Claire smiled, and Harry and Kara walked her down the stairs. They were going to have a nice day out now that their little impromptu research session was done.

Harry hoped that the papers would come through within the next few weeks. He had a feeling that Claire would be thrilled when they did and it all became official. Right now, he was only her temporary legal guardian, but if the government caught wind of what she could do, they could still try and take her away.

This situation was more permanent, but Harry was not going to tell her until they were signed, sealed, and delivered. He did not want to get anyone's hopes up, especially his own. Kara and his legal team were the only people who knew what was going on that front.

In the meantime, he vowed to enjoy the day out with the two of them, and have some fun, to keep his mind off of the insanity that had been happening as of late.

Not to mention the insanity that was to come.

* * *

There was a fine line between obsession and dedication. Some would say that Lex walked that line each and every day of his adult life. For the past several years, he has been delving countless hours trying to puzzle together the mystery that was Clark Kent. Yet more mysteries presented itself, and he found himself on the precipice of ultimate knowledge.

If only he could figure out what that knowledge was. When he did, he would figure out truths that most mortals would only dream about. He could save the world.

A buzzing of his intercom brought Lex out of his musings.

"I'm not entertaining visitors today, tell them that it has to wait," Lex said.

"Sir, its Commissioner Gordon and District Attorney Dent, from Gotham City. They have a warrant, and wish to speak to you regarding your dealings with Hugo Strange."

"Alleged dealings," Lex corrected, and the truth was Strange's mysterious death baffled him. All of the files of his office at Belle Reve had gone missing. Any information he obtained on Clark Kent, or anyone else for that matter had vanished without a trace. "Well, if they have a warrant, by all means send them in."

Lex turned around, pushing his file folders out of view. He would not do well to have anything that can attract attention present. He waited for a knock on the door.

He heard it.

"It's unlocked," Lex called, and he sat himself behind his desk. He reclined, easily and casually.

Two men walked in. One of the men was a middle aged man with dark hair that had slight hints of grey. The other was a younger man in his mid-twenties, with dark hair.

"Ah, Commissioner and District Attorney," Lex said. "You're both a long way from Gotham City, aren't you?"

"Yes, we are Mr. Luthor," Gordon said in a gruff voice, and he sat down. Dent elected to stand, and he gazed at Lex, mistrust in his eyes. "The warrant is in perfect order as you can see, but no worries, you're not being charged for anything, at the moment. We're just asking a few questions to follow up on a lead about your correspondence with Hugo Strange."

"Strange, Strange?" Lex asked in mock thought as if he had no idea what Gordon and Dent were talking about. He looked over the warrant. "Well, it's all in order, Commissioner. But I wouldn't expect anything else from one of the more honest and trustworthy members of Gotham City Police Department. You're doing your best to clean up the police force from what I've heard. Of course, when the entire city itself is diseased, you're fighting an uphill battle."

Lex offered a smile, with the slightest hint of smugness. Dent looked at him. He would like nothing better than to smack this smug shit upside the head, but he knew Gordon would never condone it in his presence.

"Cut the crap, Luthor, we know you've been talking with Strange," Dent said.

Lex raised an eyebrow, turning to the young District Attorney.

"Really, such an unfounded accusation without any proof could mean doom for your career," Lex said. "If I recall correctly, you're the youngest district attorney in Gotham City history. A position that has had the last five or six occupants either turn up dead, or be thrown in prison on charges of corruption."

"You seem so found of statistics, perhaps I should start rattling off the crimes you've wiggled your way out of because of your bank account," Dent said, voice and temper both raising, but Gordon shot him a warning look.

"Strange's medical credentials have been reinstated after being banned for life," Gordon said. "And all fingers point to you doing that."

"I don't deny that I reinstated Strange's credentials and referenced him to Belle Reve," Lex said. "He's an old friend of the family from way back, so I was doing him a favor. That's where any relationship between us ends. Unless you have an eyewitness account of any correspondence I have had with Strange, I don't think your investigation has a leg to stand on."

Dent clutched his fist. He knew Lex Luthor's type. The smug rich kid who obstructed justice, simply because they had the money to pay off the right people.

"I heard that Strange turned up dead," Lex added.

"Yes, we have, that's what brought us to this investigation," Gordon said.

"And you think I had something to do with it," Lex continued casually.

There was a pause. Lex looked at them firmly, almost daring them to accuse him.

"It doesn't matter what we think," Gordon said, waving his hand. "We're just investigating all avenues."

Lex took the cup of coffee on his desk. He took a drink, before he addressed the two visiting officials.

"My whereabouts can be accounted for, just check with my security staff," Lex replied casually. "They can inform you that I was present and accounted for all night. Strange's death was regrettable, but he was a professional psychiatrist with many patients throughout the years."

The bald young man took a moment to look thoughtful.

"For all I know, it could be some vengeful woman who controls plants, or some killer clown. I've heard enough rumors about to Gotham City to make me truthfully appreciate the work you've done. It's a hazard living there, much less working as a public official."

Lex surveyed them.

"I'll give you the names of people who can collaborate my whereabouts, if you wish," Lex continued. "Then we can put this entire situation behind us, and you can get back to your work, and I can get back to mine."

"We'll follow up on those leads," Gordon said, but he did not take his eye off of Lex. "Thank you for your time."

"The pleasure is all mine," Lex said. "I would hate for a grave injustice to be done, and if I can help in any way to bring down Hugo Strange's killer, I'll be happy to help."

"No, that will be all," Gordon said.

Gordon and Dent left Lex's office. Dent was seething, and he turned to the Gotham Police Commissioner.

"We both know Luthor's dirty, Jim," Dent said to him in a lowered voice. "The man's lower than pond scum. The dropped murdered charges on him are sky high."

"What we both know is hearsay, Harvey," Gordon replied to him in a warning tone. "Lex Luthor's motives of getting Strange's medical credentials reinstated are a cause of suspicion, but we have no proof of anything that he's done."

"Then perhaps we need to have someone find proof," Dent suggest in a rough voice.

Gordon turned to the district attorney, knowing what he was implying. Both men had formed a pact with the dark knight protector of Gotham City, to help weaken the various gangs. He could cross lines that neither Gordon or Dent would be unable to. As long as he didn't cross them too far, Gordon had no problem with him operating in Gotham City. "I know where your head is, but we got to do this by the book."

"Yes, I know," Dent said, and he just took a breath. "Justice isn't chance, the law of averages. Innocence or guilt can't be determined by a flip of the coin."

Harvey Dent gave a rough sigh. He was a bit tired of rich men getting away with murder.

He had an airtight case on one of Gotham City's most prominent crime lords that should have landed him away for a long time. He spent six months of his life working with that investigation. The case was dropped.

The fact the mayor got a generous donation to his reelection campaign, and several other city politicians got equally sizeable contributions from this individual was not lost on Harvey Dent.

There were days where he wondered if there was justice in the world, or if the only law that mattered was the law of averages.

"If Lex Luthor is guilty, he can't keep running forever," Gordon said in a calm voice. "But for now, we got to stick to this investigation. Strange was Gotham City's problem, and given he has a criminal record there, his actions here in Kansas would cause some of the burden of responsibility to fall on our shoulders."

The two left, to check out Lex Luthor's story. His alibi stood out, and in the eyes of the law that was the only thing that mattered.

They were back to square one.

* * *

Lex was gone mere moments after the meeting he had. Even if they could find something to pin on him, it would not stick. Anyone who came forward with evidence would be a fool at this point. He took a few more steps down the winding staircase down to one of the main lab areas. The door was slightly ajar. That was curious, as Lex took great care to keep this particular door locked at all times.

It was worth a peak to make sure no one had been poking around in matters they shouldn't. Lex took a few more steps, and then stepped forward.

There was no one there.

Seconds later, Lex Luthor experienced something that he never thought he would in his wildest dreams.

He was suspended upside down by his ankles from the rafters, and he came face to face with a shadowed figure dressed in black. Lex's breath quickened. His heart thumped in his chest, and he could barely string together what passed as a coherent thought.

"Who the hell are you?" Lex demanded when he found his voice.

"You've been studying Clark Kent, and been working with Hugo Strange," growled the intruder in a gruff voice. "You're going to give me information as to why."

The threatening tone of voice was not gone unnoticed by Lex, but he tried to maintain a mask of ignorance. Perhaps he could fool this individual until he figured out a way out of his predicament.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lex said, trying to remain cool and collected, despite the humiliating and dangerous situation he was in.

"You know, and it's a long drop from there," said the figure in a low and threatening tone.

"Clark, there's something about him, he has secrets, I need to find out," Lex said. "It might be for the good of the world."

"What do you know about the Veritas Society?"

Lex remained numb in shock.

"Answer me," the intruder continued in a commanding voice.

"Secret society, something about the traveler, to guide him from his arrival, years ago, that's all I know, I swear," Lex stammered, and the footsteps of security could be heard outside. "Help, someone, there's a madman in here!"

Security entered, and Lex turned to them, still suspended by his ankles.

"Don't worry about me, go after him!" Lex snapped, frustrated at his predicament.

"Go after who, sir?" the guard asked.

The intruder was gone as soon as he appeared.

Lex dangled upside down, until someone cut him down. It would be an encounter that he would not forget, or forgive for a long time.

He would find out who did this. He did not enjoy being embarrassed.

* * *

**"**So, you're telling me the mystery e-mailer came from Gotham City?" Clark asked to Chloe. Both stood at the Kent Farm House, and half watched the snow come down. "That doesn't seem good."

"Yeah, talk about the one city that makes Smallville look well adjusted," Chloe said. "I don't know how Harry managed to find someone who could connect the dots."

"I don't really know how Harry manages to do half of the things he does," Clark said, before he looked amused at the irony. "Is this how everyone looked at me before they knew my secret?"

Chloe offered a smile to her friend. "Yeah, pretty much. So, you and Lana are exploring new avenues. The seismic tremors wouldn't have anything to do with what you're up to."

"It wasn't that bad," Clark offered in an embarrassed voice. "Lana's just adjusting to her new powers, but she's doing well. Granted the fact that she could fly and I couldn't was something…that was surprising."

"Join the club of us grounded people," Chloe said.

"There's a club?" Clark asked.

"There is now," Chloe said, and she peered out the window. "Speaking of Lana, she's back right now."

Lana opened the door, returning from her jaunt outdoors. She greeted Chloe with a warm smile.

"Oh, hey Chloe," Lana said.

"So how are you today?" Chloe asked brightly. "With your new powers, getting to keep them, and everything that's been going on. It must be something that you've thought about for a long time."

"It's like something that is out of a dream," Lana said. "Which is why I'm half expecting to wake up, and find out that I didn't get to keep those powers after all."

"I can pinch you if you want to know for sure," Clark said to Lana.

"Maybe later," Lana fired back, but she looked outside. She sighed, thinking about what had happened over the past couple of months. "Things are actually peaceful for once. A brand new year is almost here; let's hope that it's less chaotic than last year."

"Well, I'm always for a good bit of blind optimism as much as the next person," Chloe said.

After making some small talk, three more people arrived at the Kent Farm. Clark opened the door, and saw Harry, Kara, and Claire waiting.

"Hi guys, figured we'd swing by, Claire insisted that she wanted to see you guys again," Harry said.

"It isn't a problem, is it?" Kara asked.

"No of course not," Clark said with a bright smile. "So how have you two been?"

"Since you last saw us a couple of days ago, we've been busy," Harry said, and Claire went over to talk to Lana and Chloe, and left Harry and Kara to have a word with Clark. Harry sighed, now was the moment of truth. "There's no easy way to put this Clark, but we've uncovered something that you really need to know."

Clark's curiosity was piqued, but a feeling of overwhelming dread filled him as well. On one hand, if he needed to know, then he hoped that they would tell him everything.

"We don't know all of the angles to it ourselves, but your arrival was anticipated and prepared for many years ago," Harry said. "For longer than you ever knew."

"We uncovered this," Kara said, and she handed Clark the folded up piece of paper that had all of the names of the members of the Veritas society on it.

"The traveler," Clark said to himself in an undertone.

"It goes much deeper than just your arrival, people in my world knew you were coming for years," Harry said. "For over a thousand years, there were prophecies about you."

"So, that means you knew?" Clark asked, a bit defensive and Harry thought that this would be a possibility.

Thankfully Kara was able to jump in to defend Harry.

"No, Harry didn't know anything about you, until he met me," Kara said. "And he found out about the legends much later…."

"Through the journal," Harry said.

Clark now frowned. Something wasn't adding up. "I thought you said that journal had nothing in it."

"No, it had nothing written in it," Kara said.

"It seems like we have something in common, Clark," Harry said with a weak smile. "We have a parent who wants us to achieve some great destiny, and the barrier between life and death would not stop them."

"Your mother?" Clark asked, and he could tell by the sour look on Harry's face it was not a subject that he enjoyed talking about.

"Lionel Luthor was right, the Evans family were obsessed about certain matters," Harry said. "But not me, I didn't want any of this."

Clark felt conflicted for a moment. Harry had some big secrets, and there were times where it seemed like he distorted the truth. Yet, he did help him several times.

There was a seed of doubt in his mind.

"Clark, you should trust Harry, I do," Kara said.

"I do trust Harry, but there's just so much about him that I don't know," Clark said.

"I've seen his memories, all of them, I know the type of person that Harry is," Kara protested.

Clark nodded. Kara seemed adamant that Harry was trustworthiness, and that seemed to be good enough for him.

"What did your mother want you to do?" Clark asked.

"She wanted me to control the traveler," Harry said without pre-amble. "I know what it's like to be controlled by someone who thinks they're doing things for the greater good, but they're wrong. But that's only the beginning."

Kara and Harry exchanged a look. It was time for the really big bombshell to be dropped. They hoped they could find a way around the limitations.

"And there's something else we need to tell you," Kara said. "It's…"

A knock on the door interrupted Kara before she could speak. Lana stepped over to the door, and opened it. She spotted their newest guest.

"Oh, it's you," Lana said, and she was face to face with Lionel Luthor.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Lionel said, but he did not wait for an answer one way or another. "I wish to speak with Clark for a minute. Alone It's urgent."

Clark looked at everyone, but nodded. He better find out what Lionel wanted. He left, and closed the door behind him.

Kara and Harry's curiosity got the better of both of them. They used their enhanced hearing to pick up bits and pieces of what Lionel was saying.

"I never seen Lex so spooked in his life. He's trying to keep a brave face on. But his resolve his slipping. The obsession he has with the symbol that he found on the gravestone is causing him to go mad. I'd be lying if I wasn't curious myself. But it seems to have no Earthly meaning that I could tell."

"No Earthly meaning?"

"The symbol may be of alien origin. Here is the sketch the symbol that I made."

Kara cringed. The symbol was Kryptonian in origin. Clark could likely read it and tell Lionel what it meant. She knew that darting out of the door would blow her cover.

"No, I don't recognize it."

Kara let out the breath she was holding, and Harry did as well. They had no idea why Clark kept that quiet.

"Eavesdropping is such a nasty habit to break, isn't it?" Chloe asked them in an undertone, and Harry and Kara turned around. "So, you told Clark about your findings."

"Well, most of what we could explain, we're still searching for more," Harry said, and he noticed that Lana had left the other room. Claire sat on the couch. "We were going to let Clark in on the big secret."

"You aren't allowed to tell him out right, though," Chloe said. "At least that's what I thought you said."

"We aren't," Harry agreed.

"But, there are ways where we can hint about it," Kara said.

"Well hopefully you find a big enough sledgehammer to hint with, because being subtle is not one of Clark's strong points," Chloe said.

"That runs in the family," Kara said, with a knowing smile. "On Jor-El's end at least."

Kara and Harry thought for a minute about the mystery of Jor-El's presence disappearing from the fortress. Either he was biding his time until the right moment to make himself known again, or there was another force present that silenced him for reasons unknown.

Harry had a shrewd suspicious, but he squashed it. At least until he could find more proof.

Clark popped his head in.

"I've got to check out something, I'll be back in about twenty minutes," Clark said.

"What do I tell Lana?" Chloe asked.

"Tell her that if I'm not back in an hour, it's likely I got in over my head," Clark said, and he sped off.

"And there he goes again," Chloe said.

"Claire, hang out here for a little bit with Lana and Chloe," Harry said. "I'm sorry, but Kara and I, we have something to take care of."

"Sure, its okay, I spent most of the day with you two anyway," Claire said.

"Good, we'll be back in a little bit," Harry said with a smile. He turned to Kara, and the two moved towards the door. "Remember the hunch I had about Veritas?"

"Which one?" Kara asked.

"The one with the Department of Mysteries at the old Ministry," Harry said. "Now's the time to check that up, and then we'll figure out why Clark sped off to."

Kara and Harry were off immediately after saying some quick goodbyes.

* * *

The old Ministry of Magic building in Great Britain was just the same as Harry and Kara left in when they had rifled through the records months back. The couple was here for a different reason this time. It was a search for knowledge.

"Luna mentioned her mother was an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries, years ago, just before she died," Harry said, recalling the conversation he had with his odd friend. "If the Lovegoods were a part of Veritas, maybe some of her findings were chronicled down here."

Kara helped Harry push open the rusted doors leading to the lift on the Department of Mysteries.

"Well, if it's intact, like everything else in this place," Kara said with a frown on her face.

"We're running around in circles right now," Harry said. "I just know there might be something tangible down here, call it a gut feeling that I have."

"You said there are countless rooms down here, right?" Kara asked him.

"Well, I've counted, long story, but there are six hundred and eighty one rooms," Harry said. "It's a hunch…"

"But it's the only one we got," Kara said.

"Just don't go near any mysterious archways," Harry said.

"I know, I saw your memories," Kara replied, squeezing his hand in reassurance.

Harry and Kara moved their way down the steps. With their powers, they would be able to search through the archives in a tenth of the time a normal person would. Kara pulled open the file cabinets on the left, and Harry did likewise on the ones to the right. Harry and Kara shifted through each and every document, trying to find anything that could interest them.

"Keep searching, Kara, I'll check the room off to the side," Harry said.

Kara nodded in agreement. Harry slipped off to the side to the next room. There were several items covered in the room. This being the Department of Mysteries, Harry was on the edge of his seat. It must have been years since anyone even stepped down here. For all he knew, there could be something sentient down here.

He was confident that he could handle anything that would be down here, and his bride to be could as well. But the problem was if anything escaped from this building.

Harry stepped forward. He saw nothing but dusty boxes and broken artifacts. Anything of any value appeared to have been cleared out of here a long time ago. Mysterious artifacts lost to the annals of time.

The dark haired Herald of Death stepped through the hallways, and reached the end of the hallway. He saw a very familiar mirror down at the end of the hallway. A part of him wondered where it had gone after his first year at Hogwarts.

The Mirror of Erised was here, staring back at him. How it got here, Harry had no idea.

Eleven year old Harry Potter would dwell on impossible dreams. Reality had not completely crushed his sense of wonder and magic. He longed for a day where he would make up, and he would be surrounded by his family. Everything would be a bad dream.

The twenty, nearly twenty one, Herald of Death knew better. He knew this mirror was wicked, twisted. It offered him promises of a life that he could never have had when he was eleven years old. It showed him with family members he lost.

Currently, his reality was not so bad. A certain beautiful blonde Kryptonian had given him a new lease on life. It had given him a reason to live again, and prove that there would be light at the end of the tunnel. Even after the harshest, most troubled life, there was always hope.

He would be damned if he let some title define him. That's why he proposed marriage to her. And Kara accepted, because she loved him. Not because of some silly title, or because he was famous, but because of the person he was. Harry got to be himself for the first time in his life, and she appreciated that. And Harry loved her back.

His reality was better than any fantasy that the mirror could give him. Kara was his reality, and he cherished her with all of his heart. He would give up his powers if it would make her happy.

Still the allure of the mirror had tempted those with far less insecurities in their heart. Harry decided that he could take a chance of one tiny peak. Just one little peak would be all really. What would be the harm if he looked into that mirror? What was his heart's desire now?

Curiosity got the better of him. There was times where Harry thought he was his own worst enemy.

Harry turned, and looked into the Mirror of Erised for the first time since his first year.

He saw both himself and Kara in the mirror, in the living room of a magnificent house. It was Christmas, or around that time. Outside, he peered through the window in the mirror, and spotted handsome structures in the background, advanced beyond any technology known to Earth.

Harry jumped with a start. With them they saw a girl with red hair, sitting by them next to the tree. There was no mistaking who that was. Then he saw two more children, one was a young boy with dark hair, and another was a little girl with blonde hair and green eyes.

He continued to stare at the mirror. Was this a hint of a future that he could have, or just another taunt of something that never could be?

"Harry, come here, you have to see this!" Kara called from the next room.

Harry pulled himself away from the vision in the mirror, jolted back to reality by his fiancée.

Had he lingered a moment longer, he would have saw her in the mirror. The image of the Third Herald of Death, but Harry had no idea and neither did Kara. Blissfully ignorant, Harry returned to meet Kara.

"Yeah, Kara, did you find anything about Veritas?" Harry asked her.

"Not exactly, sorry, but I found something that you should look it," Kara said, and she held out a dusty and worn folder for Harry to see. "Something called Project: Genesis."

"I never heard of it," Harry said.

"I figured so," Kara said, and she put down the official documents on a shelf for her and Harry to read.

Harry took a look at the official documents, and his expression darkened the more he read them. What in the hell was the Ministry thinking? Why did they think that this was a good idea?

He said nothing, but he filed away the documents for a more in-depth look later when they left the premises.

The two searched the entire Department of Mysteries, but found nothing, not even a hint about the Vertias Society.

That put Harry at ease just a little bit, but also frustrated him. There were so many unanswered questions, and right now Harry and Kara hoped that the overtures they made to Patricia Swann for a meeting would pan out. That was the only potential lead they had right now.

* * *

Clark stepped into an abandoned warehouse, and he carefully took a look to the side. He was exercising a bit more caution than usual. He stepped out of the shadows, and peered off into the distance. Lionel believed that this mysterious vigilante would be here, given that this was the next Luthorcorp facility in town.

"I was wondering when you'd show up."

Clark turned around. He spotted a figure in the shadows. He was dressed in black armor from head to toe. He wore a mask, a cowl for a lack of a better term, with pointed ears. A yellow belt with many pouches was around his waist. The only part of his skin that was visible was his jaw. His mouth was twisted into a humorless expression.

"What are you doing?" Clark asked. "Where did you come from?"

"I could ask you the same question," he replied dryly. "Lex Luthor seems to be unnaturally obsessed with you, and your secrets. To the extent where he'd make a deal with someone like Hugo Strange if it meant satisfying his own curiosity. Given what I found out, it can only be painfully obvious who you are."

Clark remained calm. There was no need to play his hand, not yet anyway.

"Lex has always been obsessed," Clark said. "I have nothing to hide."

"Do you, Kent?" the vigilante asked him. "For someone who has nothing to hide, you do attract the interest of some powerful and very influential people, not to mention dangerous people. I've studied you extensively, myself."

"Just who are you?" Clark repeated.

The dark brooding figure remained calm and still. Clark's patience failed him for a minute, and he tried to grab onto the vigilante. The vigilante bounced back on the other side of the room, with agility and precision.

Clark lunged, and tried to grab ahold of his mysterious guest. The guest slipped out of his grasp, and edged behind him. Before he could react, Clark found himself tossed onto the ground, and the vigilante reached into a pouch in his belt.

A familiar glowing green meteor rock was underneath Clark's nose. He grimaced.

"It doesn't take much, does it?" he asked, the Kryptonite in his hand. Clark felt weak. "And these rocks seem to be a dime a dozen. I didn't have to search for more than five minutes to find one. For all the advanced technology you're supposed to have, I am astounded that you haven't tried to find a way to negate their radiation."

The Kryptonite was withdrawn, and returned to a lead lined pouch. Clark rolled over, taking a deep breath.

At that moment, Harry and Kara popped up. The vigilante took a step back. These two were not part of his plan, but adaptability was one of the key weapons of the crime fighter.

"So it's you, isn't it?" Kara asked, helping Clark to his feet. "You're the one who cut the power, and send Chloe those mysterious warning e-mails."

The dark figure did not say anything.

"Okay, the time for games is done," Harry said, and he took a step forward to stare this mysterious individual in the eye. "Just who are you?"

There was a bit of a pause, before the figure responded, slipping a finger into his glove. His declaration was two simple words.

"I'm Batman."

A smoke pellet dropped, and the blinding cloud of smoke blocked the vision of Harry, Clark, and Kara.

The moment Harry could clear the smoke, this Batman was gone.

Harry and Kara both scowled. If he thought that he was giving them the slip that easily, he had another thing coming.

The search was on. They would get their answers.

**To Be Continued in the Next Chapter, "Co-Op." **

_So, yeah, there will be unlikely to be any further updates for Herald of Death until January of 2013, but you just never know. I did add some upcoming stories that I hope to begin working on sometime in 2013 in my profile, that may or may not be to people's liking. So check that out in my profile when you have a chance. There are many more ideas I have beyond that, but alas, so many ideas, so little time. _


	22. Chapter 22: Co-Op

_I survived the holiday season! Back a few days earlier for this newest chapter just in time for the end of 2012. I know I said that you were unlikely to see a new one before 2013, but I managed to have enough time to write this one. Try as I might to keep this one underneath ten thousand words, I didn't quite succeed, but that just happens sometimes. Of course, this chapter and the last chapter were originally supposed to be one chapter. _

_Enjoy and everyone have a safe and happy New Year. _

**Chapter 22: Co-Op. **

Harry and Kara stood, and were about to give chase. He might be a master of escape, but with their powers they could capture them. Unfortunately for them, they had other problems to deal with. This Batman, whoever he was, had been kind enough to trip the alarm on the way out.

Something told Harry that Batman was not going to be that sloppy, unless it was on purpose. Harry looked at Kara, Clark looked at both of them, and they all knew what they had to do without words.

They could not be caught in here, no matter what. Harry, Kara, and Clark bolted to outside. The security cameras magically lost the last several minutes of footage. Clark was about ready to bolt out at super speed, but Harry grabbed him by the sleeve. With a slight tug, the three popped right back to the Kent Farm.

Clark looked shaken, but he recovered quickly from the forced teleportation.

"So, Batman?" Kara asked him.

"Yes, that's what I heard," Harry added.

Clark frowned, with confusion on his face. "I never heard of him."

"He's news to me as well, but I wonder if he and the mysterious urban legend in Gotham City are one and the same," Harry said, and he looked thoughtful. Clark looked at him, with faint recognition. He had heard a few stories, and while he did not discount them, he tried to not to put too much stock out of them. "Over the past year or two, there have been criminals who have been strung up, and scared out of their wits. The person who did this, they have no idea who it was. They've never been able to get him on tape, or even get a picture of him at all."

"He must be good," Clark offered.

Kara and Harry both frowned.

"Well, he must be good, or at least well prepared," Harry said. "He caught us off guard, all of us. It happens to the best of us."

"The question is, whether it'll happen again?" Kara asked.

"Not if I can help it," Harry said.

He was sure that this Batman had narrowly given him the slip twice, and he was determined not to let it happen a third time.

Clark frowned, as he opened the door for himself, Harry, and Kara. Harry and Kara followed him in. They were greeted by Chloe and Lana, with Claire hovering in the background. She waved and smiled at them, which they returned.

"What happened?" Chloe asked.

"We met Batman," Harry said.

Both Lana and Chloe looked confused. Lana was the first one to ask the obvious question.

"Just who is Batman?" Lana asked both of them.

"Well, that's another good question," Harry said.

"He knows who I am, he knows my secret,' Clark said. He tried to keep himself calm and collected. In reality, he was freaking out the inside. He did not even have a hint of who the man underneath the cowl was.

"I know this is likely breaking all kinds of ethics, but why not take a peak underneath his mask?" Chloe asked him, and Clark looked at her, exasperated. "You tried, didn't you?"

"He must have lined his mask with lead," Harry said.

"Talk about a guy who did his homework," Chloe said.

"Did his homework, I say he's done more than his homework," Harry said. His body shifted, and he tried to puzzle together the mystery that was Batman. "He's done all of the homework, everyone else's in the class, and went for the extra credit."

"So, any clue who he might be?" Lana asked, and there were four baffled looks that had been directed towards her.

"We might be able find out easily, if we can find him again," Harry said.

"He slipped through us, and…well he's smart, I'll give him that," Kara said, a small scowl was on her face. She was very much agitated that this Batman slipped out of the backdoor, before she could get her hands around him. "I don't think he has any powers."

"His lack of powers doesn't make him any less dangerous," Harry said seriously. "It makes him craftier, and potentially more dangerous."

There was no disagreement of that. The entire group sat in silence. Even Claire, who was sitting in the corner, remained quiet. Kara decided to voice something that she had meant to bring up a long time ago, but was hoping that Clark would swallow his pride.

"The meteor rocks get you in trouble too often for your own good," Kara said. "With all of your powers, you're kind of useless if someone shoves one little rock underneath your nose…no offense."

Clark really couldn't take any offense to something that was true. All of the times the Kryptonite caused him trouble flashed through his mind. All it took was one little meteor rock to bring him to his knees, powers or not. It was a weakness that frustrated him, and what Batman told him really hit him hard.

He should have found a way to block it out by now. Then he remembered something, and turned his attention to Harry.

"You figured out how to negate it," Clark said, and Harry looked at him, inviting him to continue. "You found a way to negate the Kryptonite radiation with magic. I remember, months ago, before Kara somehow became invulnerable. You still haven't explained quite how that happened."

At this point, Kara caught Harry's eye, and both shifted guiltily. The truth was they were about ready to tell Clark, but had been unfortunately sidetracked. They were going to tell Clark everything, even if the consequences would be dire. Now was not the time, but they would have to revisit that particular line of conversation later.

"I have found a way to negate it completely, yes," Harry said. "My first run of tests only could center it around an object, like the cape I gave Kara. But now I can inject the cure directly into the blood stream. I've synthesized it, and it should work out for you. With your permission, I'll give it to both you and Lana. The rocks do affect her as well with her new found powers."

Lana nodded. She found out that the powers did have certain drawbacks when she tried to save Clark.

"So what do we have to do?" Lana asked.

"Come with me to the Shining Light Foundation," Harry said. "We've got the necessary there to give you the cure. There will be other ways to trip you up, I'm sure. But you don't have to worry about the Kryptonite anymore."

Lana and Clark both nodded. Harry and Kara transported them off to the main lobby of the Shining Light Foundation headquarters, leaving Chloe and Claire alone back at the Kent Farm, at least momentarily.

The quartet went into the Elevator shaft. The elevator shaft rose up, until the main lab area. It was a research and development area, where Harry studied the green rocks and the potential effects that it had on people. Hopefully, that would gain him some level of clarity, and understanding to properly help the guests.

Some of the guests had been troubled cases, and much to his dismay, some already at Belle Reve were beyond hope. He hoped that he could prevent more from falling into that particular mania.

Lana and Clark sat down, and Harry moved over to the back vault. This was not exactly a cure that one could test, and get wrong. However, based on what he knew, and what he researched, he was confident that it worked. He shielded the vault as he spun open the dial. Not that he needed to mask the combination, because it changed via a random factor every other hour. He removed two vials from the vault.

"Something tells me you had this planned," Lana said.

"It wasn't whether or not you were going to come for the cure," Kara told both Lana and Clark. "It was just a matter of when, and how. This should benefit both of you, so you can be all that you can be. So you can work together, and make whatever life you choose to make with each other."

Lana and Clark let that all sink in and both of them nodded. Harry took two needles, and filled them with the cure.

"Now, this won't hurt all that much," Harry said. "Maybe just a little bit, but that's just your bodies assimilating to the cure being injected into the bloodstream."

"So this is a one-time thing, right?" Clark asked.

"If I didn't know any better, I would have to say that you're afraid of needles," Kara teased lightly, and Clark just shot her a look through narrowed eyes. Kara just offered a smile.

"Well, there's really nothing to be afraid of," Clark said. "Most needles can't really penetrate my skin at all."

"That's where magic comes in," Lana offered, and Harry nodded in confirmation.

"To be fair, that's the only way a needle is getting through invulnerable skin," Harry explained to them. "Magic makes an utter fool out of any physics, human or alien. Although to be fair, there are instances where your powers tend to fly in the face of conventional wisdom as well. But, that is I'm sure an enlightening discussion for another time. And here's the cure."

Lana and Clark were injected with the Kryptonian cure. Harry summoned a green rock from the vault, and threw it at Clark. Clark instinctively flinched, but then much to his surprise and joy, the rock did not affect him. For obvious reasons, this felt like a huge burden that was being slowly lifted off of his shoulder.

"Thank you," Clark said, picking up the rock and holding it, without any ill effects whatsoever.

"We really do appreciate that," Lana said. Harry and Kara both nodded towards them.

"No problem, but remember don't get too cocky," Harry warned them. "Just because the Kryptonite is a non-factor, it does not mean that you're out of the woods."

Clark and Lana both nodded. They understood.

"So no one like Batman can get the drop on me again," Clark said. A sudden realization dawned upon him, and a frown appeared on his face. "I really don't know what his problem was with me."

Harry looked thoughtful at that moment. He took a breath, before he spoke. "Maybe, he didn't really have a problem. Perhaps he was trying to warn you about something, in his own way. I know, it's a stretch, but there are more insane theories out there. Until we have an idea who he is, or what his motive might be, we're just grasping at straws."

With the antidote to the Kryptonite given, and their vital signs reading as okay, Clark and Lana could be returned home without any problem. Harry and Kara's work was still not done.

Batman presented a problem. They had to deal with him, and find out whether or not be posed a threat. He had a reason why he did what he did. Harry and Kara would track him down, and get some answers.

Given that he was able to give three super powered individuals the slip; something told both of them that this would be easier said than done. But what was life without a few challenges?

* * *

The alarm reached the attention of Lex rather quickly. A frown appeared on the bald man's face. He stepped forward from the shadows, and took a long, hard look at the security logs. There was a glitch in them. It seemed as if there was a gap in the security. It was not that long, less than an hour.

Although it was much too long for him, and he took a deep breath, to try and find any hint as to why.

The fact there was some kind of security gap in the first place caused Lex to be on edge. This only added to his problems today. There was some mysterious figure in a cowl that showed up today, and had strung him upside down like he was a cheap piece of meat. Then, if he would hazard a guess, this figure in the cowl breached his security once again.

Security moved in, and Lex turned to them, a determined look etched on his face. No one got the better of Lex Luthor, and got away with it.

"Check around the building!" Lex barked, and he folded his arms. "I'm serious, if someone is still lurking around, I want to know immediately. Do not let anyone enter this building again. I need to know what's been compromised."

Lex stepped forward, to continue his assessment. He pulled out a cell phone, and dialed up his security teams.

"The second building he showed up to today, which means he could be on his way there," Lex said. "Keep an eye out for this man. He's dressed in black, and wears a cowl. He has a belt on. Do not even blink, he moves fast. He may have super powers, but I'll find that out when I have him secured. The mask is going to come off regardless. Your jobs are on the line, don't fail me."

Lex put away the cell phone. He moved to check up the back up security tapes. Something told him that there was something else here. The backups did not show much. There was a great deal of static interference on them.

It was almost as if there was an EMP pulse shot off, but he discounted that idea thanks to the pure absurdity of the attack being selective. The bald man brushed a hand against his forehead. If he had hair, he would be pulling it out by the roots right now.

'_Focus, Lex, don't lose control,' _he reminded himself. _'You hold all of the cards, they don't. Remember, you have work to do. The entire world could be hinging on your success, or failure.'_

Lex walked off, to plot his next move.

* * *

A makeshift underground facility in Smallville was the temporary headquarters for Batman. He had been planning this temporary re-location for several months. He had equipment moved in, slowly. He had to do it in the dark of night, a few pieces at a time as to not arouse suspicion. The equipment was not nearly as sophisticated as what he kept back in Gotham City, but it would do the job nicely.

The dark and brooding outfit reflected the soul of the man beneath the cowl. By day he played the role of beloved billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, but it was all a front. Any innocence Bruce may have had had died at the age of eight. That was when his parents were brutally gunned down in an alleyway before his eyes. It was a scarring image that would never leave him.

It was at their graves that Bruce made a promise. That promise was that he would not let that happen to again to someone. He traveled the world, training under some of the greatest masters in the world. He picked up every trick that he could. He had mastered a quick escape faster than anyone. He trained his body to a physical peak that no human would ever had thought of, without super powers.

Batman showed up in Gotham City twenty two months ago, and he had waged war on the criminal element. Bruce Wayne returned nearly a year later, as to not trigger suspicion that they were one and the same. He waged battle against not only the various mobs that were tearing apart Gotham City, but also a colorful rogues gallery of criminals.

The communication link on his belt came to life. There was only one person who had that particular line.

"Yes, Alfred, what is it?" Batman asked in a gruff voice.

The long time Wayne family butler and surrogate father figure to Bruce replied in his own dry and humorless way.

"You've made the late news, sir," Alfred said. "It appears that Lex Luthor has been spooked, and is offering a reward for information on information regarding you or even your capture."

"Good, he's playing right into my hands, then," Batman said.

He briefly encountered Lex Luthor as a child, less than a handful of times. On the surface, many would compare them. To a blind eye Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor would seem similar, but the similarities ended at their immense wealth, and the fact they both had an interest in unraveling the mysteries of the Veritas society, albeit for different reasons.

He had uncovered his father's notes some time back. Thomas Wayne had kept a detailed log of all of the meetings he attended as a member of the Veritas society. The logs started innocent enough, but the group became more and more divided as time went on. The group was fractured on what to do with the traveler, whether to assist him or control him. Certain members of the group were just out for reasons of greed.

It was to the point where Thomas Wayne suspected that the entire group would kill each other over the secrets of the traveler. Bruce half wondered if his father's death was a random act of violence like the world had assumed. It was not like the killer was speaking. He was shot on his way to the courthouse by a hitman before he could stand trial for the murder of the Waynes.

"So, how goes the investigation with the traveler?" Alfred asked.

"It's all falling together, I believe I've located him," Batman stated. "He seems unassuming enough, but as we both know, appearances can be deceiving. I set up a test for him in Metropolis where he saved Bruce Wayne from some muggers, men I paid off. He roughed them up a bit in his attempts."

"I do hope the check is sufficient enough to cover the medical bills then," Alfred replied dully.

"He held back, but it may have been because he did not want anyone to find out about his gifts,' Batman continued. "His girlfriend had similar powers, although I doubt they were natural. There is another X-Factor in this equation. His cousin is engaged to the owner of the Shining Light Foundation."

"The enigmatic Harry Potter?" Alfred asked.

"Yes, another young man who I have been only able to find the basics on," Batman said. "The biggest cause of concern is that Lionel Luthor appears to have wormed his way into the traveler's confidence."

"Judging by the tone of your voice, you doubt that Mr. Luthor's intentions are pure," Alfred said.

"I'll need more information before I decide," Batman continued. "It's Lex that also may be a cause for concern. I know enough about the younger Luthor to be suspicious. I'm not the only one who is delving further into the Veritas Society."

Batman continued to log his observations into the computer.

"I trust your plans for Saturday Night are still on," Alfred said.

"Yes, the circus, I haven't forgotten that Bruce Wayne is expected to make an appearance," Batman said, waving his hand.

"It does seem like a spectacle, sir. The Flying Graysons performing their death defying activities, without the aid of a net."

Batman just grunted.

"I need to get back to work, Alfred," Batman stated.

"Of course, sir," Alfred responded dryly. "Will you be back in time for breakfast?"

Good night, Alfred, get some rest," Batman said.

Batman continued to investigate. He had one more area to investigate, and then he would need to arrange another meeting with Clark Kent, to get a better idea where he stood and what threat he posed.

* * *

While Batman was investigating the mysterious the traveler, Harry and Kara spent some time investigating him. They pulled an all-nighter at the Shining Light Foundation, and were working well past midnight.

"Every piece of news we could find on him, and we just have more questions than we have answers," Kara concluded.

"The actual Batman name was only used less than a handful of times," Harry said. "The Dark Knight of Gotham City, the Caped Crusader, the Prowling Vigilante, the Shadow of Vengeance, and who knows how many other names they gave this guy."

"Do you think he's a threat?" Kara asked him.

"We better treat him like one," Harry said seriously. He looked at Kara, and she knew that he was not treating Batman lightly by the look in his eyes. "He's able to slip away, and he knew about the Kryptonite."

"I'm so glad that's not a problem anymore," Kara said in relief.

Harry nodded; he would have to agree with that assessment.

"I just can't believe Clark wasn't more proactive in figuring out a way to negate it," Kara said with a sigh. "He knew about it for years and years."

She bit her lip, and added.

"Actually, I'm sure Jor-El could have told him how to stop it. But somehow he didn't care to enlighten him on that information. It's another one of his demented little tests, I'm sure."

"We still haven't figured out what happened to him," Harry said.

"To be honest, I'm not too upset about it," Kara said firmly. "You still think that something that it was something to do with the pulse."

"That's the most logical theory," Harry said. "Alternatively, Jor-El may have decided to take a step back. I don't think he expected you, but if he did, he certainly did not expect me. I suspect he knows who I am."

"And he didn't tell Clark," Kara said. "But we need to, somehow."

Harry turned to her, and grabbed her hand. He looked into her eyes, giving her a reassuring smile as he did so.

"We were going to, and we will," Harry said, and he punched up something else on his computer, and Harry jumped up. A smile appeared on his face.

"What is it?" Kara asked him.

"I think we've located our bat," Harry said, and he punched up more information, and there was a blinking light. "Yeah, there he is. Get ready."

Kara zoomed off and changed quickly. Harry flicked his hand, and his clothes shifted into a black suit. It was perfect in blending into the dark. A charm camouflaged his face, preventing anyone who he did not trust from seeing his identity. Kara returned.

"I see you made a few modifications," Harry said.

Kara nodded, pleased with the work that she did. She wore a blue half shirt that stretched around her torso. It accentuated her chest well. She wore a red mini-skirt that teased what was underneath. It was charmed so no one, but Harry, could look underneath it. She wore a pair of red high heeled boots. A red cape wrapped around her, fluttering in the breeze. A red headband with Kryptonian writing was wrapped around her forehead. Her hair was tied back, so it did not nail her in the face when she was flying.

"I'm not sure about the headband, but you look stunning regardless," Harry said.

"Hey, the headband just seems to go with the outfit," Kara said with a shrug. She added with a teasing smile. "You know, given some of your fashion choices, you really are the last person in the universe who should be giving me tips on what to wear."

"Too true," Harry said.

He gave her a brief look. She looked absolutely stunning in that outfit. Of course, Harry thought she looked beautiful in anything or nothing at all even.

"So, Supergirl, are you ready to go?" Harry asked her.

"Yes um…we should really come up with a codename for you," Kara said.

Harry thought about it for half of a second. A smile appeared on his face as it hit him. "How about Arcane?"

Kara smiled back at him. "I like it. It fits you."

"Arcane it is then," Harry said.

Harry and Kara flew off, using a combination of technology and magic to track Batman. Batman was a tough one to track; Harry had to give him credit for that. But even he could not outrun two Heralds of Death forever.

Of course, their powers meant little when they were not willing to think outside the box. Which is what Harry and Kara did, one swooped behind the vehicle that Batman was driving, and the other swooped in front of it.

Batman drove in in his car. Alfred had dubbed it the Batmobile. It contained all of the equipment that would allow him to remain stealthy and efficient. It was the right combination.

The Batmobile stopped immediately. He slammed his foot on the accelerator, but something super strong was keeping him into place.

Batman looked up at the next minute, and found that his car was airborne. He prepared to eject, and figure out who was doing this, but a blinding flash of light engulfed him and his car. The next thing Batman knew, he, along with his car had been deposited down on a rather rocky surface.

'_A new location, this could prove to be problematic,' _Batman thought, but he kept cool under the face of certain fire.

The top of the Batmobile was ripped open, and he stood face to face with a blonde woman. She floated in mid-air, arms folded across her chest.

"You know, it's rude to disappear like that," she said.

Batman escaped his car, but found himself to be in a big void of nothing. There was nothing, but darkness as far as the eye can see.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"You're nowhere, yet you're everywhere."

He caught a glimpse of a figure dressed in black, who stood over him. His face was not covered, but yet he could not make it out. All Batman managed to receive was a headache, the harder he tried to focus on him, and there was something that blocked him from thinking rationally about who they might be.

"Escape is going to be rather hard without my help."

Batman turned around, a determined scowl crossing his face. They would be surprised from what he had to escape from in the past. He darted around, moving around in every direction but yet after constant searching, he found no way out.

"Just who are you?"

"I'm Arcane, and this is Supergirl," Harry said.

That was not sufficient enough information for Batman.

"Your real names," Batman persisted gruffly.

"After you," Kara offered, waving her hand and inviting him to give the answer. She had a knowing smile on her face, knowing that Batman would not give up who he was. Even if it meant finding out their secret identities, although she suspected that they best be careful He could piece together everything in due time. He just seemed to be the sort to figure out the impossible. "Of course, we could do this the easy way, or the hard way."

"The easy way is that you give us information about why you've been lurking around Smallville," Harry said. "We have a nice chat, maybe compare some notes. I'm sure you had a good reason for what you're doing, although I'm at a loss to figure out what that is at this point."

"The hard way is that we tear that mask off of your face, find out who you are, and you'll still give us the answers," Kara said. "One way you'll leave here. The other way, you'll leave here with a few broken bones."

Batman remained silent. Kara added, with a malicious smile on her face.

"The choice is yours."

"Take your time," Harry said. "But don't take too much time, or we'll get the information anyway, the way you don't want us to get it. "

Normally he was the one demanding information. While Batman did not get unsettled easy, the fact was this was a situation that he was not used to. A frown appeared on his face, and he reached for his belt.

He found out quickly that said belt had just been removed, and was now in the hands of Supergirl. She held it, almost taunting him with the fact she had easily removed it.

"Nice belt," Kara commented idly. "It'd be a shame if something happened to it."

The fact they knew to remove his belt right away proved that they were at least far craftier than many of his enemies. That was not a good thing; it just made them far more dangerous. Batman stood in the shadows, and knew they were not going to be intimidated that easily.

He gave them a truth, at least in a slight version of it.

"I'm investigating a case that has brought me to Smallville," Batman said. "I've found notes detailing a secret society known as Veritas. Many of the members have died under suspicious circumstances, and the Luthors may be connected."

Harry and Kara kept their mouths shut. To be honest, this fact did not surprise them in any way whatsoever. The moment they saw Lionel Luthor was part of the Veritas Society, and that Lex was now obsessed with it, they were on their guard.

"So what does Clark Kent have to do with it?" Kara asked him.

"Everything," Batman replied roughly.

"Care to elaborate just a little bit more," Harry added, and he waved his hand, to give Batman the opportunity to elaborate.

It was at this point where Batman mentally calculated how much more he should tell these two.

"The Veritas Society was formed to watch for the coming of the traveler," Batman said. "I've located a few scant references that told about his coming, from civilizations of years past. Dating back to the Mayans, they have long since believed that the Traveler was coming, and that it was his destiny to either lead humanity to a new promised age, or conquer it."

Batman only used the word destiny to describe what others had thought. He did not believe in destiny, but rather he believed in action.

Harry and Kara both nodded, quietly. They would not play their hand of what they knew. This Batman remained a wild card, and Harry got a great deal of static when he tried to peer into his mind. He suspected that he stuffed his cowl full of electronics to give up a great deal of interference to anyone with mind reading abilities.

Although he did read that there was Muggle methods to stave off mental invasions. He suspected Batman knew these. The guy was paranoid.

Harry mused somewhere Alastor Moody was smiling approvingly at this guy's level of paranoia.

"You sent the cryptic e-mails to Chloe Sullivan," Harry said.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Batman asked dryly. "The moment I found out Hugo Strange was part of Veritas, I stepped up my investigation. Yet, it appears that Strange dropped dead before I could interrogate him. I'm at a loss to figure out what happened to him."

"He died of natural causes," Kara said swiftly.

"I'm sure," Batman said, and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously towards both Arcane and Supergirl. "Strange and I have come to the same conclusions. Clark Kent is the traveler, and it remains to be seen whether or not he's dangerous. He will need to mandate a close observation, and I will be keeping an eye on him."

"Really?" Kara asked him. A bit of a distrustful scowl crossed her face and she stared down Batman, not backing down. She was not intimidated by him at all. "And who's keeping an eye on you?"

"That's a good point," Harry said. His eyes burned into Batman's face with a simmering glare. "As far as I can tell, you're nothing, but a vigilante. You assault criminals, rough them up. You don't give any concern to their civil liberties. You flaunt the law, and you think that Clark needs to be watched. What makes you the authority on this?"

In reality, Harry did agree that a city as torn as Gotham City needed someone like Batman, he was a major necessity. However, Harry was more than inclined to play the devil's advocate. Especially to prove a point, and that point was to let Batman know that he was being watched carefully as well.

"Some will disagree with what I do," Batman said, in an unapologetic voice. "Once Kent decides to step further into the light, and embrace his full powers, who could stop him should he become corrupted. Power has corrupted the most noble people out there before, and it can do so again."

Harry stared down Batman, but Kara stepped over to him.

"It's not your concern what happens to Clark," Kara said to him in a low and dangerous voice. "I don't know what your problem is, but you better back off. If something happens to Clark, I'll deal with it, we both will, and don't think we won't deal with you either if you step out of line."

"I wouldn't expect anything less, Batman said. "I doubt you're going to be able to get any further information. The Veritas Society is shrouded in mystery, and I will find out why they seemed so intent on guarding those secrets."

Harry was not fooled for a minute, at least right now. His gaze fixed on this brooding figure. He knew something else, or at least suspected something else. There were many secrets, and many ideas.

"Is that sufficient for you?" Batman asked.

Harry and Kara exchanged a look. They kept their body language still, not to reveal their true intentions. Kara shoved the belt back into Batman's hands.

"For now," Kara said.

"I'll let you out right now," Harry said, and he motioned for Batman to enter the Batmobile. He did so without another word.

The tables were turned, but Batman had plans stirring underneath that pointy cowl of his. The traveler represented a curiosity, but now Supergirl and Arcane also were players in this game. They seemed intent to keep a closer watch on the traveler, but Batman deduced that there may be other players at work.

Exactly who and why would be something that would be the ultimate test of his deductive abilities. Finding out Lex Luthor's intentions would be something that would be much simpler to determine.

Once Batman was off, Harry and Kara turned to each other.

"Can you believe that guy?" Kara asked. "He seems to think he's entitled to answers."

"There's a deeper involvement with him, something of a personal one regarding the traveler or Veritas in general," Harry said, and he looked thoughtful.

The couple floated through the air, high over the sky. They saw Batman drive off and disappear into the night.

"He's got some issues," Harry added as an afterthought.

Kara gave him a very un-lady like snort. "You would have to have a few issues to dress like a flying rodent. I was half tempted to throw him through a wall."

"I agree," Harry replied. His hand grabbed hers, and they flew off.

Their night was not done, and they would continue to follow Batman closely. Thanks to the tracking charm Harry placed on that belt, he would be able keep a close eye on the Batman. Even if he ditched the belt, there would be enough residual magic on the belt to tag his body, and be able to track him for a period of twenty four hours.

* * *

Batman had a clear idea something was done to his belt. When it left his possession, he knew that there was a chance for it to be tampered with. He ditched the belt, replaced it with a spare, and moved off into the shadows. He walked around, taking one step at a time. This was the final place that he had to stop by today. He was heading to Luthor Mansion itself.

The Dark Knight managed to scramble the security. While Lex Luthor was spending time securing his assets, Batman hit closer to home. He walked through the shadows, and stepped forward slowly. He made sure not to trip any security. He removed a can from his belt. He sprayed it, to reveal a laser grid.

Batman carefully stepped around with the precision that was learned over the time of practical crime fighting. He remained on his toes, and knew that he would have to play this one carefully. One wrong move, and he could either trigger the alarms, or he could be cut to ribbons.

"Hands in the air, and don't move!"

Batman spun around, and saw several security guards stand before him. They had their guns on him, and a couple held stun guns. He remained calm.

"We got him, sir."

The voice of Lex Luthor popped up. "Don't let him out of your sight."

Batman held his hands closely together. He could escape at any time, but they were playing right into his hands.

Lex Luthor thought that he had Batman trapped in here.

In reality, Luthor was trapped in here with Batman. The bald young man appeared a second later, and Batman was secured. Lex stared Batman down for at least a minute.

"So, I'm at a loss to figure out why you decided it would be a good idea to snoop around," Lex said to him. "I've read a bit about you. You're a mysterious vigilante that popped up over the last two or so years in Gotham City. The police seem to want to take you down. I wonder what they would do when they find out that I've captured you."

Batman remained silent.

"Not much of a talker," Lex said, and he shook his head, and security grabbed Batman. "I'm curious, whose face rests underneath that mask?"

Lex took a step forward.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Batman said.

"And he talks," Lex replied with a grin. He reached forward, and grabbed onto the cowl, to try and remove it.

An electrical jolt shocked Lex back, and he staggered back, a grimace appearing on his face.

"I warned you," Batman said flatly.

"Well played," Lex said, almost impressed. "But there's more than one way to get that mask off. I'm sure I have a tool around here somewhere that will peel that mask from your face. Unless you want to remove it voluntarily."

"What do you think?" Batman asked him, almost taunting Lex.

Lex shook his head. There were some people who were just stubborn. They lead Batman into the elevator, and they were downstairs. Security kept their guns on Batman, and he just smirked.

"I don't think you've figured out the amount of trouble you've stumbled into," Lex said. "You're not getting out of here, alive at least."

Batman stood stiffly, and as if on cue, an explosion rang from above. Lex staggered, and his security did much the same. He spun around, and rushed forward.

"There's someone else here, someone else other than him," Lex said. "Half of you stay with our guest, the other half, you come with me."

He scrambled his way up the stairs, followed by security. He was on the edge at this point. The hallway had smoke in it, and Lex stood, feet planted firmly on the ground. His heart beat sped up, and there was another explosion.

He stepped forward, and pulled open the door of his study. There was no one inside, and then he heard all of his security guards be dropped to the ground by an invisible force.

Lex turned around, and a palm struck him in the back of the head. He fell down onto the ground face first. The bald man was down for the count.

Kara materialized over the fallen body of Lex Luthor. He was breathing, but otherwise out for the count. She activated the ear piece.

"Okay Harry, he's down," Kara said. "Work your magic."

Back downstairs, a few security guards took a step forward, and they held their guns. Half of the guards kept their weapons on Batman.

The moment they turned their attention slightly away at a clatter from above, Batman knocked them unconscious with several swift blows. He nailed them back with a back hand, and kicked them hard in the head one by one. Batman navigated through the shadows, and one by one they were picked up.

The security guards fell to the ground, and Batman made his way towards the nearest computer. He went to download what Lex Luthor had on his computer. It was heavily encrypted, but he was not the World's Greatest Detective for nothing.

After a matter of moments, he had the information that he wanted. It was not much, but would hopefully fill in some holes. At the very least it was confirmation that Lex was still trying to piece everything together himself.

Batman stopped, and saw two other figures in the distance. He offered a stoic nod, and moved into the night. He had one more stop he had to make, before it was time to return to Gotham City.

* * *

Lex rubbed the back of his head. He had no idea who put him down for the count. The security tapes were right in front of him, but there was static again. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to make sure they were not captured.

He placed a pack of ice on the back of his head, and grimaced. He completely went out for the count. And then someone jolted him awake. At least a half of an hour of his life was missing. A half of an hour had also been missing from the security cameras in the mansion.

The security guards who had failed to protect him would be getting their walking papers, and replaced by someone who could do a more competent job.

This dark brooding crusader had some accomplice. And Lex found himself caught off guard by them. He tried to recall if he saw anything. The back of his head suffered blunt force trauma. It was like he got nailed in the back of the head with a baseball bat or a crowbar.

Yet, it could not have been much more than a hand that slapped against the back of his hand. A hand could not have registered that much force, enough force to knock him down for the count.

He dropped down to the chair. He likely had a concussion, but he would have to get that checked out. For all of his power and wealth, he could not buy a pair of eyes to put in the back of his head.

It was almost as if he was being stalked by some looming presence. Come to think about it, it was a sense that he had gotten ever since his near death experience at the dam all of those months back.

Something very powerful was watching him.

'_It has something to do with the traveler,' _Lex thought to himself. _"But what. Is Death just toying me, before dragging me over the edge to my own personal torment.'_

He had a great destiny, and he wondered how much time he had left to achieve it before the sands of time ran out for him.

Lex refused to take a step back, and to slow down. If he uncovered the secrets of the traveler, he could hold the keys to the world.

Yet, another matter vexed him.

The symbol continued to taunt him. Something happened when he touched that gravestone. Every second of his life flashed before him at super speed. Every good moment, every bad moment, everything flashed before him.

* * *

A biting wind blew through the air of Smallville in the early part of the morning. Clark walked outside in preparation for his early morning chores, having noticed that the barn door was ajar. He carefully walked forward, and peered inside.

There was nowhere there.

"I was wondering when you would show up."

Clark's eyes popped up, to spot Batman perched high above him.

"So, Batman, isn't it?" Clark asked casually. "That's not a name you were born with. If it was, it was a weird name to be given."

"Well, it's not nearly as strange as Kal-El," Batman retorted.

Clark stiffened.

"I know about you, but I have not shared my findings with anyone, yet, " Batman said. "Be warned, your arrival has created a Pandora's Box that is now being broken open. The incident with Hugo Strange is just merely the beginning. Be on your guard, and remember that even though your intentions are noble, there are those who will twist those noble intentions for their personal gain. And they will hide under the mask of benevolence as they do so."

"Are you always that cryptic?" Clark asked.

"It's not too difficult when you learn to read behind the lines," Batman said. "There will come a time when your powers will not save you, and there will be no one around to bail you out. What are you going to do then?"

Clark shook his head. "I'll deal with it when the time comes."

"I hope so, for your sake," Batman said, and Clark looked up at him. "I have all that I need to know for now."

"So, you're leaving," Clark said. "Just who are you? Underneath that mask?"

"And what makes you think that what lies underneath this cowl isn't the true mask?" Batman replied briskly. "There will come a day where you will be prepared to become the force for good that you can be, or become the greatest menace the world has ever seen."

"I've been told that it's my destiny to become something great," Clark replied, before he could stop himself.

This statement got Clark a grim and almost nasty look.

"If you become a force for justice because people say it's your destiny, then you're doing so for the wrong reasons," Batman lectured. "If you do so out of obligation that means that you will not truly have your mind, body, and soul into this mission of justice. Do you really think that you're going to truly help anyone if you do so out of obligation? It should be a choice that you make, don't you think?"

Before Clark could answer this, he heard two new arrivals in the barn. Harry and Kara showed up.

Five seconds was all it took for Batman to disappear into the night, and leave as quickly as he arrived.

"You had a visitor, didn't you?" Kara asked.

"If you mean, Batman, then yes," Clark said. He shook his head, thinking of the meeting. "He's not one to stick around, and give answers."

"I've found it easier to get answers from my school's old Headmaster," Harry remarked darkly. "And speaking of answers, I was in the process of giving some to you last night."

"That did get cut short," Clark said. "It's early, shouldn't it…"

"This really can't wait, it's just going to be worse if we don't tell you," Kara said, hoping that this would be a huge weight off of shoulders and her conscience. She hoped Harry found a way out of the forced vow of silence.

She also hoped Clark would forgive her from keeping this from him for so long.

She shook off those doubts. Harry would have found a way. Otherwise he would not have brought off the subject.

"I never liked having secrets kept from me, so it's best that I tell you in a little bit," Harry said.

"We'll head up to the Farm House, and we can discuss it," Clark said, but a part of him dreaded what was going to be said. The looks on Harry and Kara's faces both indicated that a big bombshell was about to be dropped. "Chloe and Lana are still up there, and I think they might have a right to know."

Harry and Kara exchanged a look. They had a sense of what the other was thinking, which grew stronger with each day they were together. Both nodded. They just hoped that the anticipation would be worse than the actual event.

* * *

No one had to be a rocket scientist to see that a huge bombshell was about to be dropped. Harry and Kara locked eyes with each other. There was really no use in drawing this out too much longer. Chloe, Lana, and Clark sat around the table, and Harry and Kara sat a ways away from them.

Lana broke the silence before they could say anything.

"So, you have something to say, to all of us?"

Clark and Lana's eyes were locked on Harry and Kara. Chloe sat back on her chair. She knew what they were, but felt it would be best to act like this was news to her. At least for now, but Harry opened his mouth before she could think about what she should do any more.

"The best place to start about this story would be the beginning," Harry said. "I did tell you that my world foretold the emergence of the traveler for years and years to come. Ever since a thousand years ago, since the founding of Hogwarts. One of my old school's founders, Rowena Ravenclaw, saw the arrival. Another woman, a seer named Cassandra Trelawney, saw a planet exploding in green rock, and the arrival of a child from this planet, who would be found on Earth. This is where things get murky."

Kara gripped Harry's hand underneath the table. Both Clark, and Lana listened, and both nodded.

"Doctor Swann intercepted a message from my dying planet and told me about my heritage," Clark said. "Are you trying to tell me that this goes much deeper than that?"

_'Yes, much deeper, Clark,' _Harry thought to himself.

Harry paused, and continued his story. He just wished he could spit out the revelation of what his job was.

"There were people in my world that somehow found out that you were coming," Harry said. "In fact, they had been waiting for your arrival for years. I told you about my mother, no need to rehash that story."

Clark nodded. He knew where Harry was coming from, having a parent try to pull the strings from beyond the grave. That part he sympathized with one hundred percent of the way.

"My presence here ties into the extinction of a thousand year old race of hidden magical users," Harry said. "We started with such promises, but like many great civilizations, we suffered decay and loss."

Kara and Harry both allowed that to sink in. They both knew how greed, and corruption could cause more deaths than any disease.

"This entire mess in my former world escalated out of control during the last hundred years of my world," Harry said. "The blame can be rested on the shoulders of four individuals, one who had the best intentions in mind I'm sure in this mind. Rosalina Sinclair is the one you've met."

Chloe and Clark both had dark looks cross their face. They knew her all too well, and did not shed many tears about her demise.

"The next two was Gellert Gridelwald and Albus Dumbledore," Harry said. "Both were obsessed during their childhood about finding three ancient artifacts that would give them power. That greed tore apart several lives. Dumbledore managed to see the light in his own way, but Gridelwald did not until the very end of his life. Both were tainted in different ways by the greed."

Harry took a deep breath.

"There was the one that killed my parents, but he tried to take over everything and plunge the world into darkness," Harry said. It was not lost to anyone how detached Harry seemed to be. The fact his parents were dead was something that he had come to terms with a long time ago. "His name was Tom Marvolo Riddle, but he dubbed himself Lord Voldemort. He was obsessed, sick, and twisted. He's done awful things that I can scarcely even begin to talk about. There was a prophecy, of a child that was born to defeat the Dark Lord. Born to parents who thrice defied him, and that child was me. He killed countless, but he was a minor player in this entire game."

"A mass murderer was just a minor player," Lana said, feeling a little sick.

"He was just another puppet in the game of a higher power," Harry said, and he took a deep breath. "The game had been set into motion years and years ago, centuries even. But, my fate was sealed before I was even born. Before I was born, my mother was visited by someone, someone who made a deal with her. I would not be here if it was not for that deal, but…I can't help, but detest the reasons behind why she made the deal."

Harry's eyes did not blink then. It was the moment of truth, now or never.

"You know I showed up here four months ago, and rescued Kara from being trapped in the ship," Harry said. "I was wondering, do you remember anyone else showing up around that time?" Someone who may have told you something about constant vigilance.

Time stood still It struck both Clark and Lana at the same exact time. They were flooded by a feeling of dread, and they began to look at Harry strangely.

Then it took a couple of moments before one of them managed to speak, almost dreading to confirm their theories.

"The robed figure, who looked like the manifestation of the Grim Reaper," Clark said, and he swallowed a lump in his throat. "So it was you, wasn't it?"

Lana closed her eyes, and shook her head. It was hard to assimilate all of this information.

"You were the one who came to me, told me that I had a choice to make," Lana whispered to him.

"I did," Harry said.

"I nearly shot you, out of frustration with everything that had happened with Lex," Lana said. "If I would have…"

"You wouldn't have killed me, but I don't think we would be having this conversation right now if you had shot me," Harry said somberly.

Lana got the meaning of what Harry implied immediately. She felt grateful Harry had given her one more chance, when he could have easily just dealt with her right then and there. And no one would have been the wiser to her demise.

She shivered at that thought.

"Why were you sent here?" Clark asked him.

"I was sent here to make sure you step into your role as the hero the world needs to have," Harry said.

"You're death," Clark managed. "Why would you…"

"I'm not death, I'm merely her herald," Harry replied. Then he decided to drop the other bombshell. "As is, Kara."

That revelation floored Clark, and Lana. Had the not been so shell shocked, they would have noticed that Chloe's lack of reaction. She had known about all of this for months.

"So, you're…you're…"

"The Herald of Death of Krypton, as Harry is the Herald of Death of Earth," Kara said with a slight smile.

"So, you two are both…" Clark managed. He tried to shake off this revelation. They were still the same people, weren't they?

"Are there any more?" Lana blurted out before she could help herself.

"There's one more," Harry said cryptically.

"Who?" Clark wondered.

"We don't know," Harry answered with a shrug.

"She's coming," Kara added in a misty voice.

Harry decided to take a deep breath. He allowed Clark and Lana a few moments to have this settle in.

"Are we going to die?" Lana asked, but she felt stupid the moment those words left her mouth. Still it was a very real fear.

"No, I would know if it's your time," Harry said, and Kara nodded in agreement. "Death sent me here, I'm certain, to find Kara. And the third Herald, whenever she shows up, she'll be joining us. It is our job to make sure nothing happens, until its time."

"Time for what, exactly?" Clark asked.

It was at this point, Harry's face had a smirk on it, but it was twisted and almost scary looking. "There are some forces that might be beyond Death. There is a hint that something dangerous is coming. It's not here yet, but it's something you may have to deal with. I was not supposed to get involved or even step out of the shadows."

"You got involved," Lana said. "I wouldn't have these powers if you didn't."

"And much like a stone being dropped into a pond, my mere presence has caused ripples. I may have altered the course of fate for many people," Harry said with a nod.

"Let's hope it's for the better," Kara said.

"A great evil, that death cannot even handle," Clark said. The revelation was a bit much, but it showed Clark's strength that he was able to mostly handle it. "And she expects me to deal with it. Or am I just some lamb that's being sent to the slaughter for her own amusement?"

That was a question Harry couldn't answer. He knew Death, and a part of him wondered if she wanted Clark to succeed. Or wanted to see him fall on his face in the most spectacular manner.

"You're going to win, Clark," Kara said.

"Yeah, whatever it is, you can take it," Chloe said, speaking up for the first time.

"You've been through a lot, Clark," Lana added. "There's no need for you to turn back now."

"What if it happens before I'm ready?" Clark asked.

Harry looked at Clark, seriously.

"Don't worry about that too much," Harry said. "When the time is here, you'll be ready. Have faith in yourself, because there comes a day where the world will need to have faith in you."

There was a pause before Harry added.

"I know because I've lived through it. But for you, I hope that it ends better than it did for me. As much as a world enjoys a hero, they enjoy one that's fallen from its pedestal even more. I've fallen, and only do what had done because I had to."

"I don't know about that," Clark said slowly. "You seem to have done some pretty heroic things so far."

"Thanks your assessment," Harry said, but a slight grin appeared on his face. It was pained, almost like a grimace. It was a sense of someone who had just taken a short, but painful, trip down memory lane. "It's one that I honestly don't agree with. But we could have this argument all day about what constitutes being a hero."

A part of Harry was still annoyed by the fact that he was unable to accomplish one simple task regarding the prophecy. In fact, he considered his inability to defeat Voldemort his greatest failure. Sure, Voldemort was dead, but that was not by Harry's hand. The Dark Lord defeated himself, or at least the Wand of Eternity did.

The entire mess regarding Sinclair was a byproduct of said failure. The past was the past, but there was a nagging voice in the back of his mind that reminded him that he never fully embraced his role as the defeater of Lord Voldemort. It was a swift act of chance that lead to him winning the day, not any of his own abilities.

While the Horcrux was long gone, an echo of Voldemort still remained within his mind. He used his Herald of Death powers to inadvertently absorb Voldemort's powers from the Horcrux. The problem with this was that the absorbing of the powers of another also left behind an echo in his mind. That was the reason why he only used that power sparingly, and did what he could to keep the echo locked tightly behind a door in his mind.

He needed to remain focused at all times. His concentration could not slip one little bit. That door in his mind could not open, even a crack. So far, Harry remained fortunate, and Kara was a great help in assisting him with coping with his powers. Without her, he might have lost his mind, and became as cold and merciless as Death herself.

He felt to keep the balance, life needed to be appreciated. Something that Death had no concept of in his opinion; given the fact she utilized mortals as chess pieces.

Clark inclined his head. He had a lot to think about, and life was not going to get any easier from here. Another question vexed him, and he asked Harry and Kara promptly.

"It's hard to really come to terms with what happened, but I guess I will in time," Clark said. "How does a person qualify for being a Herald of Death?"

"Well in our cases, there was a deal made, a bargain made with Death," Harry said. "My mother bargained for me, as I told you. I came to be. As for Kara, your guess is as good as mine."

At this point, three expressions crossed the faces of Harry, Kara, and Clark. It was obvious that they had someone in mind about who could have made the deal possible. Not that any of them were complaining about Kara's continued existence, but they wondered if this individual's motivations were pure, or had an equally selfish motive as Harry's mother did herself.

"We all know who did it," Kara said. "Or who is likely to have done it."

"We better not jump to conclusions, before we have all of the facts," Harry said.

"Jor-El seems like the most likely suspect, though," Clark said.

"Almost too likely," Chloe said, and she got three strange looks at this remark. "It's not always the person that you most expect."

Lana remained quiet. This was quite the revelation to be dropped onto her head.

"Lana, are you alright?" Kara asked her gently.

"Just trying to let this all set it," Lana said. "I can't imagine how hard it must have been to come forward with this."

"Very hard," Harry said. "Given the fact we are bound by an oath of silence, and can't out right tell someone that we are Heralds of Death."

Harry paused, and then added one final observation to the group.

"The funny thing about magical oaths is that there's always a way around them," Harry said. "They're all up for interpretation, and anyone can find a loophole in them, if they think long enough. They're not foolproof."

"People can also find out about our abilities on their own, accidentally," Kara said. "We're kind of supposed to wipe their minds though if they do."

Clark and Lana both appeared alarmed. Their breath became a bit more labored.

"Don't worry, unless you become a threat, we won't wipe your memories," Harry said. "Even if I catch heat from the big boss man-lady, I'm not comfortable with wiping minds. Unless there's no other choice, but the mind is a fragile thing. It's one that's seldom messed with. I've had my mind wiped completely clean before, and used as a puppet to do someone's bidding."

"Who would be demented enough to do something like that?" Lana asked.

"Someone who was really twisted," Harry said.

If he had to be honest with himself, the demise of Dolores Umbridge was still his happiest memory. Outside of the ones he shared with Kara, of course.

Clark broke the next bit of silence.

"This is a lot to take in," Clark said, and he leaned back.

"We're not any different than we would have been, but we have a bigger responsibility than ever before," Kara said. "And we have to make sure the balance between life and death remains intact."

"Not everything is predestined, that would invalidate the point of living," Harry explained at the questioning looks he was receiving. "I've had many clashes of philosophy with my school's old Headmaster, but there were some things that he said that made sense. And the one thing that made sense the most was the choices we make are what define us. And that's what defines life"

Harry looked thoughtful, and then he added.

"If you could go back and do it all again, what you think is the right way, it doesn't mean there's going to be a better outcome. In theory, it could be better, but it could be much worse. And Death has her way of balancing the scales."

"With your powers, you can bring back the dead," Clark said. This was not a question, more like an observation.

"I could, but a sacrifice must be made," Harry said. "A sacrifice of a pure life, an innocent life must be made for every single soul that has returned. And it would be painful for the person being brought back to life to be removed from the afterlife. Anyone with a heart, anyone with a conscience would not want to make that choice."

Harry took a deep breath.

"Every single death, I can hear a whisper of the person fading," Harry said.

"And I can as well," Kara said. "Our training, it taught us how to block it out, to mute it. If we ever lose control, the agony is beyond all description."

Kara recalled that night, the night that she heard every voice that died with the destruction of Krypton calling out for her. Harry almost sensed her thoughts it seemed, and he squeezed her hand underneath the table.

If Harry had not been there for her, she would have gone mad.

"Trained, someone trained you then," Clark said.

"Yeah, that doesn't see like something that anyone could do," Lana said.

Chloe coughed suddenly, but Harry and Kara looked very uncomfortable.

"This was the one time where I had to trust my mother," Harry admitted grimly, and this got him a few looks. "The journal was left here to let me know about my powers, but she had her own game. She wanted me to take over humanity, control everyone. You know bend them to my will. I'd never do that, even if I could do so easily."

Lana and Clark exchanged an uncomfortable look.

"Unless I really slip, I swear that I'll never do something like that," Harry said, and Kara nodded with agreement.

"You really could, couldn't you?" Clark asked.

Kara gave a sad smile. "If Harry and I ever got twisted by our powers, there isn't a single person on this planet, or the universe that could stop us. If our inhibitions got twisted, and nothing held us back, humanity could bend to our will without too much effort."

The powers of the Heralds of Death had immense potential. The more they tapped into the powers, the more they could be used as a crutch. They had their uses, but they should be used wisely.

Harry suspected that was why the other Heralds lost themselves. The powers became too easy to use, and to fix the problems. They no longer relied on their wits, and their creativity.

Thus they flew off the rails, and the balance was upset. Past Heralds were stripped of their powers. Death stepped in to clean up the mess.

Harry and Kara found themselves in a better position, because they served as each other's anchor. No previous Herald had someone to share the burden with. They could keep themselves on the straight and narrow, and make sure there powers did not corrupt their noble spirits. They could work together, and work through the problems. And they would not be driven insane by them.

"I'll try my best to stop you, if that day ever happened," Clark said.

"I hope so, for the sake of the world," Kara said, and she meant those words.

"But, you know it would happen," Clark added. "And should it happen with me, you need to promise me…"

"If worse comes to worse, for anyone, we'll not hesitate to do what's necessary," Harry said. "If everything else has failed, don't think that I'll hold back. I hope that day never comes. But the best placed hopes often are misdirected."

He had encoded a fail safe in the Kryptonite cure for both Lana and Clark, just as a precaution. He hoped he never had to use it, but those hopes were often misplaced.

Harry took a deep breath.

"You don't know how much of a weight off my chest this is," Harry said.

"For the both of us," Kara agreed. "I guess the truth can really set you free."

"This is really a lot to process," Lana said.

"For us too, and we're the ones that have these powers," Harry said.

"We work through it together, one day at a time," Kara said, before she added with a smile, and looked at Clark and Lana. "Just like I'm sure you two will be able to work through whatever problems you can, together."

Harry checked the watch. It was early in the morning, and they had been burning the candle at both ends.

"We'll see you around, we have to get home, get some sleep," Harry said with a yawn, and he walked over to the couch, where Claire was sleeping. He nudged her. "Hey, wake up sleepy-head, it's time to go."

Claire stirred, but did not get up straight away.

"Can't I have five more minutes," Claire grumbled.

"You've had an extra hour already," Harry told her. "I guess if you don't get up, you won't get any ice cream for dessert for a month."

Claire bolted up out of bed immediately.

"Okay, I'm up, I'm up," Claire said to Harry, and Kara smiled. She knew Harry could never keep that threat, but Claire seemed to buy it.

"That never fails, does it?" Chloe asked. "Ice cream deprivation, the number one proven tactic of getting a child out of bed, or so I've heard."

"Yeah, it does," Kara said with a smile, and Claire put on her coat.

"You've two been up all night, haven't you?' Claire asked, seeing how tired Harry and Kara both looked. "What were you doing?"

"Chasing bats," Harry said swiftly.

"Why were you chasing bats?" Claire asked in confusion.

"It's a long story," Harry said, and he checked his watch. "You should say goodbye to everyone, so we can get back before breakfast becomes lunch."

"Okay D…Harry," Claire said, and Harry acted as if he did not notice her almost slip. Claire turned to the others. She smiled and waved cheerfully "Bye, Clark, Lana, and Chloe!"

Goodbyes were said, and Kara scooped up Claire in her arms, before she walked towards the door. Chloe turned to Clark and Lana.

"I better be heading out too, catch the two of you later," Chloe said, and she followed Harry, Kara, and Claire. "So, does it feel good to be able to get that off of your chest?"

Harry smiled.

"You can't even begin to imagine," Harry said. "They didn't seem to be completely thrilled with what they learned."

"I guess they just need some time to let it settle in," Kara said.

Chloe smiled. "Well, to be fair, it isn't every day that you find out two people work for the Grim Reaper. Speaking of which, are you worried if you're going to catch hell from your boss."

"Well, it's a possibility," Harry admitted. "I have a feeling if she really didn't want me to say anything, she would find some way to put a stop to it. But, I've been tweaking her nose left and right since I got here. Remember, I wasn't supposed to step out of the shadows."

"You do live life dangerously, you know," Chloe said.

Harry grinned. "Well, if you're not living life on the edge, you're taking up too much space."

Without another word, Harry, Kara, and Claire disappeared off into the night. A huge burden had been taken off of the shoulders of Harry and Kara, but they had a feeling that there was going to be more problems to come.

They would be ready for them, no matter what.

The Veritas Society puzzle was coming closer together, but there was still the discovery of Project: Genesis and any potential ramifications from that were weighing on their minds. Harry needed to get confirmation that all of the subjects from that particular experiment had been destroyed with the magical world. It could be certain disaster otherwise.

Then there was Hermione's mysterious resurrection. The more Harry thought about it, the more he distrusted everything behind her return.

It all struck Harry suddenly. Hermione's return was too convenient, and she just happened to have the answers for one simple reason.

There was another party that arranged for her to lure him there, and to give him all of the answers.

Harry knew now what he had to do, and he would play her game, for now.

* * *

As she had done so many times before in the past, the face of Hermione Granger was buried in a book. She must have read every single book in this place twice, or maybe three times. She read multiple books a day. That's all she could do. She did not need to sleep, she did not need to eat, and she could not leave the doors of this library. The moment she stepped outside, the pain was unbearable.

Hermione wondered why she was brought back, or why her past memories felt so cold and barren. It was not as if she lived those memories, but rather if she observed them as a third party. She was like someone who was looking in through the window, at her own life and times. Memories flashed by her, and it gave her so much time to think.

She regretted calling Harry here, even if it was to help him. It gave her a hint, a taunt of the life that she could have had on the outside. The look of distrust on Harry's face hurt her more than any curse. He had his own life now, with Kara, and he had truly put the past behind him. He had moved on. She should have moved on, to the afterlife.

Yet she was still here.

Hermione jumped with a startle. Someone was in the library with her. She remained alert, and her eyes stared forward as the figure continued to walk forward to her.

"Quite amazing that you still bury yourselves in these books, even years after your apparent demise, Miss Granger."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. Lionel Luthor stood before her in the library.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, pure venom and hatred dripping from her voice. "No, I've got a better question. How did you find me here?"

"No need to get defensive, I merely was investigating the mysterious disturbance that happened in Europe a number of days ago," Lionel said. "I must say, I was very much surprised. The origin point did not come from the graveyard as I thought it would, but from this very library. Yet, I see no electronics of any sort that can cause such a powerful charge. It's almost as if it was done by magic."

"You must have lost your mind," Hermione said swiftly. She added in a cold and detached voice, "There's no such thing as magic."

"Ever the skeptic, much you were the last time I saw you, you must have been ten or eleven," Lionel said. "Shortly thereafter, you, Hermione, stopped exchanging letters with my son. I'm guessing you moved on in life, or found a new life. When you went to a mysterious boarding school in Scotland, there seems to be a lot of that going around. I've encountered someone you may have met. He's a young man who goes by the name of Harry Potter."

"We've met, yes," Hermione replied calmly.

"I heard of your grisly demised, and I've kept into contact with your parents for years prior to that, but they disappeared," Lionel continued. "Much to my surprise, I came across them a number of years ago in Australia. And they had no memory of their past. They didn't even know their last name was Granger, or they even had a daughter named Hermione. It was almost as if they were bewitched with new memories, and their past had been wiped clean. I tried to arrange my top scientists to bring back their memories, but it seems the process had caused their minds to be shattered. Whatever methods that were used, undoing them was too much of a strain on them."

Hermione waved her hand, inviting Lionel to get to the point.

"Yet, you appear to be alive. Did you fake your own death to escape something?"

"That's not your business, Luthor, so kindly leave," Hermione said curtly.

"Defensive, that aspect of you has not changed either," Lionel said without missing a beat. "People don't come back from the dead, Miss Granger, not without someone else manipulating the strings. And if I've found you here, chances are that others will find you. That is, if you are who you appear to be."

Hermione's face remained stoic, and no emotion crossed it. There was a stirring of irritation deep inside her.

"This subterfuge reaches a level that even the Luthors dare not cross," Lionel said, and he looked right in Hermione's eye right now. "What are your intentions regarding Harry Potter?"

"I have nothing, but the best intentions regarding Harry," Hermione said firmly, with conviction in her voice.

"Do you now?" Lionel asked her, quietly. "I admit I have had my doubts regarding Harry Potter, and his intentions regarding certain matters, but he's proven himself to be on one hundred percent genuine. The type of man you would want to stand beside you, and the type of man who is not anyone's puppet."

Lionel paused, and his unblinking gaze focused on the face of Hermione at this point. He continued to fish for the details he needed to uncover.

"He will help shield the traveler, until he is able to fulfill his destiny as the savior the world needs. He's not anything like his mother or any other members of her bloodline. I must say, that was a relief to me. I daresay he's outgrown her influence, and any control she might have had on him has been broken. Whatever manipulations she had, he managed to be stronger than them."

"Lily Potter never had anything, but the best intentions for Harry," Hermione replied defensively. "She was a noble, valiant, and selfless woman. She sacrificed her life so he could fulfill his destiny."

"Did she?" Lionel asked, and he paused, before he calmly stated. "Or was this sacrifice merely the means to create a further extension of her will from beyond the grave? This was to perhaps cement herself as a saint, and one that should be followed without question."

Hermione's gaze burned through Lionel. If looks could kill, he'd be dead.

"Just leave!" Hermione snapped, her eyes flashing with rage.

"I'll be gone then," Lionel said, and he stepped off, careful not to turn his back. His voice dropped to a low whisper. "I never thought that you'd become a puppet, Miss Granger. Your parents would be disappointed."

Lionel left, and Hermione was half tempted to strike him down. She managed to rein herself in, but her gaze remained fixed and dangerous.

* * *

The dark and dismal winter weather was obvious for miles around. One figure stepped out of the shadows. He watched from afar, calculating, and thinking about the situation at hand. His objective must be fulfilled, but there was an unintended variable that was thrown into the equation. This variable could jeopardize everything he had worked for.

Death's messenger was here. The legends were known to many on Krypton, even if few scarcely believed it. Yet, he knew it to be true. He had seen the manifestation of this legend in flesh and bone. What was worse was that Death's Messenger had aligned himself with the son of Jor-El. He had entered a relationship with the daughter of Zor-El. Death's messenger posed a danger to his objective.

His observation was that Death's Messenger must be dealt with, immediately, so his path could remain clear.

An alternate would be to find a way to manipulate both Death's Messenger and the Daughter of Zor-El for his purposes, to get what he wanted.

He would need more information, before he would proceed with his plan.

The BrainInteractive Construct, or Brainiac as he was commonly referred to, would analyze this from all variables, and come up with the best angle of attack. He was fully operational, and ready.

No one would stand in his way.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 23 "Decryption." **


	23. Chapter 23: Decryption Part One

_Cutting this next chapter into two parts as you can see. I hope to have the second part ready by the end of the weekend, but no promises. Anyway, enjoy. _

**Chapter 23: Decryption Part One.**

Back in the spring of 1980, two lone figures walked across a bridge somewhere in the United Kingdom. They were two women, and they moved with a purpose. One woman had dark red hair and vibrant green eyes dressed in black robes. The other woman had blonde hair with grey eyes, and she was dressed in blue robes.

They walked in silence, before one of the women began to speak.

"So, this is it, it has begun," the blonde woman said in a calm, collected tone of voice. She had a demeanor that indicated that very few things bothered her. "You are now pregnant with Death's chosen."

The redhead shook her head, and pulled a face. "Isis, I'm trying not to think of him as that. He is my son, no matter what his destiny is."

The woman offered Lily a consoling smile and a nod.

"I know Lily, but he could be the key to mysteries that humanity has been trying to unlock since life itself began," Isis said. "Harry will be a special young man and one who has the ability to change the world."

"How did you know I was going to name him Harry?" Lily asked in a shocked voice.

Isis just smiled her mysterious smile. She seemed to see the world in an entirely different light. Lily found her friendship endearing and refreshing. Growing up in the society that she did, there was no such thing as friends. Any relationships were only a resource that could be cultivated into something that benefitted their rise to the top.

Isis was the only friend she felt she had that was not inherited from her husband's circle. Sure Remus, Sirius, and Peter were all nice, but they weren't strictly her friends. She enjoyed a decent relationship with them, but if it was not for James, they might not have been a big part of her life.

"Just call it instinct," Isis told Lily, and she turned around. "You regret making the deal, don't you?"

Lily sighed. Isis once again had hit the nail on the head. She was always blunt, and had a knack of saying things that were true, no matter how offensive they might be.

"I regret it in the sense that Harry's going to suffer for it, and he's going to be gifted with a power that has corrupted and twisted every single other person who has acquired it," Lily said, and she closed her eyes. "You and I both studied the matter. Salazar Slytherin did not become twisted and demented until Death chose him as one of her heralds. The power caused him to be the paranoid nutcase history choses to remember him as. The other three founders had to put him down."

Lily shifted herself to the side. She sighed at the very thought of her son being remembered as being a pariah.

"If you had to make the deal all over again, would you?" Isis asked.

"I would still make the deal, but not for the reasons that I did," Lily said. "I just hope that everything works out well. I'll do everything I can to make sure Harry is ready, and understands what he needs to do. I just hope he can find it in his heart to forgive me when the time comes, or at least understand everything I had to do."

Lily took a deep breath. She knew that she was going to have to do some things that in the end, she'd regret.

"I don't want my son to become evil. I just want him to do what he can to aid the traveler in achieving his destiny."

"Harry will not be alone," Isis told Lily in a gentle voice. "He will have the help of his soulmate. She will be waiting for him. He will find her."

Lily seemed unconvinced, but she just shrugged.

"Rose had to suffer because of this entire mess, Petunia won't speak to me, not that we had the best relationship to begin with," Lily commented. "And my parents…well does it make me a monster when I was relieved that Voldemort's Death Eaters killed them?"

Isis turned to her friend. She seemed unwilling to answer that question Lily posed.

"Voldemort will be after the traveler you know," Isis said.

"It won't happen," Lily said, but she seemed absolutely terrified by that possibility. "It can't happen! Riddle's twisted, depraved. He will use the traveler to destroy everyone in his path. He will enslave the world if he could tap into that kind of power."

Lily took a deep breath.

"If I die, you need to make sure Harry understands what he needs to do," Lily added. "Do not let him be swayed by any other party. He needs to understand that he needs to do for his mission regarding the traveler. The traveler needs to be protected at all costs until the moment where he can rise."

Isis nodded. She understood her responsibilities. She would have to keep an ear out for anyone from the Muggle World finding out about the traveler. Then she would decide how to assist Harry from there.

"We both could die over this, you know," Isis said. She talked about her impending death as if she was discussing the weather.

"Yes, these secrets are dangerous," Lily agreed, and she drew in a deep breath. "But the secrets we're trying to uncover behind Project: Genesis are something that is going to cause us even more trouble. If the project is completed…"

"I know," Isis interrupted her. "The three Unspeakables behind it are the key. Rookwood, Dixon, and Caruthers, they are working on this project, and keeping it under-wraps. We both work in the Department of Mysteries, and we can't even get a hint of the project."

"Nor, will you."

Lily and Isis spun around in surprise. They saw a scarred man with grey hair, and bloodshot eyes standing on the hill. He had a white hooded robe on, and he raised one hand. Both women had been flung backwards and pinned down onto the ground.

The man hovered over Isis and Lily, and offered them a crooked smile.

"Lovegood and Potter, you two nosy little bints have stuck your nose in our business for the last time," the man said.

"Sorry, I've always been too nosy for my own good," Lily said, struggling underneath the invisible force that shoved her down to the ground. It was powerful. Even her most powerful charms could not break the invisible bindings she had been put in. "What did you do to yourself, Dixon?"

Dixon offered her a crooked smile, and continued to hold her into place.

"I've evolved," Dixon said nastily. "I don't need a wand to perform magic."

"Good for you, you want a cookie?" Lily deadpanned.

Dixon growled.

"I'll remove that diseased tongue from your mouth, Mudblood!"

Isis and Lily tried to fight back out, but they were held to the ground, pinned down by the invisible force.

"I've offered myself up as the first test subject, the first of many, a new Genesis of magical prowess," Dixon said. "The Muggle World will wither and die. They will all perish, and the magic users will inherit the world, just like it is supposed to be. We won't have to hide from Muggles anymore, because there will be none!"

"Caruthers and Rookwood used you as a test subject," Isis commented lightly.

"Yes, and they have given me powers beyond all measure!" Dixon yelled, and the air cackled around them. "All I need to do is look at the Muggles, and they'll wither and die!"

Isis and Lily realized the perilous predicament that they were in.

"You do realize that you're only the prototype don't you?" Lily asked. "And how you're body parts will be harvested to fine-tune the procedure. Congratulations, Dixon, you're the lab rat. Shows how much your partners think of you, doesn't it?"

"But you three aren't the independent agents, there's someone higher up running the project, isn't there?" Isis asked.

Dixon considered them for a moment, but he nodded. The nasty expression never left his face.

"For a Mudblood and a blood traitor, you two know too much for your own good. The Dark Lord sends his regards, and his regrets that he could not finish you off himself."

"Does Riddle have you pick up his dry cleaning and get his groceries as well?" Lily asked, unable to resist baiting the Death Eater. "Maybe you give him a nice little foot rub after he tortures kittens."

Dixon was about to swoop in for the kill, but suddenly a spell shot at him. The Death Eater dropped to the ground. He clutched his head, and screamed in pain. He tried to regain his bearings, but then his eyes glazed over. They became blank and unresponsive. It was much like he had suffered an aneurysm or a stroke of some sort. The magic overloaded his brain.

Isis and Lily managed to pull themselves to their feet. Breathless and shaken up, but they were alive.

"What just happened?" Isis asked, finally breaking the silence.

Lily looked at her friend. An idea formed in her head. Quite frankly she could scarcely believe it herself, but she had to give in some consideration.

"I think Harry saved us," Lily said quietly.

"Your future son, who you are three months pregnant with, saved us?" Isis asked her, a bit bemused at this.

Lily just sighed. Her friend did not believe her. "You think I'm crazy…"

"No, I don't think you're crazy," Isis said delicately. "But you might want to keep that theory from other people. If the wrong parties find out that Harry is capable of doing accidental magic before he is even born, then he'll be a subject of the Department of Mysteries the moment you deliver him. Providing they wait that long."

Lily felt revolted at the thoughts of what those vultures would do to her son. She had to keep this quiet at all costs.

"He's extraordinary," Isis added.

"Of course he is," Lily said. She smiled. "He's my son."

The two women hovered over Dixon, and they saw his unmoving form. He was breathing, but there were no signs of movement. His eyes remained bloodshot, and unfocused. They ensured that he would not follow them.

"We can't be seen here," Lily whispered.

"Agreed," Isis told her. "What's Riddle up to with Project Genesis?"

Lily had no idea, and that's what scared her. The Ministry was utterly clueless they were leading the entire world to their own damnation, and would not have the slightest idea until it was too late.

They erased all traces of their presence, and left the brain dead form of Dixon to be found some time later.

* * *

In the year 2008, the motionless form of Richard Dixon twitched, and his eyes flickered open.

"Revenge," he whispered in a raspy voice.

His body began to glow, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Several solid light holograms popped out of them, and began to track any living blood relatives of Lily Potter for revenge.

Their secondary objective was to capture the traveler, and destroy him if necessary.

The white robed figures began their trek across the world.

The arising would come.

* * *

The Shining Light Foundation opened its doors back up, with new guests being brought in the New Year. Harry and Kara made their rounds back in the morning. Claire seemed despondent that she had to return to the usual grind, instead of spending a great deal of her time with Harry and Kara. She tried to maintain a happy face, and Harry reminded her that it was important for her to obtain an education, to live somewhat of a normal life.

With any luck, Claire would be getting a huge surprise before too long. He hoped to have it ready for her eleventh birthday in February.

Right now, Harry and Kara continued their work of piecing together several mysteries. They were closing in on them, but Harry had a feeling that there was a chance for snags in the future.

"All we have to do is find the two keys, and whatever the Veritas Society has locked up about Clark, and make sure anything doesn't fall into the wrong hands," Kara said. "We nearly got all of the pieces together."

"I can't help, but think there are a few puzzle pieces missing," Harry said. "I was hoping there would be something in the Department of Mysteries that could help us. Luna's mother was an Unspeakable, and she was a part of Veritas, but I suppose that she kept those two parts of her separate."

Kara placed her hand on Harry's comforting him without words. They were in this together. Their mission as Heralds of Death was to give the traveler the assistance he needed to achieve his destiny. Harry uncovered every single bit of information that could about Veritas and about the traveler in general, but he knew he was missing something.

"No matter what, we can't let certain parties put two and two together," Harry said.

Kara nodded. She knew certain parties to mean one Lex Luthor. Harry kept a close eye on him after Lex was digging into Harry's past. The young man had no idea to leave well enough alone, and his obsession would be the downfall of him yet.

The intercom came to life before Harry could finish these thoughts.

"Mr. Potter, Lex Luthor has arrived, he has requested a meeting with you at your earliest convenience," the receptionist said.

Harry paused, considering his options.

'_Speak of the devil,' _Harry thought.

"Bring him to conference room five, and tell him I'll meet him in fifteen minutes," Harry said.

"Of course, sir," the receptionist said.

Somehow he knew this visit was not for an idle chitchat. Harry placed himself behind the main computer, and continued to try and crack the beacon that had been picked up. It was fired off around the same time Hermione had made her "return from the grave". Best he could tell, there were three distinct points of origin.

The gravestone in Godric's Hallow was not the only thing that came to life. There were two other beacons that had been fired off, and Harry was getting close to pinpointing the signal and also unscrambling a cryptic message that had been picked up by his computers. Hermione had activated them, apparently from inside the library.

Harry sighed. This was getting to be a problem. These powerful beacons presented a potential headache, as the backwash hurt both Heralds. Adding on top of that were the fifteen immortals that Harry and Kara located during a routine scan of the fabric of life the other night. Tracking them down and dealing with them would be easier said than done. Then, in addition to that, there was the shit-storm that came from Project: Genesis.

"Dead end?" Kara prompted, when Harry threw his hands up in the air in frustration.

"Unfortunately," Harry said. He reached around, and gave his fiancée a hug and a kiss goodbye. "I'll be back, better see what Lex wants with me."

Harry exited his office, and made his way to the elevator. He knew security would keep a good eye on Lex, but having him in his building made him a bit unnerved. Harry thought about the past few months, and what he might have done differently knowing what he knew now. There was no need to go over it again.

The doors swung open, and Lex sat and waited for him. The bald man surveyed Harry with a smile.

"Harry, I just heard the good news, about your impending nuptials," Lex said conversationally. "Congratulations."

Harry very much doubted that Lex was here to offer him his congratulations about his impending nuptials to Kara. He just nodded politely, and waited for the real reason for Lex's little visit to come to light.

"Clark's cousin, well perhaps now that you're practically part of the family, you'll be able to unravel the enigma that is Clark Kent," Lex said. He looked at Harry, a knowing expression on his face. "That's why you're here isn't it, to unravel one of the biggest mysteries in Smallville?"

"What do I owe the pleasure of the visit, Lex?" Harry asked, deciding to get straight to the point.

Lex offered a bit of a dry grin. "Straight, and to the point, and not even bothering for the pleasantries, well I doubt I could expect anything less from someone who has been as busy as you have as of late."

He cleared his throat.

"A few weeks ago, I had taken a business trip, to indulge a curiosity of mine," Lex said. "You see, I've been trying to unravel the mysteries of the universe, and I came across quite the curious looking gravestone. The marking on it was strange, I was wondering if you could identify it."

Harry looked at Lex. He did love how Lex conveniently left out the fact that the only reason why he came across that particular gravestone, was because the man was sticking his nose where it did not belong. For now, Harry played his game, because he had no idea how much Lex knew. Lex picked up a folded piece of paper, and put it out in front of Harry.

"Do you know what it is?" Lex asked.

"I believe that's a triangle," Harry dead panned.

If Lex was rattled by this dismissive statement, he did not show it. Harry waited for him to continue.

"Yes, but the triangle is only part of a symbol, a circle and a line down it, I believe it means something," Lex said. "The question is, what does it mean? I have a feeling that it unlocks the answers to a universal truth that many men and women have been searching their entire lives for. The secrets of the universe that they can only dream of holding in their hands, is within my grasp."

Harry looked at the symbol, acting like he feigned casual interest.

"I have only been able to locate the symbol in one other place, and that was scrawled on the wall of an abandoned prison in Germany," Lex continued. "When I touched the symbol on the gravestone, I felt every moment in my life flash before me. It was a sign, that I was destined for something."

"I'm at a loss to explain why the symbol did what it did," Harry said. "But perhaps there are some things that man was never meant to tamper with."

"True, but it's worth the risk when humanity hinges in the balance," Lex said, and he paused, before he added. "Months ago, I had a near death experience. I was rescued from the brink. I've thought about it since, and I feel that I have been given a chance to save humanity. To protect them from threats that they cannot, no matter what the means are. And I feel that in many ways, you have the same potential."

"How do you figure that?" Harry asked.

"We do seem to be cut from the same cloth many ways," Lex said. "We're dedicated to our cause, and are driven. There are many who will mistake our intentions as being less than noble, but we really are doing what is for the greater good of the world."

"You really have it figured out, don't you?" Harry asked Lex.

If Lex noticed the sarcasm in Harry's voice, he did not let on.

"The point I'm trying to make is we can do a lot if we work together," Lex said. "Our resources together would change the world. Just think about the people we could help, and how humanity would be much more secure. It would be a business arrangement that no one could stop."

Harry was floored by this offer. He had no idea what Lex's game was, although he suspected that there were some less than noble intentions that were involved. He remained on his guard, but Lex avoided making eye contact. Trying to get a fix on someone who avoided eye contact past a casual handshake was something that made his mental probing extremely difficult.

"Your offer is intriguing," Harry said. He struggled with the best way to say, "no" in the most diplomatic manner possible. "But I…"

"I couldn't ask you to make a decision right now," Lex said, waving his hand. He slid back in the chair, and a smile crossed his face. "Just think about it. You know how to get in touch with me. Remember, the fate of the world may hinge on how you answer."

Harry watched Lex get to his feet and walk off without another word. The truth was that if he thought he could gain any benefit whatsoever from the deal, he would play along. Harry was not opposed to making a business arraignment with a Luthor if it served some purpose that could advance his goals.

He did not need to read Lex's mind to figure out that his obsession with the Veritas Society remained strong. The information Harry managed to obtain from Lex's computers proved that much, and the younger Luthor was getting more desperate. He was almost certain that Lex could have potentially followed the paper trail to the Evans family and thus back to him if he went down the right avenue.

Harry waited until Lex was off the premises. He went off to share the information with Kara, and see if she made any better headway than he could with the decryption of the message. The beacon would be the key to figuring out what the truth behind Hermione's recent reappearance was, even if Harry was certain that he had a good idea himself what really happened.

* * *

Clark zoomed at super speed, but he saw Lana standing in the distance, waiting for him. She had her arms folded, and tapped her foot impatiently. She saw Clark, who seemed exasperated that he lost the race. And it was by a much larger margin this time it seemed.

"Either, you're getting slower, or I'm getting faster," Lana said with a grin. "It depends on what one you want to believe."

Clark shook his head. "Lana, I almost beat you this time."

"Clark, I don't know what race you were watching," Lana said, and she placed a hand on his. "But it isn't the one we were racing in, I don't think. Maybe you were distracted by all of my dust you were eating."

"Lana, that race was…okay yeah you won," Clark said. He did not have it in him to argue. "I still don't know you could, but you did. The stops could use a little work."

"I didn't almost crash into anything this time," Lana said to Clark. "I don't know what Harry did when he allowed me to keep those powers, but they seem a bit stronger than I thought they would be."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "Are you complaining?"

"No, I can actually pull you out of trouble, instead of vice versa," Lana said, and she shook her head. "I'm getting the heat vision down, and I know I can use the X-Ray vision fluidly."

It was at this point she was staring at Clark immediately, and Clark stepped back.

"It's not like I'm looking at anything that I haven't already seen," Lana said, and she pushed Clark back against a wall of a warehouse. "These powers could be the beginning of something."

"Well, we'll worry about that later," Clark said, but he turned around deep in thought. He had something else on his mind right now.

"Clark, what is it?" Lana asked.

"Just thinking about everything that happened, about the thing Harry told us about," Clark said.

The last couple of weeks had been eventful to say the very least. Not that they had not been eventful in the past. The news that had been given to them over the last couple of days sunk in slowly with Clark and Lana. Right now, they were walking outside. The snow had melted partially, showing evidence of a slightly warmer, but still cool day.

"That was a shock," Lana admitted. "Imagine what it was like for Harry when he found out."

Clark had to agree.

"I always thought that there was something mysterious about Harry, but Kara, she was a surprise," Clark said. "She's here, and she's the one tie that I have to my past that hasn't tried to kill me."

It was true. In the past, the survivors of Krypton had fatal intentions for Clark, and that was putting it mildly. Clark looked up into the sky, and closed his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Lana asked.

"Trying to fly," Clark said. Despite his best efforts, he remained grounded. "There's something holding me back…and I'm not sure if it's completely the entire fear of heights thing."

Lana had been lightly teasing Clark about the entire lack of flying thing, but she saw that he looked rather distressed.

"It'll come when you're ready," Lana said. "There must be a good reason why you haven't tapped into those powers. I don't know why, it's easy. Just like taking a breath, it's an instinct."

To demonstrate her point, Lana shot off into the air. She did one lap around the wooded area that she and Clark stood at. Clark watched her. Once Lana circled one full time, she swooped down and scooped Clark up in her arms, before she flew forward into the air.

"Lana," Clark said in a reproachful voice.

"Sorry, but that never gets old," Lana said, as she did one more lap with Clark in her arms, before she dropped him down to the ground, and playfully pinned him against a tree. She pressed her lips onto Clark.

Clark's mind shut down for a brief second, before he relaxed, and then became rigid.

Lana pulled back. "What is it, Clark?"

"What if someone sees us?" Clark asked.

"We should be able to hear them long before they come," Lana argued, and Clark paused.

That was actually a good and sound argument. Lana resumed her activities. She was relishing her new strength. Clark found her eagerness both exciting and a bit intimidating.

Lana broke her activities, when they heard a noise. Clark and Lana crept over, and heard footsteps in the distance. He could have sworn that he saw a figure dressed in a white robe, but all he saw was a couple walking, with skies.

"Just skiers," Clark replied.

Clark and Lana rushed forward, and made sure there was no one in the distance. Instinctively, Clark flinched when he saw a green meteor rock on the ground. It took a while to get used to the fact that those were no longer his weakness.

"I bet that's a weight off your shoulder," Lana said, almost as if she got a sense of what Clark was thinking. "The Kryptonite is everywhere; I never really noticed that until now."

"How didn't you notice?" Clark asked.

"Well, I noticed, but I never thought it was that much," Lana said, and she looked forward. She spotted a truck. "Clark, exactly how much can you lift?"

"A lot," Clark replied. "I didn't actually test it, or anything, but I'm sure it's a lot."

Clark picked the truck up over his head, to demonstrate what he was talking about.

"See," Clark said.

"Impressive," Lana said, with a genuine smile. "But can you lift a building, or even a train?"

Clark looked thoughtful about this. His powers had increased since the first time he had used them. He wondered what his limits were, or how long his powers would grow. Maybe he should ask Kara if she had any ideas, but that was something that was another discussion for another time.

They looked at a train.

"Go ahead, try and lift it," Lana said to him. She saw Clark's look of reluctance, and added, "Unless you don't think you can."

Clark stepped over to face the train. "I think I might able to oblige you."

He grabbed onto the train, making sure no one was around. He bent his knees, and tried to lift the train off the ground. He managed to lift it, just barely. It took a great deal of concentration for him to hold it up, and eventually, he lost his balance. He set the train back down on the tracks, and Lana watched him.

"Getting a bit out of shape, Clark?" Lana asked, but Clark used his X-Ray vision to check the train.

"It's got some heavy cargo on it, to be fair," Clark said.

Lana took a look at the train.

"Yeah, but I thought that you would be able to lift it up, no problem," Lana said to him.

"With all the cargo, it must weigh several tons more than the actual train," Clark argued, and Lana looked at him. "It's not like you could do it. You're just coming into your powers."

Lana looked back at Clark. She enjoyed a challenge. She walked over and studied the train.

"You're really going to do it?" Clark asked. "Lana, I could barely lift it, what makes you think you can lift it?"

Lana stepped over, and closed her eyes. She gritted her teeth.

"Don't forget to lift with your legs, not your back," Clark joked. "You know, Lana, if you can't lift it, that's…"

The train was lifted off of the ground by Lana. Clark watched, mouth a gap.

Had Clark been paying a bit closer attention, he would have noticed a slight glow emitting from Lana's hands.

"That doesn't look that hard," Lana said, and she lifted up, with the train. She carefully balanced it, not dropping it. She set it back down on the tracks. "Maybe you should be eating your Wheaties."

"Okay, that shut my mouth," Clark said.

'_What did you do, Harry?" _Clark thought.

"I wonder what else I can do," Lana said thoughtfully, and she stopped, before turning around to face Clark. "Race you back home."

Lana zoomed off, splashing Clark with slush, and Clark was left gob smacked for a few seconds, mouth hanging open, before he followed her. At least she was getting the handle of her new powers, and being able to use them safely.

* * *

Later that morning, Harry was hard at work on the beacon. His phone rang, and he answered it immediately, wondering who could be calling him at this time.

"Yes, hello," Harry said.

The voice of Lionel Luthor responded on the other end of the phone. "Good day, Mr. Potter. Quite the eventful morning you have, haven't it?"

"One could say that," Harry said.

"Yes, and my son extending an offer for an alliance, I should have seen it coming," Lionel said. "He's been digging quite extensively into your past, and he seems obsessed. He's got the delusion into his head that he saw a young boy in a cupboard underneath the stairs, and that young boy was you."

"One would call that delusion, yes," Harry replied, keeping his voice even. "We both know that if your son thought he saw something, than he won't rest until he gets the answers that he's looking for."

"And the symbol that he located on the gravestone, I trust he asked you about that," Lionel replied.

"Yes," Harry replied in confirmation. "I'll tell you the same thing I told him. I know nothing about that symbol."

"Ah, one would get the impression that you know far more than you are implying, Mr. Potter," Lionel responded.

"Depends on what you're implying," Harry said.

"I've done my due diligence, and I'm certain Lex has, of the mysterious number of deaths that have occurred in the United Kingdom over the past fifty or so years," Lionel said.

"Careful, Mr. Luthor, you don't want to imply anything about me," Harry replied in a warning voice.

"Believe me I'm not, but you are far from ignorant from the matter of who might be behind," Lionel said. "And I've picked up a mysterious beacon from Great Britain. I'm sure Lex and others might have picked up on it, even if they have been preoccupied with matters further in the stars. If they get a reason…"

Harry cut Lionel off immediately.

"I know what you think they're after," Harry said. "People are saying that it's coming from the graveyard in Godric's Hallow, where my parents are buried."

"They do say that, but they're wrong," Lionel said. "It's not coming from the graveyard, but rather it originates from within a library."

Harry frowned. This was not news to him.

"Curious as to how you have come to that conclusion, Mr. Luthor," Harry said.

"Well, we all have our ways," Lionel said. He suspected that this was something else that Harry Potter figured out. "The fact of the matter is that beacon could open up a Pandora's box, and you may have a devil of a time shutting it."

Harry's mouth curled into a smile. A Pandora's Box was a good description of what the Ministry had intended to open up based on what he found out about Project: Genesis.

"And this has to do with the architect behind it, a Miss Hermione Granger," Lionel said. "I don't know if you have met, but I believe she went to a boarding school in Scotland much like you. It could very well be a coincidence, or a conspiracy."

"Hermione Granger is dead," Harry replied in a flat and emotionless tone of voice.

"Well, I met her, and she seemed living and breathing, if confined to one area," Lionel said.

"She's dead," Harry repeated in a stoic voice. He continued in a cryptic tone of voice. "It's a game that even the Luthors cannot comprehend. Someone is trying to pull the strings, but I for one am no one's puppet."

"Good for you," Lionel replied swiftly. "But despite not being anyone's puppet, there are people who will always attempt to maneuver you into that role, and fix strings upon you."

'_I'm sure you know all about that, Luthor,' _Harry thought to himself.

"Thanks for the warning," Harry said. "You can sleep soundly knowing that I have my eyes wide open, and I know what I'm dealing with."

The Hermione he knew died ten years ago. There was someone, or something else wearing her face and having access to her memories. Harry was convinced of this, but whatever game was being played, he needed to keep playing along.

"It's remarkable that you're covering for your friend, and yet so utterly blind of who pulling her strings," Lionel added.

"Will that be all?" Harry asked dismissively, as if he did not hear Lionel.

Harry figured out who was controlling "Hermione", and she was behind what happened with the Fortress. She broke her word to him, but what was her game this time?

"Yes, that will be all, have a good day, and don't take anything my son says at face value," Lionel answered.

Harry got a sense that Lionel had a shrewd idea what Harry might have found out, but he was not about to verify what he knew to the elder Luthor. Trust was given to those who he earned it, and Harry was not about to be swept up into whatever game of chess that both Luthors were playing with each other.

He stepped forward, and Kara was waiting for him.

"Ready to go?" Kara asked him.

"In a minute," Harry said. "Here's something that alarms me. Lionel Luthor knows about the Hermione situation."

Kara looked unsettled about this news.

"We didn't tell anyone about it," Kara said slowly.

"Lionel is annoyingly resourceful," Harry said. "If Lionel knows, Lex might find out, and I don't know what he would do. Especially given the ties the Grangers have to Veritas. Both are trying to figure out what the death symbol means, and that could mean disaster."

Kara and Harry sat together. Both were about to plot their next move, but suddenly a message came through.

"I don't believe it," Harry gasped, and Kara turned to him, a look of surprise in her eyes. "I picked up something tangible from the beacon. Something other than a series of beeps, just listen for yourself."

Kara did so. Both Harry and Kara sat side by side. A ghostly whisper of "the arising will come" could be heard. Harry tried to zero in on the whisper, and try and determine if there was anything else tangible from it.

He got nothing, nothing other than the whisper. The same forwards four words had been looped and they spoke the same cryptic whisper.

"I don't know what it means," Harry said.

"It could mean anything, or it's a hint for something else to come," Kara said. "It's tied in with this Project: Genesis and it's a warning of things to come. Of a danger, far greater than anything either of us had dealt with before."

Harry looked at her, and nodded. She spoke a lot of sense. He had been so fixated on Veritas that he did not even think of another threat sneaking in in the backdoor.

"That might be it," Harry said.

"This is unsettling, with how vague it is," Kara stated, but Harry tried to listen again.

"There are numbers being whispered in between the words, I need to slow it down just a bit," Harry said.

"Numbers can be important," Kara said. She frowned, deep in thought. "But what do they mean?"

Harry wrote down the numbers as he got them once he slowed down the recording. Twenty, Thirteen, and Eighteen were the numbers, in that order. He frowned, and studied them intently.

"Thirteen is one of the three most magically powerful numbers and also represents misfortune," Harry said. "The other two numbers, I have no idea what they mean, if anything."

"We'll figure out, together," Kara said in an encouraging voice. Harry looked tense, and a bit stressed out. She began to rub the back of his neck, and shoulders, relaxing him. "Harry, don't worry about it until later. You've been working too hard."

Harry tried to protest, but he conceded Kara had a point. Claire was still in school, so Harry and Kara were able to check out of the Shining Light Foundation, and make their way to the Kent Farm all by themselves.

"Just put it out of your mind for a little bit," Kara said, and she leaned forward, and kissed Harry on the lips. "Everything's going to work out for the best. We have plenty of time later. It could be nothing."

"Or it could be something," Harry said.

"Later today, we'll find out what it means, for sure," Kara said, and she grabbed Harry by the hand. "Clark and Lana should be home."

"We better knock first, we won't want to walk in on anything private," Harry said, and Kara responded with a nod. "What about…"

"We'll tell them later, once we know more," Kara said, and Harry grabbed her head. The two popped away. They landed outside of the Kent Farm.

The two floated towards the door. Kara reached the door first, so she knocked. The door opened, and Clark stood behind it. His expression brightened when he saw Kara and Harry.

"Harry, Kara, what a nice surprise," Clark said. He had not seen them after the night that they dropped the bombshell about their roles on him. "Come in and…"

"We will, thanks," Kara said. "So how are you and Lana doing?"

"We're doing fine," Clark said, but he seemed to be a bit preoccupied with something. "Lana's testing out her powers."

"I'm sure you two are having fun with that," Harry said.

Clark shook his head. A smile spread across his face. "Well, Lana does seem to be taking to them a lot better than most people would. It could be because of the buzz of having the new powers. And once you get used to the feeling of getting plucked up, and flown around…"

"Clark, one day, you'll learn how to fly, and you'll fly higher and better than us all," Kara said honestly.

She thought that it was a power her cousin should have had a long time ago, but everyone learned things at their own pace. Kara and Harry both took to flight naturally. They had a natural love of flying. Clark's fear of heights seemed to keep him mostly grounded, although it was a mental block that he seemed to working hard deal with.

Kara really hoped to see Clark in the air sooner than later. Not the he couldn't do something good for the world without that power. After all she did not think of him as incapable on the ground. But, it just seemed like something that he should be doing.

Kara and Harry walked inside the kitchen, where Lana was waiting. They exchanged a polite greeting, but Kara was looking at Lana. There was no need to put this off, especially given the new spark that had placed in Clark and Lana's relationship.

"Lana, can I have a quick word with you?" Kara asked. "Outside, in private, please."

Lana wondered what this was all about. Despite the fact things had improved between her and Kara, she had to admit she was apprehensive.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to throw you into the sun because you can fly when Clark can't," Kara said with a smile.

Lana relaxed. For a moment she thought it was serious. She followed Kara outdoors, and leaving Clark and Harry alone.

"So, do you want to tell me what that's all about?" Clark asked.

"I don't know," Harry said with a shrug. He decided to switch subjects. "So the Kryptonite cure is working out well for you."

"I didn't feel it when I was around the rocks," Clark informed him.

"I should hope so, all of the time I spent fine tuning that cure, and making sure it worked through all of the different types of Kryptonite," Harry said. "You should be fine though. Unless there's one that I missed, let's see there's Green Kryptonite of course, Red Kryptonite, Blue Kryptonite, Gold Kryptonite, Black Kryptonite, Silver Kryptonite, Pink Kryptonite, and maybe a few others I forgot. I know I got them all."

"I'll take your word for it that you got them all," Clark said, he experienced the effects of a few of those colors, but not all of them.

If the cure worked, and he was sure it did, he never had to worry about what they did to him.

He wondered how many Harry had uncovered, and how much time he put into his research. And if he could help with any other vulnerabilities.

* * *

Kara and Lana walked quite a way from the Kent Farm.

"Let's go over there," Kara pointed out, and in a flash, before Lana could do anything, Kara took flight. She was a blur as she streaked through the air. Try as she might to catch up, Lana was not as quick as Kara was. Kara was floating, cross legged at the edge of the field. A smile crossed her face. "Took you long enough."

"I guess you're one Kryptonian that I'm not going to be able to outrun," Lana said.

Kara just nodded, and she turned around. She spoke in a soft tone of voice. "It's a big world out there, and a beautiful one. Smallville is just a part of it, you know. And soon, Clark will be the one who has to watch over it all."

Lana stood behind her, wondering where this was going.

"So, you have your powers," Kara said. "You wouldn't have had them unless you were ready to accept them and the full responsibilities that come along with wielding such powers. Your journey has been a hard one. Especially your relationship with Clark, I believe a rollercoaster ride would be the best way to describe it."

"Yes, that would be accurate," Lana said with a slight smile. "But we're good now…"

"Yes, I know, but this time, you're either in all of the way, or you're out," Kara said in a firm voice. "I told you Clark has to watch over the world. But someone has to watch over Clark, to make sure he doesn't make a decision that will doom this world. To some, that might be considered a bigger responsibility."

"Sounds like it," Lana agreed, and she looked at Kara. "So you think that I'm…."

"You have the powers, so you have the potential," Kara said. "You and Clark could build something for the future. Not because destiny says so, but because it's a choice you're going to make. And the choices you make will be the difference. Clark has it in him to be what the world needs to watch over them. Humanity has potential, and promise, but there are times where dark forces will tempt it and seek to destroy them merely because they can."

Kara turned around, to fully look Lana in the eye.

"The man Clark has grown up into is something that I'm proud of," Kara said. "I might not be able to see his journey the whole way through, and he does have a long way to go, but he's well on his way. And I think you've done some growing, through some of the harshest lessons life could offer."

"That's one way to put it," Lana said.

The two girls looked at each other.

"Watch over him, Lana," Kara said seriously. "When I'm not there, I want to be secure that Clark is safe, and not going to have harm come to him. If Clark is kept safe, then the world will be safe. Harry and I will play our roles, but we have other things to deal with. Guiding Clark was only one part of our mission."

"What do you two have to do?" Lana asked.

"Lana, don't worry about that," Kara said. "Worry about what you have to do to prepare yourself for the final steps of your journey. I do warn you that there's no turning back now. You have to be one hundred percent committed. Waver, or hurt Clark, and the consequences will be dire. Anything that I can do to you will pale in comparison to what your own guilt will do to yourself."

"I'm not going to hurt Clark, not again, never again," Lana said.

"Then you have my blessing," Kara said. "You may notice that your powers are a bit stronger, and you may have a couple of new ones up your sleeve that Clark doesn't."

"Yeah, I noticed today, I was a bit stronger," Lana said. "But the powers…what are they?"

"You'll know when they come,' Kara replied in a cryptic voice. "The easy part is over for you."

Lana seemed a bit distressed that Kara considered what her and Clark had been through in the past the easy part. The dark haired girl nodded all of the same.

"Just know that the trials that are to come will test you," Kara concluded.

"I'm ready," Lana replied firmly.

"Then I should have no reason to fear the worst," Kara said. "I hope the bond between you and Clark will be one that will be everlasting, and will get you through the hardship that is to come."

Kara looked up. She hoped Lana would actually be ready. She saw it in her eyes that she was, but at the same time, one never truly knew.

Then again, Kara would test any of her cousin's potential suitors, because they would have a great role in his future. And it was important they understood that. All she wanted was for Clark to be happy, and to be safe for a very long time. Much like she was with Harry.

* * *

"Magic can do many things, and one of the most interesting quirks of it is that it tends to bend everything known law of physics that you can imagine."

Harry and Clark walked around the barn outside, with Harry giving Clark a lecture on the nature of magic.

"I just want to know if there is a way to remove the magic vulnerability," Clark remarked.

Harry just looked thoughtful, and he took a deep breath. Then he gave Clark his most honest assessment of the situation.

"Is there a way to make someone immune from magic? That is a good question. There are magical creatures out there that are more resistant to magic because of their hides. Dragons and basilisks, and other creatures among that level are less vulnerable, but they are not completely immune. Enough magic users, or a powerful enough magic user, and they can be taken down just as easily as another creature."

Harry took a breath, and continued with his explanation.

"There have been magic users who have been looking for ways to protect against attacks from their fellow witches and wizards for generation after generation. The problem is that once some shield has been created, a creative mind can always find a flaw and thus find a way to negate that defense. The Kryptonite cure could be created because essentially your meteor rocks are based in science. Therefore there is a certain amount of logic to it. Magic is a different kettle of fish entirely."

"It sounds to me like there is little to no logic in magic," Clark said.

Harry nodded.

"You are on the right track," Harry said. "We spend countless hours getting magical theory driven into our brain by our teachers. It was a way of imposing limits on us to make sure we did not do anything that the Ministry could not control Knowing the theory is useful, in a sense, but trying to understand the logic behind magic could drive a person mad. There are laws of how magic works, but any restrictions are only within the mind. For instance, if you can't believe that you should be able to fly, than you would not fly. It's just as simple as that."

Clark got a sense of what Harry was trying to imply, but Harry pressed on.

"Magical armor exists, but it has a backfire, just like everything else," Harry explained. "It can block magic attacking you, but it can also limit the scope of your attacks. Plus it is hell to maneuver around, even with super strength, it's difficult."

He shook his head from side to side.

"Most physical attacks could not hurt you, but magic is a manifestation of everything that makes a fool out of every known science," Harry continued. "Magic even can make a fool out of magical users. One of the few things that can truly injure me is a sufficiently powerful witch or wizard. If I am unable to block, or counter the attacks, I'd be in trouble. But, there is no way to completely remove any vulnerability to magic. Otherwise, magical duels would be just a group of wizards firing pretty lights at each other back and forth."

Clark nodded in understanding.

"Magic users don't even have the sheer fire protection against magic that you might think we would," Harry concluded. "There are shield charms Said charms are able to block anything from a moderately powered witch or wizard, except for three spells. There are three spells that can't be blocked by any known magical shields. The only ways to block them is by physical objects, or just not being in the way of them. The only plus is that they take a great deal of power to pull off."

"What are those spells?" Clark asked.

"The Imperius Curse, it can bend the victim to their will," Harry explained. "The Cruciatus Curse, which causes the victim pain beyond all measure, really just imagine the worse pain you've ever had. And multiply it by about a hundred."

"That bad?" Clark asked.

"Maybe worse," Harry admitted. "And there's a third spell, the Killing Curse. That does just what you might think it would."

'_And it's a curse that I've survived more times than I care to think about it,' _Harry added mentally.

Harry was deep in thought about everything that he had to do. He had been turning it over in his mind, over and over again. Clark was just one part of his mission, albeit a rather important part.

"And I think I might have arrived about six years too late to do you much good," Harry said, and Clark looked at him. "My mother told me I was supposed to arrive six years ago. If I had united the keys, and not been so stubborn, I would have been here."

"Well, I have to admit, your help would have been appreciated a few times," Clark said.

"Yeah, maybe," Harry said, but he wondered if it would have made much difference.

He looked up, hearing a noise. He thought Kara and Lana would be returning before too long. There were footsteps, and Harry tensed up. He was not perfect with determining when something was a threat, but he was sure that something was coming after him.

"Clark, be on your guard, I think there's something there," Harry whispered.

"I can't see anything," Clark told him, but he used his X-Ray vision none the less. He saw a strange signature.

"Do you see what I see?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, if it's a weird mesh of blue, black, and grey, that's what I see," Clark said.

"Then I'm not seeing things," Harry stated, and he took a deep breath.

Suddenly, a blinding light hit both Harry and Clark. A group of figures in white robes showed up, surrounding them.

"Harry Potter, you will pay for what you have done!"

"What are they talking about?" Clark asked.

"If I could figure that out, I'd tell you," Harry said, and he braced himself for battle.

Clark was blasted backwards to the ground, and was pinned down by a force several times stronger than he was. He tried to struggle with all of his might. Harry jumped in for the attack, and sent an energy attack. Three of the robed figures lit up, and vanished into dust.

Several more surrounded then, and Clark pulled his way up to his feet.

"I think, they broke my ribs," Clark managed, struggling to breathe from the pain.

That was a cause for alarm. Harry tensed up, it was something extremely powerful.

Clark heard a noise, and this time, he managed to dodge another attack. The ground blew up where he had stood seconds earlier.

Several magically created knives bounced off of a shield Harry created. He pushed back the attacks. Clark turned around, as a shield closed in around them. He felt the sun being blocked off. He could see it, but the rays from the sun were not reaching him at all.

"I don't know how much I can hang on; my powers are running on dry!" Clark yelled.

Harry tried to press on through to break the shield that was created around them. Clark should have been able to conserve his powers more, so they would last longer in situations where he was separated from yellow sunlight.

Harry blew through the shield, and sent the attacks back in a wave of light. Another energy attack shot through, and Harry was knocked back.

The Herald of Death popped back up, and became alarmed, because he tasted his own blood. There was a cut opened up on his face, and several more attacks opened up more cuts. He felt searing pain that he tried to push through.

This should not be happening. Unless he was dealing with a sufficiently powerful sorcerer, that could attack him. Blood dripped from his face, and he continued to press on, to fight.

There had to be someone performing this spell from somewhere, to create an infinite number of enemies. He struggled to pinpoint the source, as the blood continued to drip from his face.

'_It's one of the Genesis rejects,' _Harry thought to himself. _'Great.'_

This battle had gone from hard, to nearly impossible.

**To Be Continued in Decryption Part Two. **


	24. Chapter 24: Decryption Part Two

_And now your conclusion.  
_

**Chapter 24: Decryption Part Two. **

The robed figures closed in on Harry and Clark. Harry took a deep breath, and engaged them in battle. He tried to pinpoint a weakness within them, but he found none. In fact, there was something rather unique about the magic they were giving off. He had seen weird bits of magical energy in his day, and these particular bits of magical energy were off the charts. He sent a burst of light to try and push back his enemies.

Harry dodged several attacks with expert precision. Another spell barely grazed the side of his face. He saw the dome around them. It would prevent anyone from saving them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw both Kara and Lana trying to push their way through with all of their might. They could not get through, no matter how hard they tried. Harry could feel Kara's desperation and fury from the other side of the dome.

He had to focus on the attack, and he continued to battle. His face was cut up, blood splattered across the ground.

"Harry, if I didn't know any better, I think these things are multiplying every time we hit them," Clark said, and he emphasized his point by smashing one of the robed figures with all of the strength that he could muster. Said robed figure split in half, and sent two spells out. Harry deflected them back.

Harry gritted his teeth, and tried to push himself forward through the battle. "Yeah, Clark, I really think that might be. So do keep in mind that physical force might not help us. There's only one thing that I need to do now."

Clark paused, and was confused with what Harry said. He looked at Harry, for more confirmation.

"Stand back, Clark!" Harry yelled, and Clark did as he was told. Harry was given the space that he was needed. He closed his eyes, and hoped that this would work. Otherwise he would be back to square one, and that would not be good. A bright light engulfed him, as he called upon the full scope of his Herald of Death powers.

The robed figures were engulfed in a blinding light. Time stood still in the world around them, but not for Harry, Clark, and the robed figures. The robed figures vanished one by one into nothingness. There was one figure left, and Harry went for it, but a flash of light erupted. The backlash of magic struck Harry hard. Harry staggered from the impact. The cuts on his face remained open, and stung severely. The fact that he was injured, and tasted his own blood, was really not something he was too enthralled by. He staggered, and put a hand to his forehead.

"Harry, are they gone?" Clark yelled. "I can't see them, but there's still a weird energy signature."

Harry locked onto the energy signature. He was trying to get a reading for later use, but the strain caused him to take a few steps back. He barely remained upright. At this point, Kara flew forward towards him. He could see a frantic look in Kara's eyes, and she arrived just in time to catch Harry in her arms. Lana arrived a few seconds later, and she looked very much like she was trying to stay calm.

Clark could almost sense that she was trying very hard.

"What just happened?" Lana asked, breaking the silence.

Harry rested in his fiancée's arms. Kara brushed his hair away from his face.

"You're bleeding," Kara said, and this was a cause for concern. Harry's Herald of Death powers indicated that he could only be wounded by extremely powerful magic. He took a deep breath.

"I'm fine," Harry said.

Kara sighed. She had felt Harry's pain, which is what drove her over here. Lana felt bits and pieces of something too, but it had not been as strong and as potent as what Kara felt. The connection was like a radio that was not quite tuned for Lana, going in and out. While with Kara, she could see, smell, hear, and feel everything that Harry did should she choose to focus it in such a way. When he was in real pain, it grabbed her immediately.

"Fine, that doesn't look fine to me," Kara said in an exasperated tone of voice, but she hugged Harry tightly. She sensed Harry about ready to black out from the power he exerted.

"We would have been here sooner, but someone put up a barrier," Lana said. She seemed to be frustrated, and a bit angry that she had failed to get through in time. She turned to Clark, an almost apologetic look on her face. "We couldn't push through it. It was stronger than we were."

"It's alright Lana, you did your best" Clark said. He walked over to her. "They really just didn't want you to get through."

"Yes, they were after me," Harry said, and Kara lead him inside the house, half carrying Harry in her arms. Harry did not put up much of a scene, due to the draining bit of magic he just performed. "I'll be back on my feet after a few seconds. Don't worry; I just didn't expect to get attacked today."

Kara flew over, and grabbed Harry a glass of water. She handed it to Harry, who gulped it gratefully. She sat on the chair on Harry's other side. His wounds still looked fresh. Clark sat down beside Lana. Lana took a sight at Harry's wounds, and grimaced.

"Maybe you should get a doctor to look at that," Lana suggested.

"Yeah, a doctor wouldn't be able to fix these kind of injuries, the wounds would open themselves back up at any treatment," Harry said. Kara looked at him. Concern appeared in her brilliant blue eyes. "I'm fine, just got to rest, and I'll be up and about."

Kara shook her head. She had seen how stubborn Harry was. He refused to admit that he could ever be hurt. Even with his powers, and his durability there was always a chance for injury. And a part of her knew that even though Harry would not admit it out loud, he was concerned about what just happened. If this person could hurt him, then there was not a single person alive who could stop them.

Harry brushed his fingers against the wounds. They slowly began to close up. The wounds still stung, which was an experience that he had not felt in a while. He could feel pain if he was struck hard enough, but the pain was fleeting and with seconds. Wounds healed before they would appear. He saw the reflection of his face. There were still a few minor scratches on his face, but they would heal. The blood he spilled would be replenished.

"After all of these years, I still have the ability to attract murderous psychopaths," Harry said, breaking the silence.

"Who do you think those people were?" Lana asked.

"Not people, person, singular, there was one person who was behind this attack today," Harry added, and both Clark and Lana looked at him in confusion. "The energy signature, it was done from afar."

The question was who was capable of it. Harry knew that there were only seven wand users left in the world, not including him. There were other branches of magic out there that were capable of extremely powerful spells. That type of long distance energy projection was hardly something that he had ever gone up against.

"The figures were there, but they weren't there," Harry added.

"They felt real enough to me," Clark said, and Harry looked at him. Clark was visited with a strange thought. "There is someone who is powerful enough to send mental constructs who can do actual damage. That would explain the broken ribs."

Lana sat up straight. That was the first time she heard about Clark breaking his ribs. She knew magic was a vulnerability of his due to the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the art. Clark gave her a reassuring look, but that did not change the fact that Lana was not too happy about what happened.

"A magical person was behind this attack," Kara said, and she turned towards Harry. "You don't think…"

"That our worst nightmare has come true, and they did succeed with getting it off of the ground before that world crumbled," Harry said, and Lana and Clark both looked confused. Harry acted like they were not in the room for the moment, too distracted by his fears of what might transpire if Project: Genesis had been realized. "Why would they do it? Why now?"

"The project was dropped before, remember?" Kara asked. "And then it was picked up as a way to defeat you if they thought you got out of control."

Harry remembered, it was hard to forget. A lot of it remained a mystery, and they were only trying to fill in the blanks when they could. Clark raised an eyebrow, and turned towards Harry.

"Harry, what exactly are you and Kara talking about?"

Harry was saved from answering that question, at least for the moment, by the timely intervention of Chloe. She walked up to the door, and pushed it open.

"I was halfway up the road when I saw the light show that was going on," Chloe said, walking inside. She saw Kara, Harry, Lana, and Clark in various states of disarrays. "What happened?"

Lana chimed in with the answer. "There was someone that attacked Clark and Harry!"

Alarm flooded Chloe's face at the minute, but she took a deep breath. She tried to remain calm, and keep a cool head in the situation. "Attacked! By who? Who did it?"

"That's what we're trying to find out," Harry said. Kara stood by Harry. Both of them had a shrewd idea what was going on, but neither of them were going to say anything right yet. "The attacker sliced my face, and really did a number on Clark. We're both fine, at least I am. I can't really speak for Clark."

"I'm fine," Clark said. Lana shot him a dubious look. Clark shook his head. "The ribs healed. I know, the fact that they were broken in the first place is something that I should be concerned about. But I'll be fine."

Lana accepted that answer, for now. She was not able to get to Clark in time, and that agitated her more than anything. She realized how Clark must feel every time he was unable to save the day in time. At least Clark was still here, and breathing.

"If you're sure," Chloe said, and she saw Kara and Harry in deep thought. "You two look like you have a good idea about this entire mess."

Harry and Kara made eye contact at this point. Them explaining about the Herald of Death thing was one thing, and something that was hard enough to begin with. They were glad that that particular burden was off of their shoulders. This entire mess with the threat coming in was a particularly different threat to begin with.

"We do have a good idea, yes" Harry said. He took a deep breath. He braced himself for this fun explanation. "Years and years ago, my old world was concerned that normal people would discover magic. Technology was gaining more steam, and there was a small group of people who were concerned about it. Despite the fact that they used memory wipes quite liberally, it would only be a matter of time before the genie was out of the bottle. So the Ministry of Magic, in their infinite wisdom, launched a project that would hopefully keep the regular world from overrunning us."

Harry's expression told Chloe, Lana, and Clark all they needed to know about what Harry thought about his old government, and that particular hidden world. He took another deep breath, and continued to explain.

"When we were researching to see if the Ministry knew anything about Clark's arrival, we stumbled upon the details of what they hoped to be the means to keep their secrecy forever," Harry said to them. "Project: Genesis would ensure the full sale destruction of any non-magical person in the world and eliminate the biggest danger to their secrecy."

Clark looked absolutely flummoxed about that piece of news.

"Surely, they couldn't do that," Clark managed. "Surely that would be…"

"Looks to me they could," Chloe said. There were really no words for something like this.

"How many people would they be wiping out?" Lana asked in disgust.

Kara and Harry had figured out the grim statistics.

"Over eighty percent of the world, at least," Kara said. "And that doesn't count the wand users that would have been caught in the crossfire. The Ministry abandoned the project after the early eighties, according to the report. All initial test subjects were supposed to be destroyed."

"Supposed to, but I suspect they were kept in isolation in the Department of Mysteries and studies continued," Harry said, and he decided to elaborate for the benefit of Lana, Chloe, and Clark. "That's a magical research facility in my old world's main government. There were various studies about of the mysteries of magic being done there. Not all of them were pleasant. Some of them were working on ways to breach the barriers between life and death."

"To become immortal, then?" Chloe asked.

"Immortality comes at a price, but yes that's what they were trying to do," Harry said.

"There are fifteen immortals left in the world, at this current time," Kara chimed in. "The means they have obtained that immortality vary, but regardless of how they did it they are a danger to the world. And they aren't going to be easy to hunt down."

The dirtiest and most thankless job of being a Herald of Death was to hunt down the various immortals that were around the world. It was easier said than done. Immortals tended to be crafty, and kept several steps ahead of everyone. If they wanted to escape death, chances are that they would not go down without a fight. And they would take as many people down with them as they could.

"There have been a lot of strange things happening," Clark said. He then realized how he sounded, and amended quickly. "More so than usual, I mean."

"Tell me about it," Harry said, shaking his head. He was used to a wide variety of strangeness. "Back to Project Genesis, it was dropped in the early eighties. Then it was started back up by my Ministry in 1997. The timing of this shouldn't surprise anyone. It was started back up around the time that Voldemort took over the Ministry."

Riddle took over the Ministry. There were very obvious hints Harry found pointing to the fact that he manipulated Project: Genesis for his own gains from the sidelines. There was something that benefited him, but Harry had no idea what.

"He's gone, dead," Clark said.

"Dead, thankfully," Harry said, and he took a moment to reflect on that. "Of course, powerful men and women, what they do lives on long after their death. Whether they are good or evil. Voldemort is no exception to this rule."

Kara could tell that Voldemort even after all of these years was a tough subject for Harry to talk to. He was one of the architects of Harry's troubled life. She gave Harry an encouraging smile, and Harry pressed on.

"Project: Genesis was started back up, and the cover was it was to create a weapon to take me down, in case I became corrupted by darkness," Harry said. He took a moment to turn around. "More than likely, they wanted a way to control me. Yet, they did not understand the Pandora's Box they were opening when they created something that leads to this much destruction."

Harry was silent, and everyone seemed to be listening to him.

"They are dabbling in some powerful and twisted magic," Harry said. It was hard to even fathom the lengths some people would go for their moment of power. "Someone or something survived the death of the Wizarding World, other than me."

"Last time that happened…well we know how it turned out," Clark said.

"Sinclair," Chloe said darkly, and they all remembered the trouble that woman caused.

"Sinclair was dangerous," Harry admitted. "And she made it personal."

'_More so than you could ever imagine,' _Harry thought, but he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"I believe that the beacon that was sent weeks ago was no coincidence," Harry added. "Not all of the Genesis test subjects would have turned out wrong. I believe that the Ministry took in a group of witches and wizards, and subjected them to the experiments. They were released, none the wiser to what happened."

Harry shook his head. He tried to get his mind back to the matter at hand, and not think too much about the theories that he had.

"The pieces of everything are falling together," Harry added, and he was getting closer to piecing together the insanity. "And it makes sense giving what we just intercepted."

"There is a message that we received, intercepted from the same beacon that caused havoc with our powers weeks back," Kara said, picking up from Harry. "It said the arising is coming."

Clark, Chloe, and Lana all had no idea what the arising could mean. They all shrugged.

"It sounds like it might be a problem," Lana said.

"That attack today, it could be the beginning of something else," Clark said.

"Bigger than you could ever imagine," Harry said, and Kara turned to him, checking his wounds. She smiled when she got a better look at his face. "My wounds are completely healed. There is nothing left for me to do, but to find out. It's the same force that knocked the Fortress offline. We're dealing with someone dabbling in something powerful, and worse of all dangerous."

If Project: Genesis's intended purpose had fully been realized, it would mean the end of the world as they knew it.

Harry and Kara had to stop it from happening. Their expressions were set. They had plenty of work to do.

* * *

Dixon's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he pulled back, breathing heavily. Blood splattered down his face from his nose. His skin was chalk- white and his eyes were bloodshot. He was more than a little worse for wear with what just occurred. He took several deep breaths, and tried to shake off what happened.

He had not used these powers to this extent before. He had been kept in this place for years, and years. He had no idea who had held him here, but they were long since gone. He could feel it. He had the traveler within his grasp. The secrets to all knowledge in the universe was just about at his fingertips, but there was another force that pushed him back.

Dixon blinked, and finally found that he was able to move, although not far from the place he was. He remembered this place, and his memories were not all that fond of it. He turned around, and looked in the mirror. His head rang with a headache.

Those three fools thought that they could control him, but he still had power.

He understood the limitations of his powers, and the perils of spreading his consciousness among too many projections. He tried to do too much, too soon. He shook his head. He was unable to take a step out of the designated area.

Dixon took a deep breath, and continued to reflect on where he had gone wrong. He would get a chance to regroup, and refresh before he continued on the attack. A voice echoed through his head reminding him that the arising was at hand, and he had his role to play in the battle.

The blood flow stopped from his nose, and his injuries healed. The pain did not leave, but the actual physical injuries had vanished. Now he was one hundred percent, and ready to go.

Dixon closed his eyes, and they began to glow. He sensed that there was someone tracking him.

He would arrange a suitable reception for them. They could not prevent him from accomplishing the goals of Project: Genesis. He did not care how powerful they were, he would crush each and every one of them.

* * *

Harry and Kara returned to the Shining Light Foundation Headquarters. They were in an isolated room. Harry and Kara sat on the floor, eyes closed, legs crossed, and hands held. They went back through what happened with the attack over in their head. They had to find out who was doing it. They took a deep breath, and continued to search for it.

About twenty minutes of intense searching, Harry's eyes popped open, and he gave a small shudder.

"You felt that one too?" Kara asked him.

"Yes, I did," Harry said, and he took a deep breath. "The person behind the attack today, he's on the tapestry of life. He's a red dot, one of the fifteen."

"We should have figured that out to be the case," Kara said, and she looked at Harry. "And what's worse is that he's one of the Project Genesis rejects."

Harry nodded. They were going to have to play this one extremely carefully. The Heralds of Death were powerful, but not invincible. Certain things could hurt them, and one of those things was whatever powerful magic was used to create those solid projection beings. He locked onto the dot that it pointed it to.

"The man we're looking for is called Richard Dixon," Harry said.

"Do you know who he is?" Kara asked.

"The name doesn't ring a bell," Harry said, and he closed his eyes. "Searching for information on Richard Dixon, please tell me you have something tangible."

A moment later, Harry received the information that he needed.

"Richard Dixon was a member of an old magical family. He was an Unspeakable who worked in the Department of Mysteries. Our information indicates that he used himself as a test subject, for Project: Genesis. He was one of the three people behind that project. He has not achieved any signs of life until recently after a powerful burst of magical energy fried his brain. The experimentations have allowed him to survive with no food or water for the past twenty eight years. He is one of the fifteen undesirables that remain on Earth. Recommended course of action is termination."

Harry and Kara disconnected themselves from the Lifeline Reader. The two got up to their feet, and they had set expressions on their faces.

"We know where he is," Harry said. "He's not in the Department of Mysteries, even though he should be. Someone moved him out. He's in a church basement in Little Hangleton."

Harry turned around, and Kara followed him. They moved towards the Shining Light Foundation computers. The tracking of the beacons were up on the view screen. Harry activated it, and Kara peaked over his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around Harry, and Harry continued to shift through the tracking of the beacons.

"So, I think I found one of the other beacons," Harry said. Kara held her hand up, and offered Harry the chance to continue. "Beacon two is around the same church in Little Hangleton where we tracked Dixon. Beacon three…I'm still working on that one."

Kara and Harry knew what they had to do. The two Heralds got up to their feet, and exited down the hallway. They exited down the hallway, where Clark, Lana, and Chloe waited for them. All three of them had questioning looks on their faces.

"The guy we're dealing with is named Dixon," Kara said. "He was experimented on, and he can do energy projections that are solid and can attack."

"He's a regular one man army, then," Chloe said and both Heralds of Death nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, but the strain of spreading your consciousness that many ways isn't healthy," Harry said, and he wiped his hair away from his face. He looked forward. "He's still out there and…"

"Don't worry, we'll help take care of him," Clark said.

"If you need anything, we'll be there," Lana said.

Kara and Harry knew that this was going to be something that was going to be hard to explain to them, but they had to keep them safe. This was too dangerous for them to get involved with, if they got close enough, they would die.

"No," Kara said, and Harry nodded. "I know you're capable with your powers, but the way these powers work, the closer you get to the source, the weaker you'll get. It's not worth it."

Harry cut off the potential protests, with what he thought was a reasonable explanation. "Keep an eye out for any other problems here. If you go with us, Smallville will be left vulnerable. He knows you're here, and even if you leave, he'll destroy everything in the place. So when Dixon sends his welcoming committee, I want you to use this."

Harry handed Clark a silver stone with strange markings on it. Clark looked at it curious, and was about to ask what it was, but Harry told him immediately.

"It should repel any magical attack, once," Harry said. "Use it wisely. It will crumble once it has been used. They're hard to come by. But it should defeat Dixon, and hopefully repel any magical attackers back to the source. In theory, it should defeat them."

Harry and Kara spun around, and exited the main lab area. They left Chloe, Lana, and Clark without another word.

"They're going to try and take on something dangerous, alone," Clark said. "Maybe I should do…"

"You heard what Kara said," Lana said. She shook her head. "I'm not happy about not being able to help, but you saw what those things did. Plus, if they come back, someone has to be here to defend Smallville. Hopefully it will all be over."

Chloe said nothing, but she had a feeling that it was not going to be that easy.

* * *

An impressive church stood across from the grave site at Little Hangleton in the United Kingdom. The church had not been used in several years. This entire area was the subject of much gossip in the village. There have been cryptic whispers about what the true nature of this place was. Some whispered that it was haunted by a vengeful spirit. Even the most skeptical of people thought that something was amiss, and did not dare go there.

Two robed figures swooped down. A blonde woman and a dark haired man peered from underneath their hoods, disguised in their Herald of Death attires. Personally, Harry thought that Kara wore the robes much better than he did. They hugged around her frame snugly, emphasizing her curves. That was beside the point, however.

Harry and Kara stood forward at the edge of the gates. There was an eerie winter breeze, and they could see their breath in the air in a fine mist. Both Heralds stood forward, and they could sense a presence from deep inside the graveyard. There was an eerie presence from inside the graveyard.

"Do you feel that?" Kara asked.

"Feel it, it's causing every nerve ending in my body to tingle," Harry said. He stood absolutely focused. He was ready for battle. He took a few calm breaths, and held Kara's hand. Kara and Harry stepped forward towards the church.

Kara recognized the graveyard from Harry's memories. The last time he was there, he was tied to a tombstone. His blood was used to return Voldemort back to a physical body. She could sense some reservations coming from Harry. Kara grabbed Harry's hand, and the two floated forward. They were ready to go to battle, together, and stop this individual from causing any more harm.

Everything rumbled on the ground beneath them. Harry and Kara took a deep breath, and immediately, Kara focused sight. Harry did likewise. Both used their X-Ray vision to try and pinpoint the energy signature.

"Kara," Harry whispered in a low voice. "There's Dixon, and three other bodies here."

"That's impossible isn't it?" Kara asked, but Harry remained focused. "Are they…undesirables?"

Harry checked on that, as did Kara. They were regular mortals; at least they were for the moment. Their dots were grey, and Harry did a double take at what he saw. They were wand users. He had found three of the seven wand users that had survived the demise of the Wizarding World.

Something told him that these people might not be the friendliest sort. He and Kara communicated without words. Both could read each other's body language, and get a sense what the other needed to do. They closed their eyes, and became invisible. They slowly crept around the exterior of the church, and Kara pulled the door open. Harry and Kara stepped inside.

Harry and Kara pushed their way inside. They headed towards a set of stairs that lead down to a church basement. The two Heralds continued to press on, and walked down the steps.

Three robed figures walked around, and muttered in low voices.

"Dixon's role is going on smoothly."

"Yeah the fool seemed so easy to manipulate all of those years ago. Offer him a little bit of power, and he gave us his body like a street walker."

The three figures cackled, but they paused. One of their alarm sensor spells had gone off.

"Someone's upstairs," one of the figures said, and the others nodded. They scrambled up the stairs.

A smile spread across Harry's face. The carefully planned diversion that would draw those three away was going on without a hitch. That allowed Harry and Kara to continue to move forward. There was a large stone wall at the edge of the basement. The two Heralds stepped forward. There was a dead end, or so it seemed. After a moment, they saw a structural weakness within the wall.

The two Heralds pushed on the wall with all of the strength that they could muster. They heard a crack, and the wall crumbled to dust around them. They stood, on their guard, and saw a glass chamber before them. Animal bones covered the floor. There was no one in it.

They wondered if they had been lead here as a diversion, and the real attack was going on elsewhere. That was always possible.

"Sorry, I decided to get out and stretch my legs," a voice said. Harry and Kara slowly spun around, and saw a white haired figure. The man's skin was nearly as pale as his hair. His eyes were bloodshot, and he took a deep breath. "I know you're there. I might not be able to see you, but I can sense your thoughts. I can't make sense of them. They seem almost alien, but I know you're there."

A wave of magic shot from Dixon's hands, and Harry and Kara scattered from the attacks. An energy field appeared around Dixon. Harry and Kara propelled into the field, but ricocheted back.

There had to be a weakness. There was a weakness for any kind of magic; it was just a matter of finding it, and pinpointing it.

Harry and Kara tried to analyze it using what they knew. Another attack was tried, but they found their throats grabbed and they became visible .They struggled against some kind of invisible hand choking them.

"I remember those eyes," Dixon said when he got a good look at Harry. "You're him, aren't you? The last descendent of Lily Potter, the one who did this to me, and you will pay for what you did to me!"

"You shouldn't worry about what I'm going to do to you, but rather what I'm about to do to you," Harry said, and he and Kara broke free. They both super sped at Dixon, but he vanished into a puff of smoke.

'_Damn it, he's a hologram!" _Harry yelled mentally.

Several more white robed figures appeared immediately, and closed in around Harry and Kara. Kara focused on them intently, and unleashed a burst of heat vision, amplified in intensity by magic, straight at them. It caused them to spontaneously combust from the impact.

The screams of Dixon could be heard, even though they could not see the man himself. It struck Harry suddenly what they needed to do.

"You hurt the dupes, you hurt him," Harry said, and he sent several magically created, white hot knives.

They stabbed Dixon's duplicates in the ribs.

Physical attacks did not work, even at super strength. However, magic worked well. The dupes were just a numbers game. It was a matter of hitting them enough times before Dixon's control was broken.

"I don't think you understand the rules of the game," Dixon yelled. "I'm not your garden variety wizard. I've received real power. And I will not be denied. I don't need a wand to use magic, I can command magic at a deeper level than you could imagine."

Harry caused the heads of two of the duplicates to explode, and thus cause Dixon's head to ring. He then proceeded to comment in a dry manner. "Congratulations, you want a cookie?"

For reasons unknown to Harry, this comment seemed to send Dixon over the edge. He began to try and step up his attacks, making an infinite amount of duplicates to swarm Harry and Kara. The problem with this was twofold. For one, he was unable to keep track of that many doubles. And once Harry and Kara both figured out the vulnerability, that he could be hurt back through his duplicates, it was easy to amplify his own pain.

They smashed through the duplicates using their powers, and they all vanished after an intense effort. The rather dazed and injured form of Dixon dropped to the ground. His eyes bulged out, and blood splashed from his nose. Kara picked up Dixon, and slammed him against the wall hard.

"What were you up to?" Kara demanded, and Dixon twitched. He showed a bit of fear, but remained tight lipped. Kara's anger flared in her eyes. "Answer me!"

"I was trying to make the world a better place, the powerless, those Muggles, they're weak, they're worthless," Dixon said. "The traveler would protect them, so it was written. Therefore if I wiped out the traveler, than there would be nothing left to stand in his way from returning. The traveler must be sacrificed for darkness to reign supreme over the world. That's what the prophecy says. Yet, you just had to be a thorn in the side of our plans. We are not going to die. The real wizards will return, and crush everyone."

Harry stepped back.

"Who is behind this?" Harry asked.

"The arising is coming, and you can't stop it!" Dixon yelled madly. "I know who you are now Harry Potter. For years I was aware of everything, yet unable to move. You are that unremarkable and lucky wretch that meddled in the plans of the Dark Lord, and stopped him from achieving his destiny of wiping out the Muggle filth!"

"I hate to break this to you, sunshine, but Voldemort has been worm food for a good ten years or so," Harry said.

"The Dark Lord is always with us, even if his physical form has been decimated," Dixon said, and he seemed mad and beyond reason. "It is written in the stars, one day he will return and the world will be cleansed. Project Genesis is his vehicle for his grand return! He shall come!"

"Look, I'm sorry that you missed your chance to propose to Voldemort, or whatever, but he's done," Harry said. "And so are you, because you're on our list."

Dixon just offered Harry a crooked smile in response. "If this be my fate, then so be it. There will be others. I am willing to die as a martyr if it means his return will be imminent. And I'm willing to sacrifice myself. The blood will rain upon the world, Chosen One, and there's nothing you can do about it. The traveler will be sacrificed. The arising of the Dark Lord will occur. His ascension will be at hand, and the world will be cleansed!"

Tired of hearing his babbling, Harry conjured an energy scythe, and struck Dixon with it in the chest. His body seized up, and the energy overloaded him. He collapsed to the ground, and his body crumbled into ashes.

Silence was prominent for the next moment, but Kara broke it.

"One down, fourteen to go," Kara offered in an encouraging voice.

Harry nodded in agreement. He wanted to know more about three hooded individuals that they saw. Harry had the strangest feeling that they could be trouble. He knew they were among the wand wavers left in the world, but exactly what their role was, he had a feeling that it was nothing that was good.

Instantly, the three hooded figures before them. Harry and Kara stood next to them, bracing themselves for a fight.

"Well, if this isn't a blast from the past, Potter," a nasty voice from underneath one of the hoods said.

"So, we've met before?" Harry asked.

"You will pay for your meddling!" one of the men stated in a hot tempered voice, but the other two figures held him back from attacking.

Harry paused, and blinked. He proceeded to comment in a dry voice. "That doesn't necessarily narrow it down you know."

"Do not waste time with Potter," another robed figure said. "That will be the Dark Lord's pleasure to squash him like the annoyance he is once the arising has occurred."

Harry shook his head, and clenched his fists in frustration.

"Oh, so you're more of Voldemort's groupies," Kara said in a condescending voice, rolling her eyes at the thought.

"You dare speak of his name, girl!" a third Death Eater stated. It was a woman, and her voice sounded sadistic. She howled like a banshee. "Your foul tongue is not fit to speak the name of the greatest sorcerer who ever lived!"

"The greatest sorcerer that ever lived…that would be Harry," Kara said with a smug smile, proud at her future husband's magical abilities. Harry was touched by this assessment, but this set off the three Death Eaters.

"Just who are you?" Harry demanded, and they did not attack, not now.

"We are the chosen, the few who have been allowed to be spared for the grand arising for our master," one of the Death Eaters stated. "We're the Heralds of Lord Voldemort, hidden away from the world in the Department of Mysteries until we were awakened when the arising was near."

Harry was dumbstruck by this news. The more he dealt with this entire Herald of Death nonsense, the less he understood. He wondered if this was another test, just like the Sinclair thing. The Heralds of Lord Voldemort stared down the Heralds of Death. The odds were three against two, although Harry had fought worse.

The same thought hit Harry and Kara. These three knew about Project: Genesis. And they would have to take them down before they unleashed any other test subjects into the world. Dixon was what one might call a dry run.

Kara and Harry flew forward towards the Heralds of Lord Voldemort, but they stopped short when something strange happened.

They were not there. Nothing, but a blood soaked message was splattered across the wall for them to see. The Two Heralds read the short, but chilling message.

_All will perish. The world will be re-written in his image. The Arising will not be stopped. It is written in the stars. Lord Voldemort will live once more!_

"He's dead," Kara said quietly, but she almost looked to Harry as if she was scared that this would be verified to be contrary to what they believed.

"He's dead, yes," Harry said. He wondered who he was trying to convince of this. His head shook, and his had snapped up. Voldemort would have had to die, he had to be confident in that. He did not even have to go into the afterlife to verify this. Voldemort perished. He sighed in dismay. "However, there are fanatics out there, among the few that are left. They are willing to bring him back, if it's possible. Some people just don't know…when it's over."

After another search, it was time to return back, to check back with Clark, Lana, and Chloe to see if they were okay, and they had to deal with any problems in their absence.

* * *

"There were no problems when you two had to go off," Lana said, and she sighed. "It's really hard to swallow that I kind of got benched from this one. Especially because I just got my powers and this would have been a good test run for them."

Harry and Kara offered smiles as they sat around the kitchen table

"Well if it makes you feel any better, there's going to be plenty more chances for you to get put into life threatening situations," Harry said. A smile appeared on his face. "So you have plenty of chances to use your powers practically. This one was one of those situations that only the Heralds of Death can deal with. The power Dixon gave off was at a dangerous level."

"What was he doing?" Clark asked. "The attack seemed random, there had to be a reason."

"He was obsessed with returning a demon from my past back to life," Harry admitted with a sigh. "Voldemort, he wanted to find a way to bring him back."

"Harry defeated him all of those years ago," Kara said. "And there are a few survivors that just can't let it go."

Harry shook his head. He wondered why every time he ran across a survivor from the magical world, they always had some sort of agenda against him. Then again, when they were around and thriving, they always had it out for him. So this was nothing new. The Ministry of Magic always had their agenda, and it tended to give Harry more than his fair share of headaches. He really hoped that this was the end of his problems, but something told him it was only the beginning.

The Heralds of Voldemort was something else. He did now wonder if Voldemort heard the legend of the Herald of Death, somehow. Even if he did not believe it, Harry found it very easy to believe that Voldemort would enlist his own heralds. He had spent a lot of time cheating death, so the fact that he was able to put himself on the same level was not a surprise.

"This entire Heralds of Voldemort mess is going to be a problem," Harry said. "Even if they couldn't bring him back, that's not the point. The fact is these fanatics are going to try their hardest to resurrect him, no matter how many people get hurt. And I'm not even sure where they are now."

Tracking them down was one of their highest priorities. He had to stop them, no matter what it took. The fate of the world might depend on it, and countless innocent lives could be put in peril. Without any solid leads, that would be easier said than done.

"The terrible trio isn't making this easy on you, either of you," Chloe said. "That Dixon guy…"

"He was bent, but he was just a puppet, a tool used to lure me there," Harry told them all. "His powers gave him some form of immorality, but that was easily taken care of. I'd imagine they had a failsafe with him, and they would wipe him out just as easily if he tried anything against them. All of them talked about the arising."

"It's got to be the same arising message we picked up," Kara said, and she turned to them all. "We're sorry to cut this short, but we got a lot of work to do, and not much time to do it."

"At least you got to Dixon before he could try another attack," Lana said.

"And we didn't even get to use this," Clark said, and he held out the stone that Harry handed him. "Do you…"

"Keep it, you never know when it might come in handy," Harry said seriously. "Kara and I really don't need it with our powers, but maybe you could find some use for it. And be on your guard. Things are going to get more difficult as time goes on."

"Remember to use it wisely, because it can only be used once," Kara said. "So hang onto it, and keep it close."

Clark nodded in agreement. He would be keeping that fact in mind. He had some kind of question.

"I just have one question for you, if you don't mind," Clark said.

Harry nodded his head. "Of course Clark, have at it."

Lana knew what Clark was going to ask, so she decided to be the one to ask it.

"Did you mean to make me slightly more powerful than Clark is?" Lana asked.

Harry pondered that question for a moment. It really was not his intention to make Lana that powerful, but he was just going to roll with it for now. Sure he could correct the mistake in the charm work, and bring Lana back down to a less powerful level, but he felt that this would serve an interesting purpose.

"Well, I didn't do it on purpose, but perhaps these things happen for a reason," Harry said. "Perhaps you have a huge role in Clark's life, leading up to and beyond the moment he taps into his full powers. But, I will give you one word of warning, and a word to the wise."

Lana nodded, and Harry continued to speak to her.

"Your powers can serve you well, and can help Clark, and yourself," Harry said. "But I know better than anything else that powers can be fleeting and sometimes they are matter how powerful you might be, there is always someone out there who is stronger than you are. And thus the most powerful tool that you will have at your disposal then is the mind."

"I figured as much," Lana said. "Kara said that I have more powers, do you know…"

"Ah, Lana, that's up for you to find out," Harry said.

Kara jumped in. "If we told you, that would take away half of the fun. Plus you could try and force the powers if you knew you had the potential. That would be able to hurt yourself, or others. Just let everything flow naturally. Be patient, good things come to those that wait."

Kara offered a knowing smile. She and Harry had some decent ideas, but they would remain silent on them in case that they were wrong. Clark sat up straight in surprise.

"Wait, Lana could have powers that I don't," Clark said, and he added quickly. "I don't have a problem with that but…"

"Clark, you will be capable of great things when the time comes," Harry told him. The truth was, if his guess was right, Clark would be far more powerful than he was already when the time came to embrace his true potential. Exactly how powerful Clark would be, it remained to be seen, but with the Kryptonite vulnerability removed, he was a bit more powerful than he was the previous day, and a week from now he would be even more powerful.

"So people have been telling me," Clark said with a smile.

"People only tell you that, because it's true," Kara said. She looked at her cousin, and turned around to the others. "If that's all, we're going to be going right now."

They all exchanged their goodbyes, and left immediately.

"So do you have any ideas what other powers you might have?" Chloe asked.

"I don't know, maybe the flight, but I would think Clark would be able to do that one day," Lana said.

"Yes, one day," Clark added. "Maybe it had something to do with you being able to lift that train when I couldn't."

Lana looked thoughtful at that point. She would have to test the theory. She did not admit this to Clark, but she struggled to lift the train at first. Then she had what seemed to be a burst of adrenaline, and the train lifted up in the air. Yet she wondered if it was adrenaline or something else entirely.

She would have to test that theory out sometime. There would be plenty more opportunities to test her powers and to see what their capabilities and limits were.

That would be something else for another day.

* * *

For the past few hours, Harry and Kara tried to track down the mysterious heralds of Lord Voldemort. They had no idea who was underneath the hoods, but they presented a clear and present danger to all. When they returned to the church to get a closer look, there was no sign that anyone had ever been there this evening. The message of blood had been erased; the pod in the basement was gone. There was nothing, but dust and a few dead rats.

Once again, the more answers Harry thought he had the more questions that were raised. He sank down on the couch. Kara followed him into the room. She sat down next to Harry.

"On the bright side, only fourteen left to go," Kara said. That was one bright spin to put on everything. One of their big missions was one step closer to being completed. "The real question is, what do we do with the Heralds of Voldemort?"

"I don't know, Kara," Harry told her, and he placed his arm around her. "I thought I left this all behind me, but I should have known that there would be survivors and those survivors would not be people who are going to be friendly to me. We're uncovering the secrets of Project: Genesis. These three heralds…they might be the ultimate weapon that was hinted at."

Kara looked at Harry. She had a look of encouragement on her face, and Harry found himself inspired by it.

"We'll defeat them," Kara said, and she rested her head on Harry's shoulder. "And anything else that Project: Genesis created. He's not going to come back, not if we can help it."

"The danger is not of Voldemort coming back," Harry said. He took a deep breath, and continued. He tried to mask the dread he felt, even though Kara could sense it deep within him. "The real danger is those who think that they can bring him back. If we don't stop them…"

Harry's words trailed off. He did not have any idea what would happen, or what they would try to do. That first meeting was merely a warning, a hint of things to come. Harry wrapped his arms around Kara, and whispered in her ear.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into all of this," Harry told her, but Kara shook her head.

"No Harry, don't be sorry, never be sorry," Kara said. "I never thought something like this would be easy. But I'm in this with you, and we're in this together. We'll see this through to the end, and will take down these other heralds. Whatever they do, we'll be there, and we'll finish them off."

"The problem is finding them first," Harry said.

Kara nodded. "That's normally a problem. Even with all of our great powers, we're not perfect. They're hiding behind a charm or an enchantment somewhere."

Harry held his future wife to be close to him. Kara gave him the confidence, and the strength that he needed to go on with this mission. He had a feeling that the insanity was just hitting a fever pitch. He had someone who would be able to stand by him, and fight beside him. Kara was special, and he cherished her.

"They're somewhere, the question is where," Harry told her. He looked in Kara's eyes, with a smile. She was extremely beautiful, and he could not have asked for a better girl to be his. "As long as you're here with me, I know that I can handle anything that is thrown at me. And we'll win"

Harry yawned. Normally he did not get tired enough to yawn, at least since he obtained his powers. Still, it had been a long day, and he used some powerful magic to defeat the dupes.

"And lost in all of this is our wedding," Harry said. Their upcoming wedding got pushed to the backburner for the time. "I want to make it special; it's supposed to be the best day of our lives, and one we'll remember."

Kara's eyes met Harry's. A bright smile crossed her face. "Harry, as long as you and I are together, and we know how much that we mean to each other, that's all that matters to me."

"And you mean more to mean than life itself," Harry told her, and Kara smiled. She leaned over, and kissed Harry on the lips.

"We'll figure everything out in the morning, when our heads are clearer" Kara said. "Good night, Harry."

"Good night, Kara, I love you, always and forever," Harry replied back to her.

"I love you too," Kara said.

The two Heralds of Death crashed after the long day. Their sleep was not without too much trouble. However, their nightmares were something that they could easily work through together. As long as they had each other, then they could defeat any challenge out there. They rested on the couch in each other's arms, content smiles on their face, and secure in the love that they felt for each other.

They rested, and prepared for the next day. They would hunt down the Heralds of Lord Voldemort, and stop them to stop whatever demented plan they have for this arising.

* * *

Malfoy Manor had been abandoned years ago. Ever since the last Malfoy had died, the estate had fallen into ruin. The three robed Heralds of Lord Voldemort sat around a table in the formerly handsome dining room. Two men and one woman were the heralds, and they prepared for what would happen.

They had no sense of identity. There was not one memory in their mind from their past, if it existed. Only one thing drove them, and that was a single minded desire to bring back the Dark Lord and fulfill the objective of Project: Genesis. The three heralds sat, arms folded.

"Harry Potter lives," one of the robed figures stated.

"Not for much longer, when the Dark Lord is resurrected," the second robed figure said in monotone.

The third robed figure, the woman, continued in an insane voice. "The Dark Lord will cleanse the world of those who are unworthy. The streets will flow with the blood of those foul Muggles that still exist. Magic shall be might, and reign supreme. Harry Potter, and his companion will not be able to stop the arising."

"Not even the Traveler will be able to stop the arising," one of the male robed figures stated.

"The traveler must be sacrificed for our master to return," the woman stated, her voice sounding determined. She was the most dangerous of the three.

"And anyone who shall shelter him will suffer," one of the men stated.

The three Heralds of Lord Voldemort plotted and planned. All they knew that they would have to achieve the ultimate goal of Project: Genesis. The blood of the unworthy would flood the world, and from the ashes, a new order of magic would arise. An order their master would rule, and thrive in. Those who did not bow to him would be destroyed.

They had located something to the North, and it was great power that they must control, to be handed over to their master.

The bloodshed would begin, and all will suffer.

* * *

Winds blew throughout the Artic. Despite how cold the winter was, it was even colder at this particular point. Clark and Lana landed in a drift of snow, with a huge thud. Over the past couple of weeks, Clark had been making trips to the Fortress, to see if Jor-El had been restored from within it .However, he remained mute, and unresponsive to everything.

Lana suggested that she tag along for his latest trip. Given that she was essentially tasked with the job of keeping an eye on Clark, he decided that there would be a trip that they would have to make anyway. There was no time like the present. The pair walked into the Fortress of Solitude. Lana stepped inside, and took a look around. Her mouth remained open. It was a magnificent place.

"Hello?" Clark asked, and once again the Fortress did not come to life. He took a step forward, and saw the crystal array. Everything in the Fortress once again seemed to be intact, but there was no Jor-El at all. "Are you here?"

"Clark, I think he might be gone," Lana said gently, and she put her hand on Clark's. "Maybe he thinks that you're ready, maybe he thinks he doesn't need to help you again."

Lana might have a point, but Clark was not sure. He shifted and stared forward. He used his X-Ray vision to try and figure out of there was anything amiss. He found something, alright. It was a weird golden glow from within the Fortress itself. There was something behind it, that was suppressed, trying to break out, but it had been held back.

"Lana, take a look at this," Clark whispered. "Use your X-Ray vision."

Lana squinted her eyes, and sure enough she noticed what Clark saw.

"Is that Jor-El back there?" Lana asked him, pointing to the light behind the barrier. "Who was powerful enough to do something like this?"

Clark turned around, and tried to get a closer look. He wondered if he could help unblock Jor-El from deep within the fortress.

"We better get out of here, and get Harry," Lana said. "If it's magic, he might be able to find a way to unblock it."

Lana and Clark moved to exit the Fortress, but there was a barrier that blocked them. They tried to push out. A combined attack with their super strength could not even make a dent in the barrier.

"There's someone here," Clark whispered. He turned around, and tried to super speed through the barrier.

A loud crack echoed, and he ricocheted back. He landed on the ground with a thud. Lana stepped over to Clark, and tried to break out.

"Whoever this is, you better let us out!" Lana demanded. "This isn't funny!"

"You better let us out of here, and we might go easy on you," Clark said, and he realized how lame that sounded.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Kal-El," a voice said. It was female, and British. "I'm sorry that you had to discover what I was doing in this place, but this is for your own good. I cannot allow the Arising to occur. If I must, I will sacrifice you and Lana, along with the Fortress, to prevent it. I hope that doesn't come to that. But the ends would justify the means should I have to."

"Just who are you?" Lana asked.

"Well you might have not met me, but I daresay you know my son," the voice said, and the Fortress was engulfed with a wave of magical energy.

Both Clark and Lana were immobilized and paralyzed in a field of magic. A three dimensional image of a woman with dark red hair and green eyes, dressed in black robes stood before them.

"Just consider it, Traveler; if you had embraced your destiny years ago, this would never have happened. I do hope that you're smarter than your father was. He was rude to me when I took control. He's suffering for it now."

Magic proceeded to mask the Fortress from the outside world from any prying eyes, including Heralds of all types. Lana and Clark were trapped inside, alone, and isolated from the rest of the world.

They needed to find a way out, but how could they when they were unable to move?

Her vessel sent the beacon that was able to knock the Fortress off line, for her to take control. The girl thought that she was helping Harry. She was in a roundabout way, but not the way she thought she was.

**To Be Continued in the Next Chapter "Seek and Find." **


	25. Chapter 25: Seek and Find

**Chapter 25: Seek and Find. **

The Fortress was bound by some of the most powerful charm work possible. Some people had claimed that Lily Potter was a Charms prodigy when she was alive, and that was not far from the truth. Clark Kent and Lana Lang found this out the hard way. Super strength meant absolutely nothing in the face of the immobilizing spell that they were put underneath. Try as they might, they could not find a way out. The struggle was tough, no matter how hard they continued to fight.

"She's got us, Clark," Lana said. Frustration flooded over her face. She tried to push out, but all she experienced was her own strength being pushed back at herself. The pain was unbearable. Clark's efforts were similar in success, or lack thereof. Both tried to push up.

The image of Lily Potter watched their efforts. Their futile efforts and she did admire the fact that they would not give up. Clark especially seemed determined to break free of this containment, and try to regain control of the Fortress. She watched his progress, and despite the certain inability for him to break free, he continued to fight. He continued to push against the barrier.

"Are you finding escape not to be as easy as you thought it might be?" Lily asked both of them, and her gaze narrowed at both Clark and Lana. There was a long pause, and a smirk appeared on her face.

"Why are you doing this?" Clark demanded. "What do you want? Harry said you were supposed to be gone forever.""

A smile cracked across Lily's face. She remained silent for a moment, but she responded after a moment. "I want all to live in harmony, Kal-El. I want a world with peace, without suffering, without any hatred. I want a world where a young child does not have to suffer, growing up in a cupboard underneath the stairs. And I will achieve that world by any means necessary. If the Arising happens, then any hope for that world will be lost forever. The end will come, and no one will feel fine."

Clark looked up at this specter. Harry had not been kidding when he said that Lily was a bit fanatical about accomplishing her goals. He tried to look up at her.

"People have been waiting for you a long time, Kal-El," Lily responded, and her voice echoed throughout the Fortress of Solitude. "For centuries many civilizations spoke about a traveler coming from the stars. My family was right in the thick of things. They thought they would be the one to guide the Traveler. My parents were obsessed. They dreamed of the day where they would have you at their beck and call. But in the end, I've accomplished what many can only dream of, and now I have the traveler right in my grasp."

Clark began to push out. Lana did as well. The hopelessness of the situation was beginning to set in for both them. Their Kryptonian abilities were absolutely useless. Heat vision could not break the invisible barrier. Super strength and super speed brought them nothing, but disappointment.

"The Arising, people keep talking about that," Lana said. "How do you know about it?"

"Myself and my friend, Isis, found out about it years ago, and I believe Isis might have been murdered over it," Lily said. There was a bit of sorrow in her eyes as she talked about her friend. "Oh I'm certain it looked like an accident. They make everything look like an accident. And the Ministry would always turn a blind eye to the injustice. Even if it meant a little girl had to grow up without her mother, while her father had a mental break due to his wife's death."

Lily remained silent for a moment. She had gained this much information from the memories of her vessel. She looked at Clark and Lana for another couple of minutes, and a smile crossed her face.

"Yet, I have you two here, in my Fortress,' Lily said. She put extra emphasis on the words, "My Fortress". A taunting expression appeared in her green eyes. "This repository of knowledge is amazing, and it would be a shame if it ever fell into the wrong hands."

"There are no hands worse than yours," Lana managed, but all this statement got her was a painful pulse of magic. She fell to her knees, the pain unbearable.

"Lana!" Clark yelled.

Lily's image looked down at Lana, with absolute disdain. "This…this is the one you've been pining over for years and years. Kal-El, you could have any girl you want, or as many girls as you want if you should choose to go down that road. Yet, this one is the one that you choose."

Clark looked up at Lily, but she was not done.

"My son does seem to have a soft spot for charity cases," Lily said. She shook her head in absolute dismay. Lana's eyes flickered up to Lily, and they were narrowed. "Do you really think Harry allowed you to keep those powers because you deserve them? No, sweetie, he didn't. You are his social experiment. He wants to prove that he can reform someone, and make them actually matter."

Lana's voice shook when she responded. "I…I…I only accessed these powers because I earned them."

"Did you?" Lily asked her in a soft voice. "The destiny of the traveler is something that you can't comprehend. The moment things get tough; will you even be able to handle them? You are given powers that you scarcely deserve, Lana Lang. Under the pretext of protecting the traveler, but I'll let you in on a little secret."

It was at this point, Lily's voice dropped to a dramatic whisper. "Kal-El's true powers are being held back. He will have abilities beyond anything you can comprehend. And what will your purpose be in the end? What is the use of a protector that cannot adequately protect?"

Lana closed her eyes, and inclined her head.

"Lana, don't listen to her, you're…." Clark said, but Clark was rendered silent.

"I think Kal-El will die for you, or anyone else," Lily said. A smile spread across her face. "The question is, are you willing to die for him?"

Chills ran down Lana's spine, and her hands clenched. She tried to communicate that she would, but Lily seemed uninterested in what she had to say. Lily turned her back on Lana, like she thought she was insignificance, and proceeded to address Clark.

"You will be safe here, Kal-El," Lily said in a motherly tone of voice.

Lily was adamant about preventing the Arising from happening. Those idiot Heralds thought that they could bring Voldemort back. If the traveler was sacrificed, it could potentially open the door for something nastier than Voldemort ever hoped to be. Lily was unsure what this dark force would be, but she knew that the traveler needed to be kept safe until the time he was ready to achieve his purpose.

He would need to embrace his full powers. And if Lily needed to give him that added push, then Lana was right here. Tragedy always did breed strength in a hero. Motivation was extremely important for everyone, and Kal-El would be no exception.

What better motivation was there than someone he cared about getting killed before his very eyes?

* * *

The Heralds of Lord Voldemort were being hunted by the Heralds of Death. Harry and Kara flew high over the skies. They had a good idea where they might be, but the first three hunches had been dead ends. The Heralds of Death remained in flight, invisible, and remained so for several minutes until they noticed something.

"Look," Kara whispered, and she tugged on Harry's sleeve.

There was a village below them. Most of the village was on fire, and there were people screaming in pain and horror. Harry and Kara dropped down, and Kara took a deep breath. Her super breath managed to put out most of the fire. A flick of Harry's wrist caused spurts of water to shoot out, and splash the flames. The flames were snuffed out as a result.

Kara spotted two children trapped under debris. She flew forward at the speed of light. With her super strength, she lifted debris off of them, and gently scooped them up underneath her arms. Kara flew down to the ground, and landed them right in front of their grateful mother. Their mother rushed forward, and hugged her two children.

"Thank you!" the mother yelled. Kara looked at them with a smile.

Harry and Kara managed to save many people in the village. The children were scared at first, but they had been through a tough ordeal and a traumatic experience. Several of the adults were injured, and had to be helped over for first aid. Harry used a few healing spells to help along the process. After their work was done, Harry and Kara walked over to each other. Smiles spread across their faces, and they took to the sky, to fully give them their encouragement. They wanted to convey without words that everything was okay.

There were many yells of thank you, and Harry and Kara just waved and smiled at them.

"It was no problem, just doing the right thing!" Kara yelled back at them. Despite everything, she was happy with herself and the fact that many lives were saved. She did have a purpose beyond the Herald of Death role, and she knew Harry did as well. "Just remember, if you need anything, just yell. Arcane and Supergirl will always be here to save the day!"

Kara realized how cheesy that might have sounded, but then again she did read a lot of Earth comic books when she was researching the planet. So some of the dialogue might have stuck with her, and the people below began to chant for Supergirl and Arcane.

"It does always feel good to be beloved for something that I remember," Harry told her. Kara smiled, and hugged him in mid-air. The two enjoyed the feeling that they actually helped people.

"We saved a lot of lives, that is its own reward," Kara responded to him. Kara and Harry began to fly off. Before they could leave, there was someone who rushed towards them and yelled for them.

"Wait, wait!" one of the villagers yelled. He looked absolutely frantic, and his eyes darted around from side to side. "You need to stay here, and save us from them. They're not going to ever leave us alone."

Harry and Kara stopped. Despite themselves, their curiosity has been piqued. Harry's eyes snapped around. They focused on the villager, before Harry directly addressed him.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked. "Who attacked you?"

The villagers seemed fearful at this point. It was almost like if they spoke of the devil, they would appear. The brave villager who had chased down Harry managed to gain the courage to talk about him. Sweat was rolling down his face. Despite his fear, he managed to speak.

"There were three of them. They were dressed in blood red robes. They just came in, and started shooting fire from sticks in their hands. I don't know why they did this. They terrorized everyone. Men, children, and animals, and…."

"They rolled into the village, and attacked everyone," another villager helpfully chimed in. His face flushed with fear. Everyone nodded their heads up and down. They shook their head. "We don't have much crime here. But they were something different. They had the spirit of the devil within them."

"Did you happen to notice which way did they go?" Kara asked them.

The villagers continued to remain fearful. All of them took a few deep breaths, and a young child of about nine or ten years old pointed off to the edge of a path.

"They disappeared into those mountains," the child said. He looked up at Harry and Kara as they hovered in the air. An expression of innocence flickered in his eyes. "You'll stop them, won't you? You'll find a way to stop them. Make sure they never come back."

Harry and Kara exchanged an expression of sheer determination. They hoped that they could find a way to stop whoever was doing this. These Heralds of Voldemort terrorized these villagers, just because they could. Harry half wondered if they were luring him into some kind of trap. Harry and Kara turned back to the panicked villagers.

"We'll do what we can," Kara said to them in a reassuring voice.

"Don't worry, we'll make sure they never come back," Harry said.

Now Harry was more than determined to destroy the Heralds of Lord Voldemort He did not like to make a liar out of himself. He locked hands with Kara, and the two flew forward past the village. Kara and Harry used their X-Ray vision to scan and make sure their enemies had not been lurking elsewhere outside of the village.

"There, look!" Kara yelled.

There was a hut that the door had been stained with blood. Fresh blood, a scanning spell indicated to them. Harry and Kara dropped down. The hut was forced open. The two walked inside. The sight turned their stomachs. Despite being Heralds of Death, they were not monsters. A family of four had been slaughtered in cold blood.

Harry tensed up immediately, and he spun Kara around. The three robed Heralds of Lord Voldemort stood before them.

"It's Potter!" one of the Heralds yelled.

The Heralds disappeared, but this time Harry was ready for their disappearing act. Harry and Kara followed them, using the tracking spell. All five Heralds ended up in the middle of the dining hall of Malfoy Manor.

"You just don't know when to stay dead!" the woman yelled, and she sent a blast of violet light at Harry and Kara, who dodged it. Harry and Kara tried to attack them, but the attacks were blocked.

They fiercely continued to fire back at the Heralds of Lord Voldemort. There were not going to go down that easily. Kara managed to burn one of the Heralds with her heat vision, and damaged their wand arm. That allowed her to push in for the attack. The odds were a bit more even, and Harry and Kara pushed through, and continued to hammer them.

"You can't win Potter!" one of the Heralds yelled.

Harry ignored these claims. He had heard it before. It was starting to get tiring when he heard them. A tandem attack broke the magical barrier, and Harry and Kara knocked the Heralds back into the wall. Purple fire shot back at them, but they scattered, and pushed back with the attacks.

* * *

Clark remained frozen in place. His arms were immobile, his legs were immobile. He could only scarcely move his head. Lana was on her knees by his side. Lily seemed unconcerned and almost uncaring at her plight. Rather, she kept her gaze focused and intent on Clark. There was a long moment of silence. Lily was looking at Clark, analyzing him like he was some equation, and then her gaze shifted to Lana. Then her gaze shifted back towards Clark before she spoke.

"I envisioned what you might have been like for years, the first time I've ever heard of the traveler. There were all kinds of expectations I had, and while a few of them were not spot on, some of them are more than right. You do have power, but your greatest weakness is not a glowing green rock. It's your ability to deny what you really are."

"You think you have Clark figured out, don't you?" Lana asked. She was a bit surprised that she was able to speak, but she was going to roll through it. Lana took a deep breath, and remained still and calm.

Lily's gaze focused on Lana at this moment. Lana remained a bit fearful, but also she appeared determined. The last time Lily had turned her attention towards her, the pain was unbearable. The entire Fortress was under her thumb and all she had to do was to put them under her control was a mere gesture.

"Your place in Kal-El's life is an interesting one," Lily admitted to Lana. She took another moment to consider her. "But sometimes the greatest role one can play in the role of the development of a hero is that of a tragedy. Tragedy surrounds your relationship, and you may have your moments of hope. A reversal of fortune, perhaps you might get your happy ending. However, if it comes down to the fact that you have to be sacrificed so Clark has to rise to his full attention, will you do it?"

Lana remained numb, but she slowly nodded. Lily's frown crossed over her face, and then she turned to her.

"We'll put that to the test before too long, perhaps," Lily told them both. She considered everything. She decided to switch subjects. "This Fortress is an absolute marvel. The knowledge within is astounding. You could fix all of the problems in the world, but you don't want to do that, do you? You would rather have some semblance of a normal life. You would rather play Clark Kent. You have wasted powers, and wasted potential. The fact that Lana is stronger than you really baffles me. Even a small miscalculation of my son's charm work was not going to account for such a power upgrade."

Lily turned around. "I know many things, but do you know them? The galaxy is a fascinating place, but Earth is just an insignificant speck on the galactic tapestry. Your father sent you here for one simple reason. And that's so you can rise to what you need to be."

"I don't know what you're trying to do," Clark responded. He frowned immediately. "If you want to stop the Arising, there are other ways."

"You sound like your father, self-righteous and thinking you have any right to judge other people," Lily said. "I wear my mask to make sure a certain result is achieved. Your father wears his mask, because he can't stand the shame that he failed to save Krypton. And if you do not achieve your destiny, you will have one other thing in common. You will have failed to save Earth, much like he failed with Krypton. Perhaps failure is genetic."

Clark was unable to formulate a response. He shook his head, and he tried to regain some semblance of the ability to speak.

"It's a wonder that Harry was able to turn out to be a decent person," Clark said. Lily's eyes snapped around and faced Clark. "With a mother like you, he had a lot to work against. Perhaps it was the kindest thing for him that you died when he was too young to remember you. He was disappointed when he met you. He thought that you would be something much more kind and considerate."

Lily's expression flared up with exact anger.

"Do not judge me, Kryptonian," Lily said in a cold voice. "Once again, your father made several mistakes, and you are repeating them time and time again. I've been through this Fortress, and studied everything. In a couple hundred years, at the rate this planet is going, Earth will be going the way of Krypton. Do you want to save it? If you do, then you must understand that there are some things that you have to do, that might not seem nice."

Clark looked back at Lily.

"Lana or the world, if you had to choose either of them, what would you do?" Lily asked Clark.

That was a question that Clark did not want to answer. He was unable to think of an answer that made him sound selfish either way. Lana jumped in.

"Clark, it's the world, you would have to save the world before you saved me," Lana told Clark in a firm voice. "If I had to die to save Clark so he could save the world, I would do so in a heartbeat. I don't care if you don't believe me, that's what I know I would do."

Clark seemed pleased with this answer.

"I'd like to think I could do both," Clark said.

"I know you could, but sometimes there is no choice," Lana agreed.

"Are you willing to bet your life on it?" Lily asked.

There was a long pause where Clark and Lana were confused. They had no idea what Lily was saying.

"We all know Harry and Kara are going after the Heralds of Voldemort as we speak," Lily said. "If they aren't able to stop them soon, they may be able to find you. My charms are powerful,b ut they are not permanent. They'll be able to find this Fortress, and they plan to sacrifice the traveler. It doesn't matter if their plan is doomed to failure, they will destroy you. And when that fails, how many people do you think they're going to kill?"

"Let me out, and I'll help Harry and Kara stop them," Clark said.

"Nice try, Kal-El," Lily told him in a condescending voice. She cleared her throat, and continued to speak. "The deal is this. They have twelve hours. If Harry and Kara can't defeat the Heralds of Voldemort in twelve hours, then you'll understand what loss truly means. And there will be no reset button this time to save Lana. I will force you to embrace your destiny, even if I have to cut certain strings."

Clark's mouth was dry.

"Do what you want with me; just leave Lana out of this?"

"No, if Harry and Kara don't stop those other Heralds in twelve hours, then do what you want," Lana said, and Clark opened his mouth to protest. "If I'm going to protect you, then I'm going to have to be willing to die for you so you can live and save the world. Isn't that the ultimate form of a protector?"

Lana was confused by what Lily meant when she said there will be no reset button this time.

"I'm willing to bet my life on Harry and Kara's success," Lana told her firmly.

"Lana, no…"

"Do you swear on Clark's life that you'll willingly sacrifice yours should Harry and Kara fail to defeat the Heralds?" Lily asked, ignoring Clark's words.

"Lana, you don't have to do that," Clark said.

"Yes, I do," Lana replied. She was firm and determined. "Clark, it's going to be alright. You have confidence in them, don't you?"

"Yes," Clark responded.

They remained immobilized. Clark realized that if only he could move his arm, he might be able to stop Lily.

That was easier said than done.

* * *

Smoke filled the air. Broken glass and furniture was scattered throughout the floor. Spells flew through the air, and the battle continued to heighten with intensity. Harry rushed forward, dodging one of the spell attacks. They were forces of nature and power. The three were not built for skill.

He flicked his wrist, and put up a shield. One of the Heralds of Voldemort stepped forward, and tried to attack Harry once more. Harry slammed through the attack. The Herald staggered, and Harry threw him into the wall hard. His next spell sliced into the chest of his enemy, and blood splattered up into the air.

Harry sensed his death happen when the blood drained from his body.

"One down, two to go!" Harry yelled. Kara nodded, and she dodged another spell. She manipulated the spells of the two of the attackers that she fought against each other. Both of them fired their spells against each other.

The woman was able to block the repelled spell. The second male was not able to be so lucky. He staggered down to the ground, and dropped to one knee. Kara flew through the air, and kicked her enemy hard in the face. She grabbed the rogue Herald around the head, and she somersaulted into the air. His head was in her grasp. The neck snapped, and she flung him up into the air. The Herald flew right into the slicing spell of Harry.

Their team work had killed two of the three Heralds of Voldemort had been taken down. The third Herald remained on her feet. It was now two against one. The woman backed up. She seemed beyond belief.

"It's over!" Harry yelled to her.

"Your mission is a lie," Kara added. She sent a burst of heat vision at her enemy, but the third Herald disappeared into a puff of smoke. "He's not going to return, no matter what you do. He's done; Harry defeated him all those years ago!"

"It's you that speak lies!" the Herald shrieked at the top of her lungs, and the curtains had been set on fire.

She vanished with a pop, but Harry and Kara followed her. It did not matter how much she ran, it did not matter how much she hid. They would follow her to the ends of the Earth.

They were back at the same library that they met Hermione at all those weeks ago. Harry and Kara rushed forward, and there was a scream and sounds of a struggle. They quickly moved forward to the source of the screams.

The crazed woman had Hermione pinned down, a dagger at her throat. Hermione struggled against the grip.

"One more step Potter, and I'll skin your little pet Mudblood," the woman said, and the knife was on Hermione's throat.

Harry and Kara stood. Both were unsure how to approach this situation. Kara deferred to Harry, but Harry remained silent. He was contemplating the situation. Hermione struggled against the grip, but she looked up at Harry.

"Harry, don't worry about me, whether or not I live or die, it's unimportant," Hermione said, but her built in survival instincts caused her to struggle. She was giving a hell of a fight, and tried to break free. "Defeat her, no matter what you have to do. If the Heralds of Voldemort are destroyed, then Project: Genesis will fail. You have won, and you can truly move on!"

"Mind your tongue you little traitor!" the Herald yelled.

Kara and Harry stood, and remained still. The pair of Heralds turned towards their dark mirror.

"Did you know that your little pet Mudblood was not the real thing?" the Herald asked. "She's a duplicate created by Project: Genesis, to infiltrate your life, and eventually destroy you. She was a sleeper agent, Potter!"

The Herald spat these words. They did confirm a suspicion that Harry had. Once again his instincts were right.

"However Sinclair had to ruin that plan, and something caused her to deviate from her mission. She tried to warn you, by sending the beacon. She could not explicitly say why, but she bounced the beacon back towards you. She knew you would pick it up somehow. She knew you would decipher it. She always got in our way, just like you did. The Dark Lord will return and…"

While the woman was ranting, Kara darted in at super speed, and pulled Hermione away from her grasp. Hermione was safe and sound. Harry leapt in at that moment, and engaged the final herald of Lord Voldemort in battle. Their magical attacks clashed together. The woman was skilled at magic, but Harry was able to piece together her fighting style. He recognized patterns, and pushed forward.

The duel continued with high intensity for several moments.

The final Herald rushed forward, and knocked Harry hard to the ground. Harry fought back hard. Both spells were aimed, and they repelled off of each other. Harry lost his balance, and the final Herald of Voldemort stalked him like a cat going for her prey.

"I might not have the traveler, but I can still sacrifice you to bring the Dark Lord back!" the woman yelled.

Several things happened immediately. A dangerous looking spell fired towards Harry. Harry could have blocked it, but before he could, Hermione broke free from Kara's grasp, and dove in front of the spell. The spell struck Hermione, and caused her to drop down to the ground. The brunette was down on the ground, blood splattering from her mouth.

Harry was back in, and several solid steel spikes shot from his hand. They impacted, and impaled every part of the third Herald. Her eyes widened, she tried to block all of the attacks. Yet, they struck her one by one.

The final Herald was mangled, and she fell to the ground. The heralds of Lord Voldemort had been defeated.

The moment of triumph was cut short when Harry and Kara spotted Hermione on the ground. She was laid out. Blood poured from her mouth, and she coughed. She could barely breathe.

There was a moment of denial, before it set in with Harry what happened.

"Hermione, you…I could have blocked that spell you know," Harry told her, his voice shaking.

Hermione looked at Harry with a blood soaked smile.

"Yeah, you could have, but…I needed to prove my worth to you," Hermione managed, barely able to articulate her words. "You see, she's right. I'm just a duplicate. A part of me always realized that, I had been created to hurt you. Those three are the only Heralds of Voldemort, and you beat them."

"We stopped the Arising," Kara said to Hermione.

There was a moment of pause. Hermione closed her eyes, and hesitated. Then she responded.

"Yes, you stopped the Arising," Hermione said in agreement. She could barely breathe, but she continued to press on. "I'm not…I've never been more proud of anyone than I ever been of you two. You did it Harry, and you did too Kara. You saved countless lives. Even if Riddle could never be brought back, those three would have kept killing people until the entire world was wiped out."

Harry wished he could be happier about what happened.

"I can't believe it was that simple," Harry said.

"Simple, is that what we're calling something like that, now?" Kara asked, but she wrapped her arms around Harry. Both tried to give each other some comfort in this situation. Harry slipped away from Kara, and crouched down over Hermione .Despite the fact she was only a duplicate, she did selflessly throw herself in front of a lethal attack.

Even if Harry could have easily blocked that spell, the thought still counted.

"I might be able to help you, heal your injuries, and…" Harry said, but Hermione shook her head.

With her remaining strength, she grabbed Harry's hands, and held them firmly. She looked in his eyes seriously.

"No, Harry, don't waste your power, or your time. Even if you healed these…these injuries, it wouldn't matter. You'd only be buying me a few more months, before I was driven mad by the agony. Don't worry about me. I might not be the real deal, but I know how much you meant to Hermione. You were family, and I'm sure the real her is smiling somewhere, proud of everything you did. Because I know I am."

Hermione gave a weak smile. She barely had any strength to really lift her head. She shook her head.

"The two of you Heralds, soon to be three, you'll be able to do great things," Hermione said. A shadow of a smile spread across her face. The Third Herald would be someone who would have a lot in common with Kara, when she arrived. "There will be other threats…more dangerous than ever before. Both of you deserve to live a happy life, and one without regrets. Plus, the people who we are close to never truly die. They are always alive in our hearts and in our memories. As long as that's true, then Hermione Granger can never truly die."

Hermione's blood poured from her mouth. Her body began to degenerate and decompose right before Harry's eyes. Harry took a look at her remains, and Kara put her hand on Harry's.

"I'm sorry," Kara said to him in a gentle voice. "You had to go through the death of your best friend all over again."

"She's in a better place now," Harry said. He sighed. He tried to put what happened out of his mind.

He had to verify something before he could truly move on.

The Heralds of Voldemort were dead and done. That much was true. The Arising was stopped, and they all felt like they could breathe a bit easier than they could before. Both remained silent, wishing they could enjoy this triumph a bit more.

Both Harry and Kara stood for a few moments. Immediately, they stood up straight. Kara looked at Harry curiously. They had both felt something at the same exact moment.

"The third beacon, I think I found it," Harry said.

"The Fortress?" Kara asked, hoping she read it right.

"The Fortress," Harry said. "It was fired off ninety seconds after the first two. It is Jor-El, before he went off line."

"Why would Jor-El try and give you of all people a message?" Kara asked.

Harry remained silent for a moment, but then it struck him. Both Harry and Kara realized that they had to get to the Fortress, before it was too late. They realized the true architect behind everything that had happened today.

'_Looks like I'm going to be having a bit of a family reunion,' _Harry thought to himself.

* * *

Lana and Clark remained bound back at the Fortress of Solitude. Clark tried to shift against the energy field.

"Time does slip away from us rather quickly," Lily commented lightly. "The question is, Ms. Lang, is your time running out? You did make a deal, based on their success. It was a magically binding oath, and it must be followed should they failed. And I will uphold my end of the bargain should they succeed."

"How do I know you're going to do that?" Clark asked. "You were supposed to leave when Harry's training was done, but…"

"I said I would leave Harry alone, do what he must, and so I did," Lily said. "Harry and Kara both can do great things without you. And if you just embrace everything you are, you can do great things too. Just think of it, Kal-El. There is an entire world of people out there who depend on a hero. Someone to swoop in and save the day, and once they see how capable you are, they will bend to anything that you desire. You no longer need to live in fear."

"I won't conquer them," Clark managed. "It's just not…"

"Human?" Lily offered. "Well conquest is something that is very human. Civilization after civilization has been destroyed by conquest. But it's not just a human thing. It is a galactic problem. Civilizations have been torn apart. It was not as extreme as it was centuries back. There are people who patrol the universe, in the name of justice. In brightest day and blackest night, they will always be there. But conquest is part of the cycle of existence. And not all conquest is bad. Sometimes the end does justify the means. Is it really bad to be under one rule, when the alternative is utter annihilation?"

"Some people would rather live ten minutes with freedom even in in the face of certain death, then ten years under the rule of a dictator," Clark argued.

Lily remained silent for a brief moment. She chuckled.

"Your idealism is refreshing, Kal-El. Your experiences with the human race have not completely beaten out every single shred of optimism from you being. Then again, when the average human would behave such as your old friend Lex Luthor should they be able to do, it is truly astounding. History is written by the victors, and the victors squash any wrong doings they might have done in the past."

There was a presence outside of the Fortress of Solitude.

"Alright, Lily, I don't know what your game is this time, but I'm shutting you down!"

Lily smiled. She was proud of her son and his resourcefulness. No matter what she did, he was always willing to fight for what he believed in. And despite her best cloaking, he was able to detect the Fortress. He was unable to find a way in, just not yet.

If he was here, that meant that beacon that Jor-El sent out was received by him. She had managed to alter it where it would only be sent upon the death of the three Heralds of Voldemort. Lily turned to Lana.

"And with three hours and forty six minutes to spare, your faith is not misplaced," Lily said to Lana. "I guess you'll be living after all today."

"No need to sound so disappointed," Lana said, but she remained immobilized.

Clark sensed this as his chance. He managed to lift his arm, and he broke the field. Lily was distracted and Clark reached into his coat, to pull out the silver stone that Harry had given him earlier. He rushed forward, to try and banish Lily from the console.

The three dimensional form of Lily disappeared the moment that he pointed the stone at her. Clark thought it had worked for a moment. Those hopes were dashed when suddenly a blast of magic shot him down. Clark slammed hard into the wall of the Fortress. Lana tried to break free of the field, but she could only watch, numb and paralyzed.

"Kal-El, I'm disappointed," Lily said. "Do you really think that's going to be that easy? Were you hoping to find a way to banish him from my new home?"

"No, wasn't trying to banish you," Clark said.

"No, that's my job."

Harry and Kara showed up at that moment. Lily's three dimensional form appeared before them. A smile appeared on her face to greet Harry and Kara.

"You've gone too far this time, Lily," Harry told his mother.

"You defeated the Heralds of Voldemort," Lily said, and Harry and Kara remained still, their arms folded across their chests. "And that means Project: Genesis will not be achieving their little Arising."

"You and I both know that they would have never been able to resurrect Voldemort, after the way he was killed," Harry said. "You and I both know why."

"Yes, the damage that fool did to his soul made it quite impossible," Lily agreed with both of them. Harry and Kara stared her down for several moments.

"You were willing to sacrifice Clark, just to make sure they didn't," Kara said. Her tone was as cold as the Artic around the Fortress itself.

"If Clark died before they could use him for the ritual, then there would be nothing to fear," Lily said. "It was fortunate that you saved the day Harry, like you always did."

"I always do," Harry said. His voice dropped to his most dangerous tone. "Now let this Fortress go, and let Clark and Lana go."

"It is against my better judgment to do so, but I know every single shred of knowledge contained within this Fortress," Lily responded. Harry and Kara exchanged an expression of dismay. "Like for instance about that loudmouth Czarian who wiped out his entire species because of a science experiment. He gave himself an "A" for his efforts. The knowledge in here is immense, and should it fall into the wrong hands, it would be a problem. I also know the trick of how to control Kal-El, although I don't think Daddy Jor-El was going to ever share that little bit of information with him."

"What do you mean?" Kara asked.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out," Lily said. Her eyes looked at the pair of Heralds, and she noticed the ring on Kara's finger. "I wish you the best in your upcoming marriage. I hope you have years and years of happiness together. And I am glad you managed to bring down those wannabe Heralds. They were damaged, and demented. And they would have killed everyone to achieve their delusion."

Harry and Kara stood. Their arms were folded. Neither were the biggest fans of Lily right now. Just when Harry was about to come to an understanding about what his mother did years ago, and be at peace with it, she just had to pull this.

There was nothing else left to say. Lana dropped to her knees. She still felt the pain of what Lily did to her, and Clark did as well. As an added bonus, they felt the pain that was done to each other.

"While you do tend to champion some unworthy causes, Harry, but I'm sure you have your reasons," Lily said. The woman gave them all a smile. It was one of those smiles that told them that they might be getting off today, but this would not be the last they would be seeing of her. She disappeared from the Fortress without another word. Lily was gone, as quickly as she appeared.

Harry watched her leave. He thought Lily was gone the first time when the journal had crumbled into dust. He was not going to assume that she was gone for good. She had gotten into the Fortress once, and magic did leave certain backdoors. He had no idea where she was now. She was smart enough to mask her trail from the Fortress. Harry could follow it, but it would take weeks and weeks to do so.

Harry and Kara smiled though; the three Heralds they fought were confirmed to be deceased. While they were not red dots, they were just as dangerous as those undesirables.

"So, I see you've met my mother," Harry said in a casual tone of voice. His gaze was fixed on Clark and Lana who were shaking off what happened.

"Yeah, you have her eyes, but thankfully none of her attitude," Lana said to Harry, but there was something that she had to ask him. "So, she said something…did you give me my powers because I had a role to help Clark in his destiny, or did you do it because you felt bad for me?"

Harry remained silent. He was almost insulted that he had been asked this question.

"Do not listen to anything that my mother says, your life will be a lot better for it," Harry answered.

"That doesn't answer my question," Lana persisted.

"If you need an answer, then you may need to reassess your own confidence in yourself," Harry replied to her in a firm voice.

"These things happen for a reason Lana, and remember the conversation we had a few days ago," Kara said to her. Lana nodded. "And she was using your own insecurities against you."

"Kal-El, welcome back."

The voice of Jor-El rumbled to life.

"That woman who bound me may have had malicious intentions, but she did speak certain truths. One of them is you must quit running from your destiny. There will come a day where you will need your training. The threats will become more dangerous, and it will be something you must face."

Clark remained silent. The warning that Jor-El knew of a way to control him should he get out of line was fresh in his mind.

"You can start your training at any time, but do remember that the longer you stall the more of a chance that your inaction will doom all. The course of Earth has the potential be much like that of Krypton, and the end will be just as cataclysmic, if not more so. Rest for now, and consider your role, but remember do not take too much time. The consequences will be dire."

Clark nodded curtly. He left the Fortress with Lana, and then Harry and Kara followed them. Jor-El remained silent, allowing them to leave. The weeks he spent bound had been demeaning, and it could have jeopardized the lives of many.

Jor-El could feel that woman's presence still lingering. He knew that she was overpowering.

* * *

The recent events of the last couple of days would be one that Harry and Kara would be recovering from for a very long time. Harry in particular was still in shock of the entire Hermione situation. Even if she was not the genuine article, it still was hard to see your best friend die before your eyes.

Never the less, they were happy to be out of the woods. The potential crisis of the Arising had been averted, at least they hoped so.

A large envelope was on the desk in front of them. They sat in the main office at the Shining Light Foundation, and were just processing the new guests that had come in during the last couple of weeks. Clark and Lana were currently recovering from their ordeal, even though it would take a couple of days for them to get completely back on their feet.

A knock on the door caused Harry and Kara to look up from their work. They were expecting a gest. Harry got up, and answered the door. The door opened, and Claire was on the other side. She had a bit of a curious look on her face, wondering what this was all about.

"Hi, Claire, come in, we've been expecting you," Harry said with a smile.

"Yeah, I was told to come up and see you after classes were over," Claire said. Claire stepped inside their office, and looked around. "This…isn't about any of my grades is it? Because I thought that I did pretty well last semester."

Harry and Kara responded with knowing smiles.

"Claire, you did do well, you should be proud of the progress that you were making," Kara said. "Today is a very special day. Happy birthday, Claire!"

"Yeah, I'm glad you remembered," Claire said, her excitement heightening.

The last time she really celebrated her birthday was when her parents were alive. It was her sixth birthday, the last one she remembered. A few months later, the incident with her powers happened, and the fire that she could not control that ended up killing them.

"Why would we ever forget?" Harry asked her. Claire just shrugged. "That is one of the most important days of the year. It is not every day that you turn eleven years old, isn't it?"

"No, it isn't," Claire agreed. She sat down on the chair in the office. She looked up at Harry and Kara with a smile, before she focused her attention completely to Harry. "So what was your eleventh birthday like?"

Harry just smiled. He remembered what happened on his eleventh birthday. A half giant stormed the hut on the sea, terrorized his relatives, and informed him that he was a wizard. And his cousin was given a pigtail when said half giant used an umbrella with the broken pieces of his wand in it.

"It was eventful," Harry told her. A smile spread across his face at the memories. Kara walked over to the cabinet, and she pulled out a birthday cake.

"The candles aren't lit," Claire said. "How can I blow them out if they aren't lit?"

The frustrated innocence on her face was prominent.

"Remember everything we taught you," Kara encouraged her.

Claire could have slapped herself mentally. She closed her eyes. Her control was getting much better over the past couple of months. Something as small as a candle was something that she was unable to do at first, and she just happened to catch everything on fire for the first couple of months. However, as time went by, she was able to light her own birthday candles.

'That was good Claire, I know you could do it," Harry said.

Claire smiled. Harry's praise meant a lot to her. She closed her eyes, looking at the cake.

"Make a wish," Kara said.

Claire did so; blowing out the candles she just lit about a minute ago. She looked at the birthday cake with a smile on her face.

"So what did you wish for?" Harry asked her.

Claire just smiled at him, rolling her eyes slightly. "Well, obviously I can't tell you that. It won't come true if I told you."

"She does have your number there, Harry," Kara teased him. Harry just smiled.

"Well, I do have something for you, for your birthday," Harry said.

"You didn't have to get me anything," Claire said. The fact she had two people who cared for her and she could look up to, was better than any present she could get. It had been something that she had hoped for, and dreamed for, for years.

Every single year she was in that government institute, being experimented on, she hoped that someone would rescue her.

"I know I didn't have to get you anything, but I wanted to," Harry told Claire, and he picked up the envelope. He slid the papers out, and placed them in front of Claire. "Just take a look at this."

Claire took a look at the papers, and looked surprised. She had to be dreaming, this was not for real. She turned towards Harry and Kara. Both sat there, and smiled at her.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Claire asked.

"They're adoption papers," Kara told her. "It took us a long time to get everything in order, but Harry managed to come through in the end, and well you see the results are out from in front of you. They make you legally our daughter."

"If you want it," Harry told Claire.

Claire looked at Harry and Kara. She was happy beyond any single description.

"Are you kidding?" Claire asked. She rushed forward, and hugged both Kara and Harry. "This is what I wanted. This is exactly what I wished for, I can't believe it."

"Seeing is believing, Claire," Harry said to her. He gave her a warm smile, before "I know what it's like to be alone, to think that there's no one out there that you can rely on. And I don't want this to happen to someone else again."

"Thank you," Claire said. "So this means that we're a family."

"We always were," Kara said. "This just makes it official on paper."

Claire smiled, and could not believe what happened.

"Welcome to the family, my daughter," Harry told her.

"Thanks, Dad," Claire told him, before she took a look at Kara and Harry. A mischievous smile crossed her face. Her gazed focused on both Harry and Kara. "So, am I going to get a baby brother or sister someday?"

Kara and Harry exchanged a look. They were caught off guard by that question.

"Just enjoy your cake, Claire," Kara told her evasively.

"Okay, Mom," Claire told her, and she was glad to finally call Harry and Kara what she thought of them in her heart.

Harry, Kara, and Claire sat around, eating cake, and enjoying their new status officially as a family. In a couple of months, Harry and Kara would be officially married. And that day would be magic if Harry had anything to say about it.

**To Be Continued in Keys Part One. **


	26. Chapter 26: Keys Part One

**Chapter Twenty Six: Keys Part One. **

"I've given your business proposal some consideration over the past couple of weeks. But I did not want to make a decision about whether or not to agree to it, until I was completely sure."

Lex sat across from Harry in one of the conference rooms of the Shining Light Foundation. Security stood behind Lex, arms folded. The bald man tried to block them out of his mind, and kept his mind on business. The two men sat across from each other for the next moment. Lex took a deep breath, and proceeded to speak.

Doing business with a Luthor, or even considering it was like a well calculated chess game. All of the pieces needed to be maneuvered into place properly. One misstep could put a person behind.

"That is fair," Lex responded in a crisp voice. His eyes narrowed towards Harry. "Someone like you needs to consider your entire reputation when making deals. And I'm sure you have certain parties whispering in your ear that a deal with Lex Luthor would be a foolish blunder."

A feigned look of innocence spread across Harry's face.

"Depends on what people you are talking about," Harry answered in a questioning voice. A frown was about to spread across his face, but the expression was hidden. Any expression in his eyes had been hidden by the sunglasses that he wore over his eyes.

The expression of blissful ignorance would be his best ally in trapping Lex within his own web.

Lex decided to elaborate. "I trust you have been seeing a lot of Clark Kent lately. Perhaps I'm off base, but your marriage to his cousin will be happening within the next couple of months."

"Yes, I've encountered Clark a few times," Harry said. He chose his next words carefully. "And I've also encountered…Ms. Lana Lang, your ex-wife if I'm not mistaken, once or twice. Your name has barely come up. I don't think they think that you're important enough to spare a moment of thought of. Lana in particular seems to have moved on."

Lex remained stoic, and he nodded rather stiffly.

"So they have not been telling you tales about my misdeeds?" Lex asked.

Harry just turned towards Lex. "I've heard more about your flaws from your father than I have heard about you from any former friends or ex-spouses, or anything along those lines."

Lex looked like he had swallowed a lemon at this point. A sour expression was on his face, but Harry only caught it due to the fact he was observant. It was gone in a matter of seconds.

"Yes, my father has the ability to point out my flaws, to an almost uncanny degree," Lex agreed. He drummed his fingers on the table, and spoke. "But, we're getting off the subject of business. I will restate what I told you weeks ago. I believe in protecting those in the world who cannot protect themselves."

Harry surveyed Lex for a number of seconds. He took some time to really consider what he was saying. He only had one statement to offer.

"And who prey tell is going to save the world from you?" Harry asked him. He was silent for only a second, before he amended. "The best intentions often to go awry and the road to hell is often paved with good intentions."

Before Lex could respond, Harry cut him off.

"I have thought about what you're trying to accomplish long and hard. And I feel that there may be a few benefits from making a deal with Luthorcorp. And there are many disadvantages as well. I'm not sure if you have adequately sold me on why I should agree to join up with you."

Harry slid over a cup towards Lex. He offered him a casual expression, and question.

"Tea?"

Lex accepted the gesture, with only the slightest amount of hesitation. Harry bent down under the pretext of checking his papers to hide the calculating expression on his face. The tea was drank and suddenly, Lex was visited by a strange compulsion to tell the truth.

"So, what's the real reason that you are trying to make this business deal, Lex?" Harry asked him.

Sweat rolled down Lex's face. He spoke, his voice becoming flat and emotionless. His tongue was loosened, and he spilled his answers. "During my trip to the graveyard when I was looking into your past, I went to a graveyard to look for answers. When I touched a gravestone, the symbol created a backlash, and caused clarity to flood through my mind. The answers to the Veritas society flashed through my mind. I had only been a child when it happened, but I remembered enough. The memories had been subconsciously blocked from my mind. Many of the memories prior to the first meteor shower have been. I also remembered a boy in the cupboard underneath the stairs. My father tried to tell me it was a delusion, but I know better. I know that child was you."

Harry remained collected. He did not confirm or deny Lex's statement.

"Why was Lionel Luthor there?"

"He was trying to gain information about the Traveler. Apparently your aunt was not to receptive about it, and yelled something about freaks. She knew nothing about the traveler, and if he existed, she hoped that he would perish because he did not belong. My father accepted that answer at the time, but he was disappointed. I feel that you may have had a hint about the secrets of the Veritas Society. Whether or not you do, I don't need you, because I've found out much about it. However, it would be unwise to allow you to find out the truth, in case you are a threat."

"What did you find out?" Harry asked. He hoped to cross-reference his own research with some of Lex's own.

"There was a box, containing information leading to a source of power how to defeat the Traveler," Lex said. "The key was in the possession of Doctor Virgil Swann. Swann died years ago. I believe the key is in the possession of his daughter. I must get that key."

"Do you know what the key looks like?" Harry asked him.

"It's unclear to me right now," Lex managed. He tried to fight the compulsion to tell the truth. "All I know is she has the key. Once I find out what it is, then I'll decide how to proceed from there."

"Is that all?" Harry asked.

"Yes, that's all I've been able to piece together," Lex admitted.

A few moments later, Lex blinked. To him, no time had passed since the moment he drank the tea, and he said no words.

"I've considered it Lex, and my answer is I'm going to have to decline," Harry said.

There was a long moment of silence.

"It's a disappointment," Lex admitted. "But not unexpected. I had hoped that you would see the benefits of making a deal. Then again, perhaps some people never understand what needs to be done to save the world."

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Harry said. He checked a pocket watch, with a calm expression on his face. He asked his next question with feigned innocence. "Did you enjoy your tea?"

"Not the best in the world, but it was adequate," Lex said.

"It's an acquired taste," Harry said crisply. He extended his hand. "Nothing personal Lex, I was just doing this in the name of business."

Lex took Harry's hand. "Nothing personal, just business, and remember anything that happens between us from here on out is just business."

Harry was pretty sure that was a veiled threat. If Lex tried everything with him, he'd cut him off at the knees and bury him alive.

"My security will escort you out," Harry said. He lowered his glasses, and looked Lex straight in the eyes. "Drive safely. Accidents do happen."

Lex tried to hide the expression. He was unclear of whether or not he should interpret that casual statement as a threat. He stood there for a moment. He nodded slowly.

"I will," Lex said.

When Lex left, Kara walked out of the corner. She had watched the entire meeting from the shadows. She walked over towards Harry. She had an approving expression on her face.

"That was smart lacing his tea like that," Kara said. "And he didn't suspect he had spilled everything he had found out to you."

Harry knew some would frown at his distinct breach of ethics. However, desperate times called for desperate actions.

"All he did was verify what I already knew," Harry admitted. Kara just shrugged, before she looked at Harry with a smile. "I don't think he's going to let this go without a fight."

"I can't believe he threatened you," Kara said. A fierce expression spread across her face. If Lex Luthor ever harmed Harry in any way, or tried to, he would not live long enough to regret that mistake.

"I've been threatened by far worse people than Lex, trust me," Harry said. Kara sat down next to Harry. "He did verify one thing for me. And that is we have plenty of work to do regarding this Veritas mess."

Now with the Heralds of Voldemort and Project: Genesis seemingly behind them, Harry and Kara could focus on uncovering the secrets of Veritas. Harry was now more than intrigued about them then previously. The way Lex was going on, it was almost like they had a method to control the Traveler, should be become a threat.

At least that's how Harry interpreted the words.

"I think it's time we pay Patricia Swann a visit," Harry said. "Before Lex does."

Kara and Harry stepped away, and realized that they had a lot of work to do, and not that much time to do it.

Pressure built character, and it was something that Harry and Kara thrived well under.

* * *

Lana hovered in the air outside. The snow and cold winds were prominent, however she did not care. Her eyes were closed. She had been thinking about her lack of ability to save Clark. It was eating away at her in a way. In another way, it was giving her the motivation to rise to the lofty standards that she was expected to. There was so much potential for her powers.

Her powers, she figured, was like an untapped well. She just had to figure out how to get the water out.

"You've been out here all morning, Lana."

Lana spun around, and saw Clark standing below, looking up at her.

"Oh, hello Clark," Lana said in a weak voice. She tried to maintain positive and upbeat. "I guess I'm just recovering what happened the other day, with the Fortress."

"You shouldn't really pay that woman any attention," Clark told her.

"It's kind of hard not to," Lana said to Clark. She got down to Earth level so she could face Clark properly. "Did you ever feel like no matter what you do, it's not going to be good enough?"

Clark offered her a smile. "More times than I can count, but I think that if you don't think of ways that you can do things better, you might not be fully embracing what you can be. I have regrets, and I'll continue to have more."

"Yeah, those regrets seem to be super powerful for people like us," Lana said. "Everything she said, and everything she did in that Fortress. She could bring both of us to our knees, and there is nothing that we can do about it."

Lana looked out into the distance. She had another question to ask Clark.

"Did you give any consideration to what your father said?"

Clark seemed to ponder that answer for a moment.

"I did think about it," Clark admitted. "After the Fortress got taken over one time, who is to say that it won't get taken over again? I'm not even sure if that was my father speaking. If Lily was able to take control of the Fortress, can I even be sure that she wasn't mimicking my father's voice?"

Lana had to admit that Clark had a point. She took a deep breath.

"To protect everyone in the world, that's a big responsibility thrust onto your shoulders," Lana said, and Clark placed his hands on her shoulders. "The biggest responsibility is to be the one tasked to protecting that protector. Kara had a point, when she said that this wasn't going to be easy. And there are supposed to be powers that I have that you don't."

"Do you have any clue of what they are?" Clark asked.

Lana remained thoughtful at this moment.

"There are times where I'm sitting there, and I could have sworn I see objects lift into the air," Lana said. "I'm not even touching them, but they float in the air. A few inches off of the ground and they drop back down before I can get a closer look at them."

"You mean like some kind of telekinesis or levitation?" Clark asked her.

Lana nodded.

"That's what I thought as well. I spent an hour last night after you went to bed trying to lift up a book with my mind. I stared at it until my eyes went bloodshot. But I couldn't do it. Am I imagining things?"

"You could be onto something," Clark told her. "My powers, they always took a while to get a hang of how they worked properly, and how to consciously make them work, without setting them off at the wrong time. Just like what happened to you the other day with the mishap with the heat vision."

"You just couldn't let that one go, could you?" Lana asked. She tried to act offended, but in reality she was amused. "I was in the moment when it happened. Although, it does kill the mood when the bed gets set on fire."

Clark would have to agree. A smile crossed his face for a brief moment, but he had to get back to the matter at hand.

"Kara and Harry were both right to tell you not to force it," Clark said. "Just let it come naturally."

Lana was not sure. She was frustrated that she could not figure out how to turn on these powers. She wanted to help Clark. Perhaps she could channel her frustration into something meaningful, consciously at least. A snow plow came down the roads, knocking the snow into the driveway that Lana just shoveled out a short time again. Her eyes narrowed as the mailbox nearly was knocked over by the snow and ice flying through the air.

"That's the third that that happened this morning!" Lana yelled crossly, staring at the pile of snow, and suddenly, the snow lifted off of the ground out of the driveway. It was blasted across into a meadow.

Lana paused, and blinked.

"You did see that, didn't you?"

Clark nodded slowly.

"So, I wasn't imagining things," Lana said.

"If you were, then we both were," Clark said. "I guess you needed the right motivation."

Lana nodded. She could have shoveled the driveway in less than a minute with her powers. Still it was the principle of the matter.

Now she just needed to figure out how to lift something without getting agitated. She was sure there was a way.

* * *

A dark haired man dressed in black walked down a driveway. He walked with a purpose. Each and every step was done with swift precision. Over the past number of weeks, Bruce Wayne continued to piece together every bit of information that he could find regarding the Veritas Society. There was much that his father had kept track of, and there was even more secrets that he took to his grave.

Bruce knew one person that could help him, and one person who could fill in the blanks that Thomas Wayne left. That man was Virgil Swann. There was just one problem, and that was that Swann passed away years and years ago. Bruce hoped that Swann's daughter would be able to fill in the necessary blanks. He raised a hand, and knocked on the door.

A young woman with red hair pushed the door open. She surveyed Bruce, carefully.

"Bruce…Bruce Wayne?" Patricia asked him, and Bruce responded with a nod. "I haven't seen you in years and years."

"It's been a long time," Bruce said to the woman with a smile. "I was going through my father's notes, and I found something interesting."

Patricia had a shrewd suspicion what this was about.

"You better come inside," Patricia said. "It's the only place we can talk safely."

Patricia stepped inside, and bolted the door tight behind her.

"I heard about your father," Bruce said. Swann had passed on when Bruce was traveling the world, training himself. "I'd like to send my belated condolences. I only met him once or twice in passing, but he seemed like a remarkable man."

"I heard likewise about your father," Patricia said to him. A look of unmistakable seriousness crossed her face. "The secrets of Veritas may be coming undone. Lionel Luthor knows about the traveler, and he's the only member that is still among the living and breathing that I can locate."

Patricia took a moment to walk forward.

"Hugo Strange was another member, and he died a little over a month ago," Bruce said. "The secrets of the traveler caused members of this society to be taken out, left and right. It's much like my father speculated in his notes. All of the members of the society would eventually die over the traveler. And there are those out there that will try and uncover what the traveler is."

"I've tried to get in contact with Lex Luthor, he would know what his father's eventual game is," Patricia said.

Bruce shook his head. He figured that Lex would be a problem. He had his moles inside of Luthorcorp that were keeping an eye on both Luthors.

"I think Lex may have his own ambitions regarding the Traveler. My contact inside Luthorcorp has indicated that he's researching many things. Veritas is a topic that he's looked into. And he's looking into this symbol."

Bruce pulled out a symbol. The upside down triangle, with a circle placed in the triangle and a line dividing down the center of it.

"I've poured over countless references, but I've only been able to see some images of the symbol carved on a prison wall in Germany and a gravestone," Bruce said.

Patricia looked at the symbol, studying it.

"I fail to see what relevance this symbol has to do with the Traveler," Patricia said. She bit her lip, and frowned.

"I think that symbol has everything to do with the Traveler," Bruce said.

The red haired woman did not know what to make of that statement.

"If only my father was here, he might have more insight on it for you then I would," Patricia stated. She shook her head. She studied the symbol. "As for right now, I don't really know what to tell you. I'm surprised that Lionel Luthor hasn't come after you yet. Your father did know a lot, and he would enjoy getting that information for himself."

Bruce hid the calculating expression on his face. He had an idea that both of the Luthors would be very interested in meeting with him. He would be ready for both of them, when they decided to make their move.

"I'm not going to mince words, Patricia," Bruce said to her. "You are in danger because of who your father was. I can make sure that no harm comes to you, by either Luthor. I can make you seem like you disappeared, and ensure that no one ever attacks you."

"How would you be able to do something like that?" Patricia asked.

"I have my resources," Bruce said in his mysterious tone of voice.

Patricia remained firm in her stance.

"I plan to seek out the traveler, and do what I can to help him. Disappearing would not help me do this. My father had a dream to help the traveler, and I want to follow into his footsteps. Surely, you can understand that? The need to live up to your father's ambitions?"

"More than you can ever realize," Bruce said with a far off look in his eyes, and another knock could be heard on the door. "It seems like you're popular today."

Patricia wondered who was at the door. She took a few steps forward, and reached forward. She opened the door. She saw two new arrivals. One of them was a young man with green eyes and dark hair, dressed in a rather bland suit. His hair was completely straight. The other one was a blonde woman, dressed in a jacket, red blouse, a skirt, stockings, and high heels, wearing a pair of glasses.

"We haven't been formally introduced, Ms. Swann," Harry said without preamble. "I'm Harry Potter, and this is my fiancée, Kara Kent. We need to talk to you about an important matter. Your life might be in danger."

Harry had resisted the temptation to check the lifeline reader to see how much danger Patricia might be in. That was something was an aspect to his powers that was so easy to lead to a great deal of abuse.

"It's about the traveler, and Veritas," Harry added in an undertone.

Patricia stood up straight at her declaration, and her eyes flashed. The name Potter seemed rather familiar. One look at his eyes indicated all that she needed to know. Bruce got up to his feet.

"I must be leaving now Patricia, thank you, and…." Bruce said. He looked at Harry and Kara immediately. "I'm sorry, I don't think we have had the pleasure of meeting. Bruce Wayne."

Harry took a good look at Bruce. It clicked in his mind. He and Kara had been listening to bits of the conversation from outside of the door before they had actually entered for the meeting, and had heard Veritas come up.

As far as Harry knew, Bruce Wayne was a billionaire, and from what the tabloids said, he would not have been interested in something like Veritas or the Traveler. They called him a flake, who could barely find his own office, and was seen with a different woman almost like a nightly basis. Harry figured that this was an image that he encouraged. They were part of the mask, the illusion.

"Harry Potter," Harry responded, shaking Bruce's hand.

"Kara Kent," Kara added. She frowned, and came to the same conclusion that Harry did. There were subtle differences in his posture, and big differences in his demeanor. However, there were certain things that that the best disguises could not mask.

Bruce left, and Harry and Kara turned to Patricia Swann. She surveyed them, and finally where she heard the name "Potter" had finally clicked with her.

"You're the son of Lily Potter, formerly Lily Evans," Patricia said. Harry nodded. "I'm sure you hear this a lot, but you have your mother's eyes."

"A few times, yes," Harry agreed as he looked at the woman. "So, how do you know of her?"

"My father was extremely interested in the headway that her family made about the Traveler over the years," Patricia said. "In many ways, the work the Evans family did over the years was a part of the foundation for what became the Veritias Society. You two know all too well about that."

Harry and Kara nodded. They did plenty of research before conducting this meeting.

"I don't know if your father ever knew this, but my mother and her family's intentions with the Traveler were less than noble," Harry said and Patricia turned to them. Confusion appeared on her face.

"I heard a different story, from my father," Patricia said. "An old friend of your mother's joined the Veritas Society. Her name was Isis Lovegood."

'_Luna's mother and mine were friends,' _Harry thought, a bit surprised about this revelation. He did not know, and Luna never mentioned it. He wondered if Luna even knew about this.

"Isis claimed to my father that your mother wanted to break the cycle that doomed her family to multiple deaths over obsession regarding the traveler," Patricia said. "Lily said it doomed her parents to their murders, and she told Isis to do what she could to protect the Traveler. Isis was like the rest of them. She died years ago, and any other information she had to share was taken to her with the grave."

Harry allowed all of this to sink in. His mother seemed to be a complex woman, and there was so much about her that he had no idea about. The real Lily Potter would forever be shrouded in mystery. And Luna's mother had to die because of this entire mess. Kara placed her hand on Harry's, and they sat in silence. The fact was Lily's quest to protect the Traveler did not match up with the journal's ambitions about controlling the Traveler.

Did something change? Did Lily allow Isis to believe one thing, while secretly plotting for another? Or was Isis in on the entire thing? Harry shook his head. There were too many questions.

"My father was interested in meeting you when he was alive," Patricia added. This was also a new revelation to Harry. "He sent a few letters, trying to arrange a meeting with you. He felt that you could potentially have a role in the destiny of the Traveler, even though he wasn't clear on exactly how it was. All letters he tried to send to you were sent back. And after a certain point, he just assumed that you were not interested."

Harry had a shrewd idea of who was returning his mail, but that was the past.

"I never knew," Harry said. "I would have done what I could to help sooner if I would have known."

"Harry would have," Kara added. She was firm and supporting in her words.

"The reason we're here is that Lex Luthor knows that you have something that might help him lead you to the Traveler," Harry said. "And he's willing to do anything to get his hands on it. There is nothing that he won't do, and that puts you in the crossfire."

Patricia remained silent.

"If you want a meeting with the Traveler, then I can make it happen," Harry said to her. "All you need to do is trust me, and hand me whatever Lex might be after."

"Why would you need it?" Patricia asked him. She seemed to have a small bit of mistrust regarding Harry's intentions.

"It has everything to do with this symbol," Harry said, and he tapped the piece of paper that Bruce had left on the table.

"Do you know what it means?" Patricia asked.

Kara and Harry both remained silent.

"If you have any information to share with the Traveler, prepare it," Harry replied. "I'll bring you to him. I'm sure he'll be interested in anything that you have to say."

Patricia pondered this for a moment. She had been collecting information about Lionel Luthor and his possible connection to the deaths of several members of the Veritas Society. She had intended to use the information to blackmail Lionel into arranging a meeting with the Traveler. She had imagined Lionel was doing his best to gain the trust of the Traveler for his own means.

"Don't worry about Lionel Luthor," Harry said. "I'll handle him."

Patricia remained surprised.

"How…"

"I have my ways," Harry said.

"I don't think that we have much to gain sitting around here," Kara said. "We'll take you to the Traveler right now."

Patricia nodded in agreement.

"Let me get something, and you can take me to him," Patricia said.

Harry and Kara agreed. This was a calculated risk, but phase one of their plan was about ready to be completed.

* * *

"Bruce Wayne? Now why would he of all people be meeting with Patricia Swann? Yes, follow him, see what he's up to, and report back to me when you get a clear picture."

Lex put down the phone gently. He sat back in the chair, and moved around the clutter on his desk to get a clearer working area. A newspaper with the headline "Fatal Fall of Circus Acrobats Believed to be Homicide, GCPD Investigate" had been tossed into the trash bin to the side. Lex reached over, and continued to file through papers on his desk. He remained calm, but he would be lying if he was not intrigued with what was going on with one Bruce Wayne.

Why would Wayne be interested in Patricia Swann? That was the million dollar question. Lex only met Bruce less than a handful of times, and they had been rather young during their meetings. Bruce had just returned to Gotham City less than a year ago, and Lex had other pressing matters on his mind. He had seen more than a few tabloid articles regarding the Billionaire playboy. Lex knew better than anyone else not to pay any of the content much mind. Pictures could be manipulated, and facts could be distorted.

That was the price that one would pay for being rich and famous. Yet, Bruce Wayne was meeting with the daughter of the man who Lex believed knew much about the Veritas Society. He was slowly maneuvering in to get what he needed. Eventually he would know, and he would have the secrets of the universe at his fingertips.

His overtures for a partnership with one Harry Potter had gone south. Lex suspected that Harry was a bit more competent than he had let on, although how much more competent he was uncertain. He still maintained that he was in control of the situation. It was just a matter of unearthing the right secret about Harry Potter to force his hand, and lead to a partnership that would allow him to get everything he needed.

The problem was that his record seemed to be very clean. There was no hint of wrong doing. Everything he did with the Shining Light Foundation was on the level. He had not so much as an unpaid parking ticket.

Everyone had a dark side in their past. Lex continued to follow the threads, while he waited for his men to report back on their progress regarding Wayne. He continued to research through records. Everything matched up. Harry Potter was a rather average student of a boarding school in Scotland. He had traveled the world for years, before he had come to Smallville.

There was nothing, except for a dead end.

The phone rang after a moment, and Lex picked it up immediately.

"Sorry, sir, but we lost Wayne," one of the men said on the other end of the phone in an apologetic voice.

Lex took a number of moments for it to set in. Disappointment did not even begin to adequately cover what he felt towards the success, or lack thereof with his men. He drew breath. After a moment, he once again began to speak.

"You lose the remote control, or you lose your car keys," Lex said. Disgust dripped from his tone as he spoke. "How could you lose Bruce Wayne?"

"We were following him from the Swann woman's place," the man on the other end of the phone said. "He drove, and it seemed like he knew that we were there. I don't know how he knew, but he knew that we were following him."

"You obviously weren't being that careful," Lex said in a cold tone of voice. "Listen to me, find Wayne and bring him to me. Look for him like your life depends on it. Do not disappoint me again, or you'll regret it."

The man's voice shook on the other side of the phone. He proceeded to speak immediately. "Y-y-yes sir, we'll find him. Why do you want him so bad?"

"Your job isn't to ask questions," Lex said. "Your job is to just go out there, and do as I tell you to. Is that clear?"

Lex's voice was calm as he said this. However, there was a hidden threat dripping from his words.

"Yes, it's clear, very clear, I won't let you down again, sir," the man stammered. Lex could tell that his voice and perhaps his hands were shaking on the other side of the phone.

"For your sake let's hope you gain results," Lex said. "But don't waste time talking to me. Find him."

Lex hung up the phone. He felt a bit of a migraine headache coming on. He saw the list of Veritas Society members on his desk. All of them had died except for two. One of them was missing, and presumed dead, that being Edward Teague. The other one was someone who was very near and dear to Lex's heart, in a matter of speaking.

His father had been keeping secrets. Lex felt a bit hurt about the lack of trust. Surely they could have found a common ground, and worked together regarding the traveler.

'_Unless there's another reason,' _Lex thought. _'No, he wants the traveler all for himself.'_

Lex folded his hands over. He had much work to do, and he would be having a confrontation with his father. There was a reckoning between them that was long overdue. He thought that this time, it would end with blood on his hands of the worst kind if his father did not give him the answers he wanted.

If the traveler arrived in a meteor shower, then Lex had a right to know. It was the same meteor shower that set off a chain of events that defined his life.

It was his destiny to find out. There was no two ways about it.

* * *

The claims he had a greater destiny was something that had surrounded Harry Potter throughout all of his life. The Wizarding World claimed that he of all people was destined for great things. He was destined to be the one to defeat Lord Voldemort. The defeat of Voldemort did not happen like he envisioned. Harry thought about it several times, and knew that it was the Wand of Eternity that defeated Voldemort. It would not do any harm to Death's chosen champion.

He both succeeded and utterly failed at achieving his destiny. He had no idea how he felt about that.

The thoughts swam through his head, as Harry and Kara led Patricia Swann towards the Kent Farm house. The snow storm was beginning to pick up in intensity. That was nothing compared to the storm that was brewing when the secrets of the Veritas Society were spilled out for Lex to grab his hands on.

"My father's journal should hopefully give the Traveler a clear idea of what he's up against as he grows into the hero that he needs to be," Patricia remarked to an undertone.

"Any help that he gets, it will be a benefit to him," Kara agreed, and Harry went first, knocking on the door.

There was a pause. Harry wondered if he had caught Lana and Clark at the wrong moment, or if they were not home. Secrets passed before the door opened and Clark looked at Harry and Kara. Before he could properly greet then, Patricia Swann took a good look at him.

"You're about how my father described," Patricia said and she looked at Clark. "I'm Patricia Swann."

"Doctor Swann's daughter?" Clark asked, and she nodded. Clark tried to figure out what this was about. "Is this about…"

"You know of Veritas," Patricia said in an undertone, and Harry and Kara quickly ushered her inside. They made sure they were not followed. They were almost certain that they were not, but it was better to be safe and sorry.

"Yes, I've been informed of it, by…a source," Clark said.

It was unspoken who that source was. Patricia remained calm.

"And then this will cut down on the amount of explanation that I'll have to give regarding it," Patricia said. "Most of the members are dead, with the exception of one. The second to last member perished a few weeks ago, that being Hugo Strange."

Clark's expression darkened. He remembered his encounter with Strange all too well. It would be a long time before he forgot being under his tender care.

"Who is the last member?"

Lana turned up at this moment, a curious expression on her face. Patricia remained calm and tentative now. She debated whether or not she could say anything in front of Lana.

"We can trust Lana with any information you have," Clark said in calm voice. Patricia nodded.

"The final member is Lionel Luthor, and I believe he has been behind many of the deaths of members of the Society, so he could have the Traveler all to himself," Patricia said. "I have evidence that states that he was seen meeting with several of the members before they died. He met with Hugo Strange two months ago."

"A month prior to when he died," Lana said. Lionel lied about cutting his involvement off with Strange years ago.

"Shouldn't you take this evidence to the police?" Clark asked. He was trying to reconcile everything that happened. He was having a bit of a crisis of faith after the events in the Fortress of Solitude, and his doubts about everything regarding that. He questioned everything that he knew. The revelation that Lionel might not have changed his ways was something that he deep down should have expected.

Yet, he was naïve enough to trust him.

It was Harry who answered that. "Someone was powerful as Lionel Luthor is not going to go down easily. He's going to talk his way out of trouble. He'll be able to spin it in his own way, or take as many people as he could down with him if he's trapped."

"Yes, but I thought he…he has helped me."

"My father did speculate that your greatest strength might also be your greatest weakness," Patricia said. "The fact that you see the best in others, and hope that one day they might change for the better."

Clark nodded. That seemed like a common sentiment regarding him.

"I wish to share to you the contents of my father's journal," Patricia said. "He said that you would be able to decipher the symbols."

Clark nodded, and walked off with her. This left Harry, Kara, and Lana alone. Lana turned towards Harry, a questioning expression in her eyes.

"I had to bring her here to meet with Clark before it is too late," Harry told her.

"She might be in danger, Lex is getting too close to putting two and two together," Kara said. "He said that he was keeping a close eye on her, and trying to find out what she knew about the Traveler."

Lana frowned. Thinking about Lex was not something that was conductive to her mental health. She took a deep breath, before she voiced her question.

"You got this information from Lex, willingly. No offense, but how did you manage that?"

Harry offered a mysterious smile. "Well there are ways of loosening a person's tongue. Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies."

Lana understood the hidden meaning immediately. Harry was willing to take a step to achieve his goal that most would find a distinct breach of ethics. Not that she blamed him in the slightest, given that it was Lex, and she shuddered to think what he would do if he had found out the complete truth regarding Clark. His mind would twist it into something else entirely.

"Harry did what he had to do," Kara said. The tone of her voice almost dared Lana to contradict. "If we have to bend the rules to protect Clark, that's what we're going to do. And I'm sure you understand that better than any of us."

Lana nodded before she spoke in a quiet voice. "More than you ever know. But I have to ask you a question about something."

Harry waved his hand, and gave her the invitation to do so.

"I think I discovered one of my powers," Lana said, and Harry proceeded to motion for her to go on. "There are times where I can lift objects with my mind, but it happens on and off. Clark thinks that it's levitation, or telekinesis."

Harry thought about it. This was unsurprising.

"Clark might be onto something," Harry said. "It's a rudimentary skill, but a rather tricky one to master at first. When you master it, it should not be a problem. That would explain the spikes that you have in strength .You are using your mind to amplify the natural power exerted by your strength. If this can be done using your body, it can also be done using your mind. I'd advise starting small with light objects. You know like paper clips or a feather. I wouldn't try and lift entire buildings for a while with your mind. You might be able to leap them in a single bound, but all you're going to accomplish for a while is a nose bleed and a headache."

"Wait, lifting entire buildings with my mind?" Lana asked.

"I've done it before, long story," Harry said to her and he waved it off. "Powers will manifest, and they'll get easier to control. It is not too much like anything else. We must learn to crawl before we walk, and then we must master walking before running. Once you figure out how to turn the powers on and off, you can figure out how to creatively master them, and only the sky is the limit."

It was a lecture that Harry had given his students at the Shining Light Foundation a few times when they were mastering their powers. He figured that it might do Lana some good.

Clark looked at the journal in his hand. Much of the information was intriguing, and it would be something that he would pursue at his leisure. Perhaps it could give him and by extension Lana, some hints about what exactly his destiny could entail.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, and I'll do what I can to assist you just as my father could," Patricia said. "Harry and Kara speak rather highly of you, as did my father, and even if I can play the smallest role in your destiny, then I will be happy."

"All the help is appreciated, and I'm sure Doctor Swann's journal will help me out when I can," Clark said. "And for Lionel…I'll be on my guard against him."

"Be on your guard against both Luthors," Harry said.

Even if he did manage to outmaneuver Lex, he doubted that he would go down without a fight. Despite not having any powers himself, Lex was slippery and sadistic as a snake in the grass. He was always lurking, ready to strike and bite when he was able to do so.

Harry and Kara led Patricia from the kitchen, and Clark and Lana remained alone for the moment, to likely talk about the contents of the journal.

"You're truly someone of your word," Patricia said. A frown spread across her face. "Why would you go to so much trouble, when you have your own life? I've read about your work as part of the Shining Light Foundation, yet you spent weeks hunting down every possible lead."

"It's all about making sure that the traveler remains safe until he becomes the hero he can be," Harry answered. "I don't know how much I believe in destiny. However, I think that there is something special within Clark that could manifest into a hero to inspire millions."

It was a hero that he thought he could be, but he never allowed that full potential. He tried to give Clark as many of the answers that he could. However, as Death reminded him, he could not fight Clark's battles for him.

Harry was not fighting Clark's battles for him. He was giving him the tools to succeed, and grow into what he could be. There would come a day where he would be ready, and Harry was glad that he played a part of it.

"And I believe there may be an item that Lex was after," Harry said. "One that you may have on your person."

Patricia seemed unsure and indecisive. Harry and Kara made sure the barrier blocked out any eavesdropping.

"My father told me to keep it safe at all costs, no matter what," Patricia said. She held the locket in her hand. It flipped between her fingers tentatively.

"And I'll be able to keep it safer than anyone else," Harry said. He had a feeling that she wore it at all times. That fact would serve as a blinking beacon that it was important to her. "I know if this item, whatever it is, falls into the wrong hands; it could mean doom for many people."

Patricia remained indecisive for a moment.

"If you had over the key, Lex will not be able to go after it, or you," Harry responded. "If you don't allow me to help you, then he'll do something drastic that could take you down. I don't know what, but he's a desperate man and obsessed."

Patricia held the locket in her hand once again. The red haired woman slowly pressed it into Harry's hands. Kara and Harry both responded with an encouraging smile. It told her that somehow she did the right thing.

They had one of the keys. Now arrangements would be made for Harry to further hold up his end of the deal.

* * *

Lionel Luthor sat in a chair and his back was turned away from his door. He half paid attention to the snowstorm that was raging on outdoors. The latest weather report said that it would be a nasty one. There was a storm of another kind brewing.

Footsteps could be heard behind Lionel. His eyes snapped up, and he spun around.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, I was wondering if I would be seeing you before too long," Lionel said. "You've had a lot on your plate as of now. I heard that your deal with Lex did not get cemented like I had feared. But, a word to the wise, he won't take no for an answer."

"Lex is the last person you have to worry about," Harry said. He remained absolutely calm, and he surveyed Lionel with narrowed eyes. "Two months ago, you had a meeting with Hugo Strange. I was under the impression that you said you cut off your communication with him years and years ago."

"It was a brief meeting, nothing of consequence," Lionel said in a dismissive tone of voice. "So, you are interested in the secrets, aren't you?"

"I'm interested in the safety of the world, and not to have more innocent lives perish," Harry said. "Unlike some, I don't enjoy having blood on my hands. However, I will not hesitate to get my hands dirty if it helps saves lives."

A knowing look crossed Lionel's face.

"Perhaps you are much more like your mother than either of us could have thought," Lionel said. "From all I could find out, when she believed in a cause, she would do anything that she could succeed in her mission. Even if people suffered, and I recognize that look in your eyes. You're going to do something drastic to succeed, aren't you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, Luthor?" Harry replied in a crisp voice. "The fact of the matter is, I have something that I need to accomplish. And there are people who wish to control something very powerful for their own means."

"Well, that's a very interesting theory," Lionel said. He remained rather calm, and his hands were folded over his desk. A calculating expression shifted on his face. "We both have the same goal, albeit for different reasons. Truly you must believe that."

Harry remained silent. His gaze stared a hole through Lionel. The elder Luthor believed that he reformed, and perhaps he did make a genuine attempt to do so. However, there was a sinister undertone beneath his intentions. There was always a chance that he would fall back, and then they would have a problem.

There was something else that he sensed. Now that he was up close, and next to him, he stared him down.

"You don't have much time left, Lionel," Harry told him suddenly.

There was silence. Lionel was not sure if he heard him properly.

"Is that a threat?" Lionel asked in a chillingly calm voice.

"No just an observation," Harry said. "The sins of your past could come back to haunt you in the worst way. Lex knows about Veritas. It won't be long before he takes you down because of it."

Lionel acted like he was pondering everything Harry said slowly, and carefully.

"Providing its Lex gets to you first," Harry responded.

"One could interpret that as a threat," Lionel answered in a calm and collected voice. "I wouldn't think a man of your status would be giving threats. Especially someone with so much on the line. "

"I don't make threats," Harry said in a cool voice. "The sands of time are running down for you. And whatever intentions you have, they're all for nothing. You might wear the face of a changed man, but will those who you wronged believe that?"

"It doesn't matter what they believe," Lionel said. "I'm a Luthor, and I've survived far worse. I will weather the storm, and I will come out on the end. The real shame would be if you were expected of wrong-doings. Just after the adoption for that young girl went through even. It would be a shame if she lost another parental figure."

Harry remained calm at this veiled threat. He was extremely tempted to rip Lionel's throat out for even suggesting what he suggested.

"Don't worry about anything that happens to me," Harry said. "Lex is closing in on the Traveler, and he's closing in on you."

"Lex and I are both on a different level," Lionel said. "But, never the less I do thank you for the warning. No matter what you might think, people do change, and I am one of them."

Harry nodded. He had a look of disbelief on his face. If Lionel tried anything, he had enough information on him to put him away for a long time. There was a sense Harry got however that he was talking to a man who was reaching the end of his life.

"Do what you have to do Mr. Potter, and I will do likewise," Lionel said.

"You know I will," Harry said, and he turned around.

He walked out, and made sure Lionel did not have him followed by anyone. Immediately, he spotted Kara waiting for him with a triumphant smile on her face. She rushed forward, and hugged Harry in an excited manner. A wide smile was on her face.

"I've got it!" Kara said in a triumphant voice.

"I knew you would," Harry said, and he embraced her, before they appeared in the sitting room area of their home.

"I switched it with the fake," Kara told him. "Just like we planned."

Harry held in her close. He was happy that things had seemingly gone right for once.

With both of the keys in their hand, Harry and Kara could move onto the next step. With any luck, they would be able to prevent anyone else from accessing the secrets of the Traveler.

Hopefully in the end, everyone would understand the steps they had to take to succeed in their mission as Heralds of Death.

**To Be Continued in Keys Part 2. **


	27. Chapter 27: Keys Part Two

_So the next couple of chapters, actually from this chapter up until around Chapter 34 will be quite the ride to say the very least. Chapter 29 (which I just got done writing the rough draft for) is quite the mind screw at the end, but I will say no more. The planned update schedule and chapter titles are in my profile. They are subject to change. Enjoy this chapter. _

**Chapter 27: Keys Part Two. **

Harry and Kara appeared in a flash of light outside of an imposing building. Immediately, they felt the taint of residual magical energy in the air. It was the type of magic that seemed to be dormant most of the time. Yet it was only triggered under the biggest circumstances. Both Harry and Kara stood, arms crossed, and focused expressions on their faces.

Getting the keys would be the easy part. They understood that. Patricia Swann was put into hiding, at least until the heat died down. Harry and Kara arranged to leave a false trail that would have Lex running around in circles.

Now they could focus on getting their hands on the information that the Veritas Society died for the most part over. The keys would only be a part of what they needed. Given that there were magical members of the society, Harry speculated that they would know better than anyone else about the means where locks and doors could be circumstances.

The two studied what was in front of them.

They had to get this done quickly, and hopefully out of the way. They were a month away from a rare astrological event. This event would cause their Herald of Death powers to be only at ten percent of their capacity, and it would take longer to recharge themselves. The event only happened every ten thousand years, thankfully.

They could worry about that later. Right now, they had a job to do.

Harry was the first to speak. "We better be careful. If there were magical members of the Veritas Society, it stands to reason that someone would have put up some magical defenses. We can't just dart in, stun any guards, and dart out with the box like we hoped we could."

He stood back, and began scanning the area. There was a tense moment before they truly knew. It seemed like any active magic would trigger the defenses in the area. Harry shook his head, and took a step forward.

"We might as well trigger what is here, and deal with it," Kara said, and Harry gave her a questioning expression. The blonde Kryptonian shrugged. "The longer we stand here and wait, the more of a chance some could figure out we're gone. And they could get here, and we'd be back to square one. We should get that safe deposit box out of here."

"And the fastest way to do is to trigger any defenses from around this area," Harry said, and Kara nodded. The two Heralds of Death stood, and were ready. They took a step forward, knowing that if they went any further, it would be triggered.

Going in at super speed would just bounce them back. Apparating in just sent them slightly outside the barrier. Just walking in, and trying to move their worth seemed to be the most logical idea. And that's what Harry and Kara did. They took a few more steps, and a calm expression crossed their faces.

Time stood still as the Heralds of Death held their collective breath.

The ground began to rumble beneath them. Harry wondered what they had to deal with. The Lovegoods might not have put any nasty surprises there for them to deal with. The Greengrasses on the other hand, they had been notorious for fighting rather dirty when the circumstances dictated it. The ground continued to rock, and shift, and rumble before it crumbled, and several hands shot from the ground.

"What are those things?" Kara asked with a frown.

Harry studied them, before her gave them his answer.

"Guardian trolls," Harry told her, and he paused. "With a few upgrades as it turns out, both in power and intelligence."

They were against several large creatures that stood before them. The creatures stalked the Heralds of Death. They gave a mighty growl.

"The secrets of the traveler must be preserved," one of the guardians said in a low voice.

A troll's skin was rather thick, but heat vision seemed to cause it a great deal of agony. The troll yelled in pain, and Harry blasted the trolls with everything he had. They seemed to have some kind of healing factor, which Kara picked up on straight away.

"We're going to have to fight smart in this one," Kara whispered, and she dodged again. She tried to get the guardian trolls to chase her one way. Harry tried to divert them the other way.

Getting them away from this area seemed to be the key to this battle. The problem was the way the charm work was done; Harry was going to have to find a way to break their conditioning. They always seemed to not stray too far from the doors, and had blocked them with their massive girth. Kara slammed hard into one of the trolls, knocking him out with a kick. The creature did a kip up, and was back on his feet.

The charms they put up hopefully would keep anyone from seeing what was going on. Still, Kara and Harry intended to dispense with their foes quickly not to give them a chance.

The creatures continued to surround Harry and Kara. The two Heralds of Death proceeded to fight them, hammering their enemies with everything they had. The skin of the trolls was thick, and hard to penetrate. Yet they managed to get in a few good licks in on the creatures. With a deep breath, Harry analyzed the situation.

"Kara, lure him over this way!" Harry called.

Kara did as she was told. The troll lumbered over towards her. It blasted an energy attack from its hand. That was a skill that was not typical to these lumbering, and often stupid creatures. However, Harry lured it into a trap. Thick ropes wrapped around his massive ankles and arms, and immediately he fell down to the ground. Kara blasted an intense burst of heat vision to further injure them, and the guardian was buried down to the ground.

The two Heralds of Death exchanged a look that only meant one thing. One down, a couple dozen or more so were left to go. Harry and Kara joined hands, and closed their eyes. They blasted at two of the trolls at supersonic speed. A loud concussive blast had knocked the troll back. He flew hard and Harry opened a rift in time and space, to deposit the troll elsewhere.

A troll tried to lift up a huge rock, and rush Harry and Kara to smash it. Kara elbowed the troll, and flung him into one of his brothers. Or maybe it was a sister; it was hard to tell with trolls. The two let a tandem blast of heat vision that incinerated one of the nastier creatures. The other trolls felt the pain, and Harry and Kara both realized that they could exploit this little flaw to their advantage.

"Let's keep it up," Harry told her, and Kara nodded. Their teamwork was able to defeat the guardians of this place one by one.

Harry had no idea why they would use trolls. Then again, perhaps it was just a distraction for another defense later on. He did wonder if there would be different defenses activated if he was a Muggle trying to breach the defenses of the temple.

That was food for thought, and something he would have to ponder once they dealt with this situation.

'_The only thing they really have against us is the numbers game,' _Harry thought. _'Which, that's a pretty good thing to have on your side. If only we had that third herald, wherever she is, whoever she is, we'd be able to handle this battle a lot better."_

There was no time to worry about that right now. They had to make do with the resources they had. Kara and Harry both blasted through the trolls. Harry privately thought that Clark should be thanking him for all that he was doing. It was taxing to keep the secrets that could destroy him out of the hands of people that would in fact destroy him.

The battle raged on, and Harry and Kara cut the numbers at least in half. Of course, that meant that they were only halfway to go.

* * *

Lionel tapped his pen over and over again sitting behind his desk. The conversation with Harry Potter had given him much to think about. Before he could plan what he was going to do next, he could hear footsteps from outside of his office. The office door swung open, and Lex entered the office. He walked forward with a purpose, and Lionel remained calm and collected.

"Lex, what do I owe this pleasure?" Lionel asked in a collected tone of voice.

Lex spoke without any preamble. "I don't know how you do it. Keep secrets for yourself, when the information could mean life or death for the human race."

Lionel stared down his son, not even blinking.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to be more specific of what you're accusing me of," Lionel said in a crisp voice. He folded his hands, and looked up at his son. One could cut the tension with a knife. "Well, I'm waiting."

"Veritas, the Traveler, a society where every single member has died with the exception of you," Lex said calmly. "Everything is clearer to me now than ever before. What game did you think that you were playing?"

"Lex, you're confused, and you obviously have no idea the depths of what you're trying to unearth," Lionel said. He remained calm and unapologetic. "Don't concern yourself with the traveler; it's not something you must worry about. I wanted to keep you from this as much as I can, but you keep trying to force the issue."

"I force the issue because you're putting humanity in danger because of your games," Lex replied. His voice rose, and he stared at his father with a challenging expression. "Who is to save this traveler is not someone who is dangerous, and could conquer us all?"

"I can assure you that he has no aspirations to that extent," Lionel said.

There was a long moment of silence. Everything slowly clicked one little bit at a time. Lex's head turned towards Lionel. An accusation danced in his eyes, and it was on the tip of his tongue. He remained rather cool and collected in the face of this, but he could not resist opening his mouth.

The accusation lingered on his tongue for only a moment before he spit it out.

"You know who it is. You know the identity of the traveler."

Lionel remained silent. His body language offered no movement, and there was no hint to what he was truly thinking. He reached over, and shuffled through papers.

He continued this motion. Making his son wait, and stew was something that he gained a slight measure of pleasure of.

"Knowledge is power," Lionel offered Lex. His next statement contained a warning. "But a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing. And knowing too much can kill you."

Lex tapped on the side of the desk, and stared down his father. Years and years of tension between father and son boiled over to this very moment.

"Tell me," Lex said to him in his most dangerous voice, and Lionel got up to his feet. His stare was in Lex's eyes. He had a feeling that his son was a desperate man, about to do something extremely desperate and potentially stupid.

A smile shifted across Lionel's face. "You don't even know what has been underneath your nose this entire time. When you have been checkmated, and when someone has outmaneuvered you. Even if I did tell you about the Traveler, you've already lost. Just concede defeat, you might live longer."

"What are you talking about?" Lex demanded.

Lionel had the air of someone who was holding onto the secrets of the universe. It was beginning to agitate Lex. Lex fingered the inside of his jacket.

"If you haven't figured it out, then I'm not going to help you," Lionel said. And his gaze focused on Lex. It was unblinking, and fearless. He saw Lex reach towards the inner pocket on his jacket. "Are you going to kill me Lex? You don't even know who is more dangerous. Someone who is willing to kill to unearth the secrets of the universe, or a person who is willing to die to protect said secrets."

A humorless expression spread across Lex's face.

"Let's find out," Lex said darkly.

Before Lex could make his move, the windows behind Lionel shattered in an explosion of bullets. Glass was sent in every single direction, and a bullet was put in the back of Lionel's head. Lionel dropped to the ground, blood oozing from the back of his head. Another bullet just narrowly missed Lex, and he threw himself on the ground. He crawled around, and reached for the intercom to call security.

"Help, my father's been shot, and someone just tried to stop me," Lex said. He closed his eyes, and poked his head up. He chanced a look outside of the window.

He saw a man in a trench coat run across the street. Security stepped in and helped Lex to his feet. Half of them held Lex up, and the couple other security guards checked on Lionel. Blood flowed freely on the floor.

"Your father isn't breathing, sir."

"Never mind him, I have to find out who did this, before it's too late," Lex said.

Someone wanted to kill both Luthors. Given the number of rivals they had made on a business level and personal level, narrowing down a list was not going to be easy. Lex was covered by his bodyguards, and raced downstairs. He was pushed forward by adrenaline and determination. He pushed open the doors, and faced his father's attacker. The man in a trench coat stood across the street, and the gun was in his hand.

"Who are you?' Lex demanded. "Why did you do this?"

"The traveler is not yours, Lex Luthor," the man said. Something rather peculiar had struck Lex when he said this. The man had spoken in a female's voice, with a British accent. The bodyguards moved in, and shot the man out of self-defense when he took a step towards Lex Luthor.

Lex found himself at a loss to figure out what happened. He shook his head, and the man dropped to the ground. Lex placed his hand on the fallen man, and he felt a warmth course through his hand. He thought nothing of it; his subconscious told him that it was just a figment of his imagination.

He could have sworn that his eyes were green a moment ago, but now that they were brown. Blood currently oozed out of the mouth of the man on the ground.

His phone rang. For a lack of anything else better to do, Lex answered it immediately.

"Hello," Lex said, adopting a business like tone. The police were down the street. "Yes, yes, you found something. Get my jet ready, and get me over there immediately. I'll meet you in twenty minutes."

The police and the EMTs arrived. Lex could feel that it was much too late for anything to help his father. The sniper was also something that Lex was confused by. There were just too many questions, and not enough answers for his liking.

He inclined his head for a moment, and remained silent. It was unfortunate what happened, but not unexpected. The most bittersweet thing was that this happened to his father before Lex could get answers.

And a part of him was let down by the fact that he had not had the pleasure of killing his father himself.

* * *

Lana sat her legs crossed, with a feather in front of her. She realized how stupid this might look, but the moment she could consciously move this object with her mind, she could move larger objects with her mind. It stood to reason that if she should do it through a burst of adrenaline, or emotion, she would be able to do it on purpose.

"So, any progress?"

Lana turned around, and saw Clark waiting for her with a smile. She realized that the time had passed by them.

"I could have sworn I got it to move an inch, but before I could get a closer look, it dropped down," Lana said.

"Well Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is mastering powers," Clark said in an encouraging voice. "You know your powers are like a switch. It's just finding the right way to turn it on. You pretty much got the other powers. There were some snags, but you got it."

Lana nodded. She squinted her eyes. All she accomplished was memorizing the feather. There had to be something else to this. Some minor, yet crucial, detail she was missing. Something that she was missing .She racked her brain trying to figure out what she was doing wrong.

Then it struck her immediately. She was trying too hard. It was something that both Harry and Kara told her. She had to let it flow naturally. The real key to mastering her powers was just letting them come naturally, and not trying to force the issue. The flight came natural, the X-Ray vision, the heat vision, the super speed, the super breath, and every single one of the other powers.

So she tried to relax a little bit. She took a deep breath.

"Lana, I think it moved," Clark said, and sure enough the feather hovered a couple of inches off of the table. Lana trained her gaze on the feather, and it hovered higher and higher into the air. She let out the breath she held, and it dropped onto the table. "You did…"

"I was trying to guide it so it landed where it started, but my aim was off," Lana said. She tried once again, and focused completely on the feather. A number of seconds passed, and Lana took a couple of deep breaths.

The feather rotated in mid-air. Lana guided it down properly. Then she tried for another object, a pillow. Sure enough, she managed to get this one a little quicker. This was a lot easier. She tried not to strain herself, but now she was at the races. All she had to do was focus on the task at hand, and do it. A book seemed to the next logical step on the list.

She did this as well. The book dropped down, a bit crooked. She tried again, and this time it was a perfect landing.

Lana thought that a table would be the next logical step. Before she could move on, a knock on the door had broken her concentration. Thankfully, she did not have to move from her space, where Clark rushed over to the door immediately. He opened it, and saw Chloe on the other side. She looked uncharacteristically serious.

"What is it Chloe?" Clark asked, and Lana scrambled up to her feet as well, equally curious.

"Clark, did you hear about what happened? Lionel Luthor has been shot."

Lana's concentration was completely on what Chloe right now, and Clark's mouth was wide open. He looked positively dumbstruck.

"The news reports are saying that he's dead," Chloe added.

"What…how…how did that happen?" Lana asked. She was not shedding tears for Lionel Luthor. At the same time, the fact that he was shot was something that she wanted to find out the details. Killing someone like Lionel would mean that they were able to get past security.

Chloe was prompt to answer.

"There was a sniper that shot him. They also took a shot at Lex, but Lex's security apparently gunned him down. Lex is remaining tight lipped about the entire subject."

"Or he's the one who did it," Lana said.

Clark was not one hundred percent convinced. Yet, he would not be surprised. A part of him always wondered if the Luthors would end up killing each other. His expression remained neutral and focused. He was not convinced.

"It's too easy, and not Lex's style," Clark said.

"What better of a way to get yourself an alibi then to get shot at yourself," Chloe offered, and Clark and Lana just looked at her. "Yeah, they tried for a two for one deal with both Luthors."

"That would be something that Lex would try and pull," Lana replied in a calm and crisp voice. "And if it isn't Lex, then who else would try and kill Lionel Luthor."

A morbid smile crossed across Chloe's face. "If we started making a list, we'd be here all day. Lionel's made about as many enemies as the Luthor family has dollars to his name. Remember what happened with the Winston Smith situation. He was a nobody who went postal, and then waited years before he tried to unleash his holy revenge."

Clark had to agree. There was a moment where he tried to figure out where he stood with this. His relationship with Lionel had been one of complication. There was always a sense that even when Lionel was helping him, he was getting some benefit out of it. He would have to find out more, but immediately another party had turned up.

"I doubt that Lionel Luthor's death was merely a motive of revenge."

Chloe, Clark, and Lana all spun around. They were face to face with the one and only Batman.

"Well, the Dark Knight returns," Chloe said. She tried to smile to lighten the somber mood.

Batman was utterly humorless in his expression. Chloe wondered if he thought the universe would crack if he showed the slightest bit of facial expressions.

"I take it this isn't a social call," Clark said.

"Nice to see you've been exercising your mind along with your powers," Batman said in a calm and crisp voice.

Lana shook her head, and looked at him.

"He knows your secrets, and your powers," Lana said. She frowned immediately, and stepped in front of Batman. "Yet, you don't know who he is."

Lana tried to use her X-Ray vision to see past Batman's cowl. She strained and focused her vision. However, it did not work.

"Lead lined cowl, I wouldn't bother," Batman told her in a crisp voice.

"I should have known," Lana said, shaking her head.

"Lana, we can worry about him later," Clark said. He faced the cowled crime fighter. "Why are you here?"

"I'll cut to the chase, Lionel Luthor's death was far from an accident," Batman said. "Someone wanted to silence him and Lex before they spilled the secrets regarding the Traveler. I've been having both of the Luthors under surveillance for months, along with certain other important parties with this game."

Immediately, Chloe, Lana, and Clark exchanged looks of dismay, and did not doubt for a one minute that Batman was watching.

'_I should have figured with a guy like that, he sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake,' _Chloe thought, in almost amusement. Her mind was trying to piece together the man behind the mask. Some of those gadgets looked really expensive, and had been nothing like she had ever seen before.

Who was he really?

"I have been able to uncover information that there is an important secret regarding the nature of Veritas in a bank in Zunich," Batman said.

Clark was about ready to ask how he knew something like this. The question lingered on the tip of his tongue. Then he stopped himself. Given what he found out about Batman, he would not be surprised if the Dark Knight kept detailed notes about everything Clark had for breakfast over the past month.

"Where exactly?" Clark asked.

Batman considered his options. He was interested in getting his hands on the safe deposit box. The clue inside would be a valuable contingency if the traveler had gone rogue.

He considered everything, and removed a portable drive.

"Here is all of the information that I've uncovered," Batman said. "You should get the device before Luthor does."

Clark and Lana both nodded, their resolve was strong.

Of course both wondered what Batman's true stake in this game was.

* * *

Kara and Harry stood back to back. They fought furiously against their powerful opponents. The battle continued to rage on. They actually had everything under control, for the most part. The last two guardians that were left were among the toughest, and most dangerous. Harry could have sworn that they were not there at first. He had a feeling the secondary defenses were triggered when they defeated the initial life of defenses.

Harry was pretty much trying to think on his feet. He had the sense when to dodge the attacks. Kara was fine as well. The only thing that was amiss with her was that her face was smudged with dirt, and her jacket was ripped. She continued to press on, with determination. They stood back to back, their arms locked with each other. The pair of them circled around, and decided that they had a plan.

"Follow my lead," Harry told Kara in a lowered voice.

"Right," Kara said, getting a sense where Harry was going with this one.

Their arms remained locked, and Kara and Harry gained flight velocity, their arms still locked. The guardians rumbled on the ground beneath them. They shifted around, and Kara and Harry locked hands with each other. They spun around and around, and created a vortex of magical energy that blasted their enemies about. One of the guardians were knocked down from the impact. He crumbled into dust from the impact, and disappeared back into the Earth like he had never existed.

They were only able to breath for a second. Then they were back onto the attack.

One down, one to go, and Harry and Kara saw the last one. The final one was always the biggest, and nastier of them of them. Kara and Harry tried to attack him, but he teleported out of the way. He swung a large clubbing fist. Kara dodged the attack. Harry took his legs out, while Kara slammed into his chest with both of her fists.

The guardian stood forward, and gave a mighty growl. Suddenly, he turned around, and sensed something else. He could smell the blood of something nearby. The guardian stood, and saw Clark and Lana standing before him. Lana's eyes widened, and had been taken momentarily off guard. Both Lana and Clark braced themselves for a fight.

However, all they served to be was a timely distraction. Harry and Kara summoned the full scope of their powers to blast the final guardian. While they were doing this, they shielded both Clark and Lana from the blast. Clark and Lana stood before them. Baffled did not even begin to cover how they were feeling by what they had just seen.

"What are you two doing here?" Clark asked.

Kara immediately jumped to the defense. Her cousin and his protector were not part of what they intended to do. "Clark, I could ask you two the same question."

"There's something here, something of value that I might be interested in," Clark offered.

Harry and Kara remained calm and collected. They had a feeling the truth was going to come out sooner, or later.

"And who told you this?" Harry asked.

There was a long moment of silence between the group. Clark and Lana were unsure about whether to tell them for the moment.

"We've got it taken care of, don't worry about it," Kara said firmly. She looked at Clark immediately, but Clark was not about to let the matter drop.

"How did you find out about all of this?"

"Clark, did you not think we would do our homework on this?" Harry asked. "This is being done for your own protection."

Clark remained silent.

"Just like locking me in my Fortress was done for my protection," Clark said.

Harry sighed, and found himself quiet agitated at seeing his words turned around.

"That's not how I meant it, and you know it," Harry said. "We have no idea whether or not whatever is in that box has a defense that will cripple the traveler on sight. That's all we meant."

Clark accepted this, a bit more. Still he was miffed about being kept out of the loop.

"What is this all about?" Lana asked.

It was Kara who responded. "We're still on the same side, but this is just something that we had to do alone, and get here before Lex could. Or even his father."

"Lionel Luthor is dead," Clark said, deciding to break the news to them.

"Really?" Harry asked a bit interested. "His time was coming, but I didn't know it would be that soon."

Clark and Lana were unsurprised that they knew. That was one of the drawbacks of being a Herald of Death, knowing when a death was going to come.

"What happened?" Kara asked them.

It was Lana who answered. The two couples stood on either side, still looking at each other. "Lionel was shot from behind. Apparently whoever did it also took a shot at Lex. Lex is mostly fine, but Lionel…well you know what happened."

"You didn't have anything to do with this, did you?" Clark asked.

Immediately, Clark was met by a look of agitation at this perceived distrust. Harry took a calming breath, and tried not to lose it. Clark seemed to know that he had crossed a line.

"If I had anything to do this, there are a million ways where I could kill Lex or Lionel, and make it look like natural causes," Harry said in a cold voice. Clark sized up, and tried to convey his apologies. "Don't worry I would have suspected me as well. Although I hope for your sake that you have an alibi of some sort that is airtight, and can hold up if they suspect you of this murder."

Clark and Lana did not consider that, but it stand to risen given that their history with the Luthors was well documented. Harry looked over his shoulder, and took a step forward towards the bank. He had the strangest feeling that he was being watched. Kara followed him forward. Clark and Lana were stopped immediately by an invisible barrier.

Both Clark and Lana were on the outside looking in.

"Did they do that?" Lana asked. She tried to push through, but found her strength repelled back.

"Together, maybe," Clark said after Lana caught her bearings.

Clark and Lana ran into the barrier. They hit it once again, and Harry and Kara peaked at the other end, looking at them.

"The exterior defenses that were put up there must have kicked back on!" Kara yelled from inside.

Clark and Lana both nodded. At least both Harry and Kara slipped through.

Harry and Kara stepped forward.

"You understand what we're doing what we're doing," Harry whispered to Kara in an undertone, using a charm to mask his voice so not even Clark and Lana could hear it with their enhanced hearing.

"I understand, even if I don't like it," Kara said, and Harry just wrapped his arms around his fiancée, and gave her a series of kisses on the back of her neck, to reassure her that everything was going to be fine.

Harry remained rather calm, almost too calm. He stepped forward, and spotted the Safe Deposit Box.

"If my mother can control the Fortress, it stands to reason that she can find a way to control Clark," Harry said. Kara nodded, and her resolve remained strong. "We need a failsafe if worse comes to worse, to override her will."

Harry peaked in to see the contents were still there. He opened the box, and transported the contents to a safe area in the Shining Light Foundation. The box remained shut, and Harry and Kara turned around, to face Clark and Lana.

"I can't get them open without two keys, and they have been charmed against most major spells," Harry said.

"Are you sure there isn't a way?" Lana asked.

"We could destroy the box," Kara suggested. "But that would be destroying the contents on the inside. As long as Lex or anyone else doesn't get ahold of the keys, everything will be perfectly safe."

"I don't know if he'd even be able to get through with these defenses," Clark said to them. Kara and Harry exchanged a knowing smile.

"Never count out anyone, especially someone as devious as Lex Luthor. Powers or not, he is still someone who always should be a concern."

Clark and Lana had to agree. They knew what Lex was potentially capable of better than anyone. Harry made sure that no one was watching them. He had a feeling that he had a bat sighting a while back, but anyone who was watching was gone now. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he motioned for Clark and Lana to leave.

Had Lex arrived at that moment, and not five minutes later, he would have finally caught sight of evidence that he had been searching for. However, all he was greeted by was the bank before him. A frown appeared on his face. He thought that this location would be compromised, and he had picked up some strange activity from here.

Lex Luthor had many questions, and not enough answers. He resolved to find out those answers before it was too late.

Little did he know that the truth was dancing underneath his nose, and was closer than he could have realized.

* * *

Harry sat quietly, and pondered everything that had happened. The actions he had to take to make sure the balance was maintained was not going to be easy. The entire Fortress mess had made him wonder what his mother's complete end game was. Lily may have left the Fortress, but she was still out there and still fighting. And there was always a chance that she would be back, and until her influence was completely purged without any doubt, Clark was in danger.

The Heralds of Lord Voldemort seemed to be a lifetime ago. Although there was a nagging thought in the back of Harry's mind that everything about that situation just seemed to be too simple. Perhaps he was being paranoid, due to the fact that he had to fight much harder for his victories.

Kara entered Harry's study, and floated towards him. Harry barely noticed her arrival, and pondered how they were playing with some dangerous fire.

"You're thinking about how much this could backfire too, aren't you?" Kara asked.

Harry had to admit that she had an uncanny way of guessing what he was thinking at any given time. Kara sat herself down on Harry's lap. The two reclined on the chair, relaxing, until it was time for the next challenge. Patricia Swann was safely in hiding, with Harry and Kara having done everything that they could to ensure that no one dangerous could find her.

Harry was visited by a theory, and he almost bet Kara had the same theory as well.

"You and I both know who really killed Lionel Luthor," Harry said.

Kara nodded immediately. "Yeah, but I doubt the spirit of your dead mother possessing a sniper to kill someone is going to be something that are going to give people a rousing opinion of your sanity."

Harry wrapped his arms around her. The couple cuddled in the chair for a few moments, just enjoying each other's company, and a rare moment of downtime. She rested her head back onto his chest. He brushed her hair out of her face, and slowly stroked the skin on her face. Kara was his one anchor that he had out there. She snuggled against him, and Kara smiled.

"In the end, Clark will understand what we're trying to do," Kara said. "It sounds bad, if you look at it from a certain angle."

Part of saving people was not making the most popular decisions. It was making the decision that was right. Harry understood that there would be times where he was going to have to bend the rules a bit. The problem was that once the Fortress was compromised once, it could be compromised again. He had a feeling Clark realized that, and was approaching the situation rather cautiously.

His mother's motivations were an exercise of frustration to try and completely guess .There were some times where it was almost like she was helping him and Kara. And there were times where she had did something that made him wonder what she could be thinking Trapping two people inside a Fortress against their will seemed to be something that crossed the line of what Harry thought was necessary.

Although a part of Harry understood why she did what she did. And that's what scared him. In an indirect way, it had kept the Fortress from being placed into the hands of the Heralds of Voldemort. The mysteries of Project: Genesis had been something that had been mostly determined, although Harry had the strangest feeling that the ramifications might be something that was yet to be felt.

Then that what happened to Hermione, or rather her double. Despite everything, she did take a nasty spell for him. And Harry would be lying if he did not mourn her death deep down. He tried to block it out of his mind. He had business to focus on, and the past was the past.

"Claire's at a friend's house, working on a project for school," Kara whispered, mischief dancing in her eyes. She floated off the chair, and slowly stroked her fingers across Harry's face. "She's staying for dinner that gives us time to be all alone."

Harry could not think of anything better then he wanted to do right now. Kara placed her hands firmly on Harry's wrists, and pinned him down, straddling his legs. She leaned forward, and gave Harry a deep kiss. Her moist lips pressed against his. Harry wrapped his arm around her waist, and returned it with great fever. Kara responded to his actions, sucking on Harry's tongue, and lips, while grinding her clothed center up and down Harry.

Kara dropped back, and Harry made a move, but Kara shook her head.

"Just sit back, and enjoy this," Kara said to him, whispering in his ear. He could feel her hot breath in his ear. "No need to rush, love, we have plenty of time."

Kara stepped back from Harry. She began to sway her hips slowly from side to side. Harry watched her movements. The blonde Kryptonian grabbed her jacket, and slowly slid it down her shoulders. It dropped to the floor. She took a step forward once again, and Harry saw her white blouse, buttoned up. It was tight around her bosom. Kara teased Harry, tracing the outline of her breasts, and slowly one by one she unbuttoned her blouse. She showed more and more skin with each passing movement, slowly and surely teasing Harry.

The girl sat, and slipped her article of clothing down to her feet. Harry found himself immobilized in place. When he was distracted by her little routine, Kara used a spell of some sort to keep him in place. The truth was Harry could have broken it if he wanted to. He was distracted currently by the lack of blood flowing to his brain.

He looked up at Kara. He watched her stand there, running her hands across her beautiful body. She was dressed in nothing, but a lacy white bra from the waist up. The bra just contained her bust, and he could see Kara run her hands over her breasts and her toned stomach. The amount of skin that was revealed increased. Kara unbuttoned her jeans, and slowly slid them down her lovely, shapely legs.

Harry's mouth watered with desire. She was standing there in nothing, but a lacy white bra and a matching white pair of panties. She turned around, so Harry could see all of her. Kara was bent over, so Harry could see her luscious rear snug in the fabric. She swayed her hips teasingly, bent over, and then stepped back. She sat on the table across from Harry. The blonde bombshell was teasingly out of his reach.

He saw all of her. Her legs were crossed, and he could see every inch of her deliciously beautiful stems. From her luscious mouthwatering thighs, all the way down to her gorgeous feet with mouth-watering arches and perfect toes that she wiggled teasingly. He traveled up to her covered center, seeing the wet spot that stained her panties.

Her toned stomach, and belly button was put in the line of sight next. He saw her bend over, to tease him with her cleavage. Her nipples faintly poked out of her bra. He traveled up to her face. Her beautiful blue eyes were the most prominent feature of her face. Her high cheek bones and luscious lips were necked. Said lips were puckered, and she arched her neck back, an expression of desire dancing in her eyes. Her long blonde hair framed her face with the right combination of sexiness and innocence.

She looked at him with a teasing grin. Slowly she trailed her tongue across her lips, licking them and moistening them.

"C'mon Harry, can't you break one immobilization spell?" Kara teased him. She reached forward, and picked up a book. She suggestively traced her fingers down the spine of the book. She flipped through the pages, and set it down. "Maybe you need the proper motivation."

Reaching around, Kara reached into her bag, and pulled out a lollipop. She made sure Harry's eyes stayed on her at all times. Slowly, she slid the wrapper off of it. She gave the lollipop a slow lick, and swirled her tongue around it slowly. Harry watched her, as she continued to eat and suck on the lollipop. Her lips and mouth worked it over immediately, and Harry watched her. Her long, wet, tongue slid up and down the lollipop.

He could barely stand the teasing. Immediately through a sheer force of adrenaline, he pushed herself out of the bindings. He flew off of the table, grabbed Kara around the waist, and slammed him against the wall hard. He attacked her mouth with a searing kiss, sucking on her lips, and forcing his tongue deep into her mouth. Kara returned the favor. Their passionate activities continued.

Kara knocked the books off of the shelf form the impact, but she did not care. She loved to be dominated like this. Harry's mouth worked on her, slowly kissing her face, lips, neck, shoulders, and stomach. She felt electricity go through her body and Harry continued to pleasure her.

Kara staggered back, and she rested back on the table. She felt cold air between her legs, and then Harry's talented tongue began to do its magic. She could hardly keep focused, and he could really make her feel pleasures that she hardly dreamed about. Her hips twitched, but Harry was not done teasing her.

He stepped back, and Kara looked up at him. Mischief danced in her eyes.

"You're a bit over dressed, aren't you?" Kara asked Harry, and she playfully tackled Harry to the floor. Like she was in heat, Kara tore the clothes off of Harry. The two lovers embraced and made out on the bed, teasing each other. They were trying to one-up the other, in an attempt to make the other crack.

Kara lost herself to the pleasure. Harry's hands and mouth made her lose control of her thoughts and nearly lose control of her powers. Her legs locked around his waist, carefully pinning him in place. There were only three words that she could say to her future husband.

"Fuck me, now."

Harry thought that those three words were never sounded more eloquent, and sexy when coming from her beautiful mouth. He proceeded to oblige her, and Kara's screams could be heard all the way to Gotham City.

They indulged themselves in each other for hours on end, until they fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

The BrainInteractive Construct continued the systematic method in trying to hack into the main computers at the Shining Light Foundation. He had bounced off of wall against wall. Any technology on Earth could be breached by his superior programs.

There was only one conclusion he had come to. Whatever the computers were at the Shining Light Foundation, they were not technology, but something else.

This conclusion was illogical, yet the only one that could lead Brainiac to a logical explanation. He terminated that line of inquiry before it could cause an infinite loop that would cause his systems to crash. A pulse of energy knocked him back, and he could not get back into the system for the time being. The Shining Light Foundation was off of the grid of the city's network. The only backdoor was its piggybacking off of the Luthorcorp system. Every single bit of information that passed through the Luthorcorp databases was being fed back to the Shining Light Foundation.

Hacking into the Luthorcorp computers was an exercise of futility in itself. Yet, it was actually something that can be done. The messenger had changed much through his arrival. It made his mission less assured. His plans would need to be reassessed. This information would be vital in his hands, and would need to be collected much like all of his other information.

Brainiac examined the logic flaws that were the system of the Shining Light Foundation. He continued to try and hack into the system. There were many attempts to get in, but he was pushed back. There also seemed to be another force inside the machine. This force compromised his objectives.

The final children of Krypton might prove to be a problem. Death's Messenger proved to be a dangerous force that could compromise his well-planned objective.

He came to only one conclusion.

All parties must be dealt with and terminated at all costs.

Brainiac was superior to any organic mind. He was able to process a plan faster than many men and women could blink. He analyzed every single angle, and knew what he had to do.

He would destroy them all, first mentally, and then physically.

In a month he would strike. It was the type of opportunity that only came along once every ten thousand years.

**To Be Continued in Menace Part One. **


	28. Chapter 28: Menace Part One

**Chapter 28: Menace Part One. **

The cold and craziness of winter had finally melted away. The snow and ice was finally gone. Spring had arrived, and it was nice to be outside without trudging through snow and cold winds. Not that this was that much of a problem for Harry and Kara. Presently, they had just arrived at the Kent Farm. Claire had tagged along with them, this having been her day off of school. She enjoyed the sights and sounds of nature. Being locked up for years and years of her life in a cold government lab really did give someone a new appreciation for it.

It really was a beautiful day outside for all.

Kara walked by Harry. She was dressed in a tight red t-shirt, and a short blue mini-skirt that showcased her beautiful legs. She could actually wear a skirt in the coldest months of winter time, and not be the slightest bit bothered. However, she had to stick to jeans during those harsher winter months. Harry did tell her that she wore her pair of jeans well, which brought a smile to her face. Harry placed an arm around her, holding her tight with a smile.

"You know we could just skip all of the formalities, and get married right now," Kara said to him in a low voice. "This big wedding, it does seem to be a bit much, doesn't it?"

Harry smiled at his bride to be.

"It's a wedding fit for royalty," Harry argued, and he grabbed Kara's hands, holding them tight. His green eyes met her blue eyes. "And you are more beautiful than any princess could be, so we have to make this extra special."

Kara just smiled. Harry was the greatest guy on Earth; no scratch that, in the entire universe. He really was adamant that he would give her the wedding of a life time. She hated to see how much money he sunk into this wedding. Then again, the thing about Harry is that he never did anything halfway. He was always in all of the way, or out all of the way.

Still in a few days, regardless, she would finally be Kara Potter. That had a nice ring to it.

Kara thought about this, and she noticed something. Claire walked away.

"Don't wander off too far, Claire!" Kara called after her surrogate daughter. Claire stopped short, and crossed her arms. Claire stood around the barn, and just shuffled her feet. Kara turned her attention back to Harry. "Harry, as long as we're together, that's all that matters. We could get married after a drunken weekend in Las Vegas, and still it would be magical somehow, given that it was us."

Harry blinked, and looked at his bride.

"Where did you get an idea like that?"

"I don't know," Kara said with a shrug. Claire stepped over.

"I'm happy you guys are finally getting married, you should have been married months ago, but you take forever to do anything," Claire said. Harry and Kara turned to their daughter. She just smiled, and shrugged. "That's okay, that's just what old people are like. They take forever to do anything."

"Yes, old, that's what we are," Kara said dryly. A smile crossed over her face. "Nineteen and twenty years old, we're positively ancient, you know."

Kara would be twenty years old in July, and a few days later, Harry would be twenty one. Of course their real ages should be much more, but spending a lot of time in stasis negated that. Those were the years that they lived, so that's how old they were.

"And you'll be okay when we go on our honeymoon," Harry said.

Claire nodded her head happily. She was not sure what adults did on a honeymoon. That was a mystery to her. However, there was something that told her that she did not want to know at all. Perhaps she was being well off base.

"Yeah, she'll be fine," Kara said. They had already made arrangements. "She's staying with one of the teenage volunteers at the Shining Light Foundation, Megan, I think her name is."

"Yeah, Megan, she's cool," Claire said to them brightly. Claire's tone dropped into a cryptic whisper. "She told me she's secretly a White Martian, but I'm really not supposed to say anything about that."

Kara and Harry looked at their daughter with fond smiles. They loved her, but they were not about to trust her with any secrets. Given the fact that she tended to be a bit of a blabbermouth, and all of that.

"I'm sure Megan's really just pulling your leg," Kara said to her gently. Claire nodded. "Or she does have an overactive imagination."

Claire shrugged, and walked off.

"White Martians?" Harry whispered to her, in a questioning tone.

"They exist believe it or not, or existed," Kara said, shaking her head. "There was a big war between them and the greens years ago. I think it lead to their extinction on Mars, both sides. The White Martians were considered misfits, and it warped some of them into desperate actions. Some of the white Martians were oppressed, and they were treated like second class citizens. They conveniently leave that part out of history."

"Fascinating," Harry said. He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Could Claire be onto something?"

"As far as I know, The Manhunter is the only Martian of either color that exists," Kara told him.

The Martian Manhunter was still a very touchy subject with Kara, although the air was cleared a time back when he actually did offer his sincerest apologies about not trying to save her mother. And for his irrational comparison towards her father, which Kara thought crossed the line. He was just trying to protect Clark. That much Kara understood, although she tried to convey they were on the same time. And while she would not be inviting the Martian Manhunter over for dinner any time soon, she thought things would be a lot better off.

"I'm sure he wasn't being overly malicious, Kara," Harry told her.

"Yeah, he did say he was sorry…and Jor-El was the one leading him by the nose," Kara said. "The only crime he really committed is being Jor-El's lapdog. And he did help out Clark, so that wins him points with me to make up for what he did. I guess."

"And I'm sure things got smoothed over between us," Harry said.

"Only because you gave him the Oreos," Kara said, shaking her head. She offered Harry a smile. "Everyone knows that the key to winning over a Martian is giving them Oreos. Do you even know what Oreos do to them? You just had to be an enabler, didn't you?"

Kara said that in a teasing manner. A frown spread across Harry's face as he looked at her.

"What, are Oreos supposed to be some kind of Martian narcotic, or something?" Harry asked.

Kara laughed.

"That's actually not actually far off," Kara said.

"I'm sure J'onn knows about moderation," Harry fired back.

"Well, we'll see," Kara said. She was grinning.

Their banter was broken up by Claire rushing from the barn. The doors were halfway open.

"Mom, Dad, there's a strange man in the barn!" Claire yelled to them.

Harry's face fell, and he immediately stood up straight. He automatically was suspicious on principle. No matter how one sliced it, that could not be good at all. He moved forward, and Kara followed him. They put themselves between Claire and the barn. The group stepped forward, and stood.

A dark haired man dressed in black stood in the barn.

"Who are you?" Harry demanded.

"Two children among the last of their kind, and they have the power to bring it all back, but yet they choose not to," the man said to them. Harry and Kara stood, completely on their guard. "Are they afraid of what may transpire? There is no logical way that they could not have stopped it all from happening. Especially given they have the tools at their hands."

"Just who are you?" Harry repeated.

The dark haired figure had a smile spread across his face.

"I am just someone who is to shed some light on what you could be doing, instead of wasting your time grooming a lost cause," the man said to them. "I am a survivor of the planet Krypton, and I would like to suggest that you two use your gifts to make sure the spirit of Krypton lives once again. So you can go home again."

"I am home," Kara said. She was firm in her words, and there was no doubt or hesitation in them.

It was the truth. She was here with people who she cared about. This was home. Krypton was the past; her life on Earth was her present and future.

Immediately, Harry and Kara both checked the lifeline reader to see what they were up against. This man did not register as Kryptonian. In fact he did not register as anything on the reading of life. Most dots with white, grey, black, red, or in a rare instance, gold. This dot was clear as plastic.

"Come with me, and we'll discuss this matter further," the man said.

Harry and Kara exchanged a look with each other. They were not about to fall for this.

"I don't know who you are, or what game you're trying to pull, but we're not going to go with you," Harry said.

A sadistic smile spread across the face of the man.

"If you do not come with me willingly, then there are other methods to ensure your compliance."

The two Heralds of Death knew a threat when they heard one. They braced themselves to fight the unknown. Before they could strike, the barn door opened. Clark entered the barn. His eyes narrowed and he looked at the figure.

"You."

"Kal-El, we meet again," the man said.

Clark stood. To say he was shell shocked would be putting it mildly.

"It can't be you, you're dead," Clark said.

"The rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated I can assure you," he said. "The BrainInteractive Construct will…"

Harry took this moment while he was talking to attack. He sliced him across the chest with the magically created scythe going for the kill. Unfortunately, he could not reap this thing, which verified his theory.

Whatever this thing was, he was not alive. He was not a man, but a machine.

Clark was next to try an attack. He rushed the enemy, but he closed his eyes. He dissolved in a pile of molten metal, and disappeared into nothingness.

Kara broke the silence.

"What in the name of Rao was that?" Kara asked.

Clark was prompt to answer. "That's someone that I hoped to never see again. Brainiac, or Milton Fine as he was called as well."

"What exactly is Brainiac?" Harry asked.

Clark just looked nervous at this point.

"This could take some explanation," Clark said, leaving the barn. Claire was kept close to Kara and Harry. "Just how much time do you have?"

"Plenty," Kara said.

Clark nodded. He decided to explain about the danger that Brainiac posed.

One of the ghosts from the past had come back to haunt him in the worst way.

* * *

Kara and Harry let this information all process. Their instincts were not to trust Brainiac, and they had been proven right. At least Clark had allowed them to fill in some valuable blanks that would hopefully allow them to deal with this situation.

"That would explain why we were not picking him up with the lifeline reader," Harry said. He could feel a headache coming on. "It's not like the physical manifestation of an advanced AI program would be something that would be easily picked up for sure."

The Two Heralds of Death had to prepare for what was coming. First they had to uncover whatever plan this menace was formulating. Brainiac was going to be a problem.

"He can make doubles of himself, so he can be anywhere," Kara said, and she looked across the farm. She almost expected Brainiac to pop up at this moment. "And if he's a computer, he's likely going to have himself backed up in multiple places. So we're going to have to find all of the back-ups and destroy them before we can take down the source program."

"He's not going to be that easy," Clark said.

Harry and Kara both smiled. They enjoyed a challenge. This would be no different. They were cut off when Lana arrived from high above, and dropped down onto the ground. She could sense Clark's frustration.

"Clark, what is it?" Lana asked him.

"It's Brainiac," Clark said. "I did tell you about him…."

"Yes, you did, and I thought you said he was destroyed, never to come back," Lana said. She could have slapped herself. That was what Brainiac wanted them to think. If half of the things Clark told her were true, then they were in for a bit of a headache. She decided to get to the bottom of this. Over the past month, she had been more at ease with her powers. "What exactly are we up against?"

"We're up against a super powerful computer, who can duplicate himself, and also shape shift into the form of anyone," Clark said. "And he has all of my strengths and none of my weaknesses."

This news struck Lana immediately. She stood, and the grimmest thought of all approached her.

"That means that Brainiac could be standing right here, right now, and none of us would even know it," Lana said grimly.

Harry was quick to address that misconception.

"We would know it actually," Harry said, and Lana blinked, looking at him strangely. Harry decided to take a moment to elaborate. "Our lifeline reader, it picks up anyone. It didn't pick up Brainiac. All I have to do is scan everyone that I meet, and we'll find it. You two are clean, so there's nothing to worry about."

"But what if one of you two had been replaced by Brainiac, or both?" Clark asked.

Kara sighed. Clark shifted into an apologetic expression, under the glare of his cousin.

"No, Kara, he does have a point," Harry said. Kara relaxed, only slightly. "But if I was Brainiac, and I had you close right now, I would have already taken you out. You are a threat to him, and his goals, I think that it's safe to say."

"Yes, I guess that makes sense," Clark offered.

"Of course it makes sense," Lana said to him.

Another thought crossed her mind. Brainiac would really be the first big test to see if her powers would work well. She had been practicing them every day, especially her powers of telekinesis. She also could have sworn that she could also freeze things in place. She found that out when dealing with a particularly annoying insect.

"So, how are you coming along on your powers?" Harry asked.

"You were right, I'm getting the hang of them," Lana said, and she could not resist to show the trick she had figured out. "I can also do this."

Clark braced himself. He knew what was coming next. He could struggle, but it was going to be over a lot sooner if he did not. He felt himself being lifted off of the ground. He was in mid-air, and Lana kept her focus on him, lifting him up in the air. Clark looked down at Lana, and she maintained her focus.

"Wow, Clark, you're flying, good for you," Kara said, but she shook her head none the same.

Clark was up in the air immediately, and Lana held him high up in the air with her mind. She caused him to do a couple of laps around the barn. That was about all that she could manage before she had to stop. Then again, that was more than she could manage a couple of days ago. And at least she could cause Clark to land firmly on his feet now. The first time they tried this, he was sent spiraling into the mud. Clark was not too amused by this, although Lana could understand why.

"Not too bad," Kara said to her. "The takeoff could have used a bit more work, but actually everything turned out well."

Clark stood on his feet.

"I'm still getting the hang of that, really," Clark said, shaking his head. Lana and Kara both looked equally amused. Harry really looked like he was trying to keep a straight face in the entire situation. Although there were times where his expression and mask began to slip, and he betrayed what he was truly thinking. "The first time I was up in the air, I…well that's not the point."

Kara could tell what Clark was going to say. He thought that he actually finally managed to tap into his gift of flying, and that power had finally manifested itself. Given how Clark accessed all of his other powers in an unexpected manner why wouldn't he learn flying unexpected manner?

She really did want to see her cousin fly, because Kara thought that he should have a long time again. The longer he waited, the more danger those close to him could be in. Even if she had to take the reins and teach him herself, and with the Fortress compromised, Kara suspected that she might have to take Clark's training up herself. At least until they were sure all traces of Lily were completely purged, and there was no way she could return.

Right now they had the problem of Brainiac.

"It's good that you are more comfortable with your powers, Lana," Kara said. She had a genuine smile on her face. "We might need all hands on deck with the Brainiac situation. That is, if you're ready."

"I'm ready," Lana said firmly.

The big thing was to find out exactly what Brainiac was up to. Last time his plan had been to release General Zod, using Lex Luthor as a vessel. He also caused one of the biggest technologically induced panics, in "Black Thursday."

While Clark had banished Zod back to the Phantom Zone, he still lived. Even if it was as a phantom, that did not change the threat. Harry wondered if Brainiac was going to make another attempt of that plan, or if he had something else in mind.

Information was going to be something that was going to be hard to come by.

* * *

As was all major newspapers around the world, the Daily Planet was a source of constant news and activity. Today was no exception that rule. In fact , today might have taken that rule to an entirely new level. The strange influx of energy centered around Kansas had been reported by many people.

Chloe walked around on the ground floor. Perhaps it was experience, and she was being paranoid, but her weird-dar was getting some strong readings. She was trying to call in any number of favors to see whether or not she could find out more.

As far as she could tell, the pulses were bouncing back and forth, had been mostly centered on Smallville. The real question was, was this someone who was coming into their meteor powers, or was it something else entirely? Chloe had many questions. The journalism business allowed her to dig deeper for the answers than anyone could have realized. She had her hand on the phone, about ready to follow a potential lead.

However, she was stopped by the sight of someone walking down the floor. The members of the bullpen were talking in an excited manner, and Chloe caught a brief glimpse of the newest arrival. Much to her surprise, he was walking towards her desk. This really caused her to sit up, and take notice. He walked up to her, and looked at her with a smile.

"Are you Chloe Sullivan?" he asked.

"Yes, I am," Chloe said. She remained calm and collected. "And you are…."

"Bruce Wayne," Bruce said.

Chloe thought so, but she had to make sure. Someone like Bruce Wayne would have had to have a couple of look-alikes out there. Someone had to pose as him to get an easy ride with a woman. She was now rather curious of why a billionaire would want to have met her. Especially, a billionaire who had the reputation that Bruce Wayne had. She was automatically suspicious. She shook her head. She had been hanging out with Harry way too much for her own good. It was starting to make her paranoid like he was.

"Well, Mr. Wayne, what brings you to my humble little corner of the Planet?" Chloe asked.

"Please, Bruce," Bruce said. He gave her a winning smile.

Chloe remained on her guard. Bruce Wayne was the type that turned on that billionaire playboy charm, and got woman following him around like a lost little puppy dog. She looked in a little bit on his back story, and figured out he was a rich kid with lots and lots of issues. One had to be after seeing their parents shot before them at the age of eight.

"Fine, Bruce, what can I do for you?" Chloe asked him.

"I don't know if you've heard about the energy pulses that have been happening around Kansas," Bruce said, and Chloe sat up straight. That was the very thing she had been looking into. "The look on your face indicates that's been something that you've been looking into. Then again, a reporter such as yourself would follow that trail no matter what."

Now Chloe was really interested, and also a tad bit more suspicious.

"It turns out that the power pulses extend far beyond Kansas, and in fact they extend all the way through the Midwest, into the heart of Gotham City," Bruce said. "I had a team of technicians at Wayne Industries. My associate, Mr. Lucius Fox, told me that it could be found here. I believe that there is something originating deep within one of the Luthorcorp factories."

Immediately, a red flag popped up within Chloe's head. She smelled a rat. A rat named Lex Luthor.

"Did you know that?" Bruce asked.

"Not until you brought it up," Chloe said. "I'm not surprised."

Bruce reached into his coat, and pulled out a flash drive. He handed it to Chloe. She took it her hands.

"This drive has everything that you need," Bruce said. "All of the information that we tracked. The evidence points back to Luthor, or at least his main system computers. If they've been infected, then it could be a computer virus that could cripple all of the Midwest, or even more if it spreads."

Immediately, Chloe had a theory of who it was. She really hoped this was wrong. However, when she had a hunch like that, she could not resist sticking her nose in. She would need to get in touch with Clark when Bruce left.

"Thank you, I'll look into that," Chloe said. She could not help asking another question. "Why me? Why would you help me?"

"I've read your work, and enjoy the fact you speak your mind, without fear of the consequences, while making sure to give a fair and balanced perspective," Bruce said. He seemed sincere and honest. "It's something that I find oddly refreshing in the field of journalism."

Chloe nodded.

"Well, glad to see you see that, others might disagree," Chloe said.

"Some miss the spirit of journalism, and that's to uncover the truth, rather than being told, what they want to be told," Bruce answered honestly. "Well, I must be going. I hope that helps you on your way to breaking this story."

Bruce left the office immediately. Chloe was left with the flash drive in her hand. There were too many people around. She stashed it away in her desk. It was hidden from view. As it turned out, that was a good calculated move on her part. The moment she had the drive in her desk, Lois showed up. She seemed to be watching Bruce with a calculated look, and she turned to Chloe.

"Is that who I think it is?" Lois asked.

"Bruce Wayne, eccentric billionaire of Gotham City, master of the night life, is that who you think it is?" Chloe asked.

Lois looked gob smacked. "Wayne…no get out of here. I mean, that guy's so rich that his butler probably has a butler."

Chloe thought that would be a bit outlandish.

"I've been trying to follow up on the upcoming wedding," Lois said without preamble. "Trying to put together any piece on these two is like finding a needle in a haystack. They're childhood friends, I get that, but the fact is there seems to be something much deeper there between them. And I know that you know both of them, so you have the inside track. I tried asking Clark, but he said to talk to them. And they don't seem to like to give interviews for some reason. So I was hoping that you'd give me some information on Metropolis's new power couple."

"Sorry, I can't, Lois, its private," Chloe said. "We all keep secrets, and if they haven't told you, then that's theirs."

"Chloe, please," Lois begged. She gave her cousin puppy dog eyes. Chloe looked away, in amusement. "I don't even know where the wedding is. It's not like it's being publicized. Are they afraid that ninjas are going to crash the reception or something?"

'_Knowing Harry, that would be a real concern,' _Chloe thought to herself.

"Hey, they're getting married, and they're trying not to make a big spectacle out of everything," Chloe said. "That's their business, and I'm going to try and respect that."

Harry and Kara had been trying to make sure that a media circus did not unravel. Chloe thought that they owed her big time, when she called in a few favors to try and keep their marriage a secret, and then to underplay it.

"Yeah, I realize that," Lois said. "For some reason, it just seems a bit less paper thin than all of the other celebrity marriages. They just seem like two people genuinely in love, and…best of luck to them."

Chloe smiled, but then she grew rigid. She saw a very familiar face creeping around. She thought that she was seeing things. She had been working hard, so it would not be too surprising if she was prone to hallucinations. Yet, she saw him with her own two eyes. Milton Fine was hovering outside in the hallway. His gaze seemed focused like he was looking for someone. He lurked outside.

Lois noticed that Chloe noticed something.

"What is it?" Lois asked.

"I thought I saw someone," Chloe said in an undertone. She got up to her feet. Fine was gone, providing that he was there to begin with. "Excuse me for one second."

Lois was completely baffled at what was going to happen. This gave Chloe a chance to slip off. Chloe stepped out into the hallway. Pushing the door open, she looked around. Her fists were clenched, and she took a few steps forward. She waited for the other shoe to drop. In a matter of moments, something could happen. The real question was what it was.

Chloe heard a hovering noise. Suddenly, she felt a hand over her mouth. The unmistakable pain ruptured throughout her body. She struggled, driven by the self-presevation instincts. Chloe dropped down to her knees, staggered. Fine had put her down to the ground. The pain was so immense that she had blacked out completely.

Lois heard Chloe's screams, and walked out to the hallway.

"Hey, what are you doing to her?" Lois demanded, and she stood in an aggressive stance. "GET AWAY FROM HER!"

"Merely sending a message," Fine said. He looked at Lois, with amusement. "You on the other hand, are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then again, nosiness may be considered to be a hereditary trait."

Lois tried to attack Fine. She had no idea what this guy did to Chloe. This ended badly for her. She was thrown hard against the wall. Lois was down. Chloe was on the ground, breathing shallowly. Before Brainiac could finish either of them off, a dark figure swooped down. Brainiac stood on his feet, and the dark and imposing figure moved forward.

Batman was there.

"This is an unintended annoyance," Fine said.

Batman said nothing. He blasted Fine with a high frequency blast. The copy had a hole blown through his chest. The magnetic pulse had destabilized his computer systems slightly. He had back-ups, even though he had to use them wisely. He turned into a pile of liquid metal, and made his getaway.

The Dark Knight moved in quickly. He captured a sample before the computer could completely escape. Lois rolled over, clutching her head, and she looked up at Batman through blurred vision.

"My God, you do exist," Lois slurred. That was all she handled, before she passed out from the pain.

Batman stood over Chloe, and checked her pulse. She was still breathing. He gave her a mild sedative to stabilize her. It would only work temporarily, especially with whatever happened to her. She would need proper medical attention. Lois would as well, but her situation was less problematic.

He would need to establish content to the Kent Farm once she had been safely in the hospital. There was no doubt that he would have had to know about what happened.

Batman had the sample, and he prepared to take it back to the Batcave for analysis.

* * *

The news had reached Clark just as well. He, Lana, Harry, and Kara all made their way to Metropolis as quickly as they could. The eye witness accounts pointed towards a man who resembled Brainiac's physical disguise, Milton Fine, lurking around the hallways of the Daily Planet. Two security guards and an intern had been found as well. They had not been as lucky as Chloe and Lois. Their only mistake was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Clark paced around, and Lana did not look much better.

"He knew about Chloe," Clark said. "He doesn't have any concept about human emotion. However, he knew that he could get to both of us if he attacked Chloe. And Lois…she was caught in the crossfire as well."

"He could attack any of us, just like this," Lana said. A thought visited her, and she shuddered at it. "So…do you think that he knows about me? About…my powers?"

She said this in a whisper so no one, but those who had enhanced hearing could hear her.

"I don't know," Kara admitted. She saw Chloe in the other room. She was on the bed. Her eyes were wide open. It looked like she was awake. Breath left from her body. The lights were on, but no one was home. "We should really assume that he does, and plan accordingly. But, after what happened to Chloe…whatever plan he has, it's just beginning."

"It's lucky, lucky that he was there," Clark said.

"He's always lurking in the shadows," Lana said to Clark, and there was no need to say who they were talking about. All of them knew, and wondered how Batman avoided a similar fate to Chloe. Harry and Kara had a good idea where he was hiding out, even though they decided that it would be best not to share this information with either Clark or Lana.

Half of the fun would be them finding out on their own.

Harry's eyes turned towards Chloe. He saw her in the room. He could sense what was happening with in her.

"She's in a lot of pain," Harry told both of them, and Clark and Lana looked at him.

"She looks so peaceful," Lana said.

Kara and Harry could sense what was really happening.

"That is the intention, but on the inside, she's being torn apart by what Brainiac did to her," Harry said. "Anything the doctors do won't be able to help her. She's been sedated, but that will not numb her pain sensors deep within her."

That was news that Clark did not want to be hear. Lana appeared to be about as helpless as he felt. She turned her head to Kara and Harry.

"What will happen to her?" Lana asked. She felt rage slowly bubble in her.

"She'll be condemned to be a prisoner of her mind, until the time she dies," Harry told them, and both exchanged a dark expression.

Clark turned to Harry and Kara, nearly pleading with them.

"Tell me you can do something, please tell me you can do something," Clark said immediately.

Harry and Kara both knew that Clark was beating himself over what happened. Lana was as well in her own way. Despite the fact that neither of them could be everywhere at once, despite all of their super powers. Kara gave them a reassuring smile, while Harry took a deep breath. The doctors wandered away from Chloe. He placed a hand on Chloe's forehead.

"Make sure no one else enters this room," Harry told them. He had one shot to fix Chloe. He turned to the blonde Kryptonian across the room. "Kara, I need your help to do this."

Clark and Lana turned around to keep guard. Harry and Kara hoped that this would work. Chloe was essentially suffering the human equivalent of someone being injected by an extremely nasty computer virus. Her healing abilities managed to stave off the worst of it. However, what Brainiac did was highly adaptable, and was really beginning to cause her natural resistance to break down. The damage was healed, but the pain was still felt.

Harry and Kara placed a hand on her forehead. They closed their eyes. They had never done anything like this before. They hoped it would work.

They forced themselves into Chloe's subconscious.

'_Chloe,' _Harry whispered to her mentally. _'Chloe, if you're in there, wake up.'_

'_Harry…it's him, Brainiac…Clark told you about Brainiac, didn't he?" _Chloe asked them.

'_Clark explained to us all about that menace,' _Kara said savagely. She held Chloe mentally in place, and took a deep breath. _'You're breaking down. We've interlinked with your mind. Trust me; we're only going deep as we need to. But we might need to delve into your mind to help you get yourself out of the prison Brainiac has created.'_

'_Yeah…I know…but it hurts,' _Chloe told them. She hoped that they would not trigger any personal thoughts that she had about them, well at least one of them. Things might be completely awkward, and that was the last thing she wanted.

'_It's going to hurt even more if you don't grit your teeth, and block out the pain,' _Harry projected to her.

'_Chloe, this is your body, take control of it, and your mind,' _Kara told her. _'We can guide you, but it's going to you that breaks free from this virus, take control of your mind, and body. Don't think, just do it.' _

"_What if it takes control of you?' _Chloe asked. _'Lois…is she okay?'_

'_Yeah she's fine,' _Harry told her.

Harry and Kara saw the black glow around Chloe's mind. Kryptonian symbols they saw on her mind. Much like any virus, it left its own unique trail. Kara and Harry tried to focus their powers like a virus removal program. They would have to reboot Chloe's brain and body, and hopefully jumpstart her healing factor.

The longer they were in her mind, the harder it was going to be to pull out. Harry and Kara felt a chill. The time was running out. They did not want to know what happened if Chloe died with their minds still linked with hers.

They saw nothing, but darkness.

For a moment, they thought that Brainiac's program had found a way to trap them inside Chloe's own mind, and their physical forms would wither and decay in the real world, all three of them.

A bright flash of light erupted. A mental scream was heard.

Harry and Kara's eyes both opened, and they took deep breaths. They staggered back, and breathed in and out deeply. Lana and Clark rushed over. Chloe's eyes blinked. It took her a moment to really adjust to the light.

"Hey, Clark, Lana," Chloe managed weakly.

"You scared us half to death, you know," Clark said.

"But, you're okay, thankfully," Lana said. She let out a long breath she was holding.

Chloe gave Clark and Lana a weak and apologetic smile.

"I'm good now, I feel like someone tap danced on my head with steel shoes, but I'm good other than that," Chloe said at that moment. She felt a lot better. "I need you to do something for me. There's a Flash Drive in the drawer of my desk, it's locked. It has information on it about…about something that has been happening. I think Brainiac's behind it, and Lex might be involved too."

Clark was about to ask Chloe to elaborate. Chloe drifted off to sleep at that point. The process of completely kicking the virus had drained her completely. Harry and Kara both looked flushed.

The type of power they exerted to help Chloe was second to none. Had they not been Heralds of Death that little effort would have destroyed them. Even being Heralds of Death, they were a bit worse for wear, and they shook their heads.

"Fine, we're just fine," Kara said, before Clark could ask. "Get that flash drive, and meet us at the Shining Light Foundation in ten minutes. We'll tell them to expect you."

Harry and Kara stood, and Clark and Lana sped off to do just that.

"That wasn't pleasant," Harry said.

"At least Chloe's out of the woods," Kara said.

Harry was glad. Of course whatever plan Brainiac was up to, it had just barely begun. Hopefully that drive would have the information on that would help them like Chloe said it did.

Their powers on the other hand, were dangerously close to being depleted. It had begun, and they had drained themselves just helping Chloe.

* * *

The flash drive Chloe had received was a gold mine of valuable information. It had filled in some blanks Harry had been tracking with his own computer. However, at the same time, it presented far more questions than it had answers. That was what Harry decided at least as he poured over the information at his disposal. Both he and Kara tried to hide that they did not feel like their usual selves. They had a feeling that they would feel back to their normal selves as time would pass. After all, both Heralds of Death exerted a great deal of power.

Harry shook his head; they knew for a fact the real reason why their powers were not working properly. There were certain times depending on planetary alignment where their powers would be at a fraction of what they were. They had access to all of their normal abilities, but their Herald of Death powers were weakened to the bare minimum. Until the cycle had passed, they would have to pick their spots wisely.

They were just thankful that for them, the bare minimum was something that was more than capable. The power they had to exert with Chloe had depleted them completely. Harry bit his tongue, and continued to click through everything. He turned towards Kara.

"Check to make sure we can follow the thread that we left at Luthorcorp," Harry told Kara.

Kara did as she was asked. She began to check the records of important information that had over the last twenty four hours.

"Luthorcorp has been compromised, but it's very subtle, and likely a distraction,' Kara said to them. "No, no likely about it, it is a distraction. The real target was us, here at the Shining Light Foundation."

Harry shook his head. Everything was falling into place.

"That makes too much sense," Harry told her. He held her hand tightly. "Brainiac's game is knowledge. We represent a source of knowledge that is out of his reach. Therefore, he will stop at nothing to get his hands on it."

There was one thing that was bugging Kara. She leaned back in the chair, and decided to share what had been bugging her to Harry.

"How did Brainiac know about our role as the Heralds of Death?" Kara asked him, and Harry turned to her. "And…I don't know if that is something that he would concern himself with to begin with. I mean, we don't seem to be something that is really pressing in the grand scheme of everything."

"He knew of the legend, and perhaps put two and two together," Harry said.

"You were the only Herald in the legend, though," Kara protested.

Harry pondered this for a moment. Then he gave Kara the benefit of his deduction. "Yeah, I might have been the only Herald in the legend, but he could have had access to more information than you did. It's just fair to assume that he knows everything. That way we won't be surprised. This information, and the slight scan I got from the imprint he left in Chloe, I'm beginning to piece together a way to shut him down for good."

He paused for a moment.

"The problem is getting in close enough, and it has to be done at the source," Harry said. "I think we've been dealing with copies of Brainiac so far today. The real thing is out there somewhere, plotting his next move."

A loud crash was heard from the floor above where they were. That was where the guests were. Harry and Kara made sure their computer was secured. The fact that this was coming from inside of their building meant that it was not good. They hoped that it would just be one of the guests having trouble working their powers. That was something that they could handle.

Harry and Kara left as fast as their legs could move. All of the guests were in their rooms. They appeared to be shaken, and unable to speak. Harry and Kara circled them all. At least they were alive, which was more than could be said about the security guard. They were down on the floor.

All of the guests were there, except for one, the important one to them. Harry and Kara turned around. Both of them went numb with fear. They thought that they were completely safe here, and that Claire was too.

"Claire!" Kara called. "Claire!"

They hoped that they were wrong. They had to be jumping to conclusions. There was no way this could be happening. This was their worst nightmare come true. They scanned the floor. They opened the door that had been sealed shut. The wall had a scorch mark on it. Harry stepped forward, and the glass around them cracked. It had been a long time since Harry had lost control of his powers, and made anything explode. However, there was no mistaken what happened.

After they searched the building, there was no denying it. Claire was gone.

They had found a note on the wall. It was written in Kryptonian, yet both Harry and Kara could read it with clarity.

_I have the child. For some reason, she means something to you. It is an easily exploitable weakness within organics. You have my word that no harm will come to her. Providing you give me the scrolls you stole from Lionel Luthor. You know the ones. _

_The BrainInteractive Construct. _

Harry was trying to rack his brain of how Brainiac had slipped through the cracks. They could find that out later, finding Claire first was their number one priority.

"We made a huge mistake underestimating Brainiac," Harry said, trying to keep his temper, and his nerves in check.

"No, we didn't make the mistake,' Kara said. She looked ready to kill. "He did."

**To Be Continued in Menace Part Two. **


	29. Chapter 29: Menace Part Two

_So here's this chapter…it may be confusing in parts until we have all of the cards on the table over the next few chapters. So fair warning. _

**Chapter 29: Menace Part Two. **

Time stood still for Harry and Kara. It was hard to reconcile what was happening to them. There was no worse fear to experience than what they were going through. No matter how good their security was, it should have been a little better. Claire had been taken by Brainiac, and used as a bargaining chip for something that vile creation wanted. They could not even begin to describe the horrors that they were feeling. They felt flushed, and absolutely terrified out of their minds.

The real problem is that Claire might not have even known if she was in danger or not. Brainiac could have disguised himself as one of them, and she would not have been any of the wiser. It was the type of deception that neither Harry nor Kara would put past him. If that was the truth, then that was the lowest of the low. To take the place of a trusted person in a child's life, to manipulate them, to get them out of their safety, turned both of their stomachs in disgust.

Actually the real problem was how did Brainiac break through the security? He might have been powerful. However, no one could compromise the security of this building without internal help. It all clicked for Harry, and he was not too happy. He wondered what game she was playing now.

There was time to worry about how security was breached later. All he wanted to do was get Claire back.

Kara tried to remain her strong resolve. Worry flooded her face. She could tell that Harry felt the same.

Harry held Kara tight into him. He tried to offer some comfort to her. Of course, he had barely any to give himself. The girl that he had taken in, and had sworn to protect, had been kidnapped. With the wedding just three days away, this could not be any more of a disaster for them. Harry grabbed Kara, and held her in tight. Kara calmed herself down. The blonde Kryptonian took several deep breaths.

The strong resolve she wore had cracked.

"I just…I can't…" Kara said and she shook her head. Harry's arms wrapped tightly around her had given her strength, and courage. "He's made a huge mistake, and I'm going to make sure he doesn't…live to regret it."

Kara almost choked these words out. She looked about ready to choke Brainiac. Harry grabbed her hand tightly, and walked her over to sit down.

"I can't believe this either, I thought that days like this were over," Harry told her. He looked out of the office into the distance. Claire could be anywhere. Brainiac could be anywhere. "He didn't tell us where to bring him the scrolls."

Kara's eyes flashed with confusion. "Why does he want the scrolls? Unless….no…he…"

Kara's voice trailed off. Harry knew it as well as she did.

"Winston, I know," Harry told her. He wrapped his arms around Kara, and steered her over to the chair. She sat down for a moment. That was about all she could spare in the situation. The young woman placed her hands on her chin, and sighed deeply. Harry looked at her, trying to give her encouragement when he had none. "Everything is going to be okay, I swear, everything is going to be okay."

Kara bounced to her feet, and then collapsed into Harry's arms. She buried her head into Harry's chest. Harry comforted her, trying to give her reassurance. He patted her on the back, and rubbed it. Kara shook her head.

'_It has to be okay,' _Harry thought to himself.

Kara turned around. A look of simmering fury flashed through her eyes. She envisioned the violent things she wanted to do to Brainiac for doing this. He was a dangerous menace, and should have been put down a long time ago. His destruction was long overdue. If Clark could not do it, then she would. She could not really blame Clark, but still someone had to take action.

The scrolls, and the fact Brainiac wanted them was another matter entirely. Both Harry and Kara knew what the game was there. It appeared that the remnants of the machine had infected Smith. It likely took his memories, and likely discovered his ambitions. The menace had been intrigued. For some reason, these ambitions had tied into an objective of Brainiac.

Smith's mysterious resurrection now made sense. As did his mysterious death, the time where his body was butchered and there was nothing left other than a puddle of blood. They saw the pictures; it seemed to be a nasty end. Then again, the end was prolonged. Brainiac had made sure of it.

The scrolls were something that could not be interpreted by any mind, other than them. They understood what they meant. The horrific truths and theories about time travel were written on the scrolls. They dreaded what would happen if Brainiac understood what they meant. It was absolutely terrifying. The possibilities of what he could do, the damage he could cause with those kind of abilities gifted by those scrolls, with the secrets of time.

The secrets could only be used once, but they were certain that Brainiac would make that opportunity count. The super powered couple was strong in their resolve that they would stop him. Even if their powers were at the weakest they had ever been, it would be their responsibility to save the day.

"What do we do?" Kara asked him. She stood before Harry, and Harry gripped her hands with his. She relaxed in his grip. Kara took a deep breath, and her blue eyes met Harry's green. "If we give him the scrolls, everything we worked for could come undone."

"And if we don't give him the scrolls, he has Claire," Harry said.

There was no need for Harry to go any further. Kara understood. She stepped over to the vault in the back of their office. It could be only opened by a Herald of Death. It was their most important items. She hovered her hand over it, and peaked over her shoulder, looking towards Harry. A question look could be seen in her brilliant blue eyes.

"Should I?" Kara asked.

"Yes, I think you should," Harry said.

Kara really had to do this with a heavy heart. She opened the vault, and removed the scrolls. She held them in her hands. It was like holding fire in her hands. She took a long and deep breath. She held the scrolls in her hands. It felt like she was holding fire in the palm of her hand. These were the secrets that could destroy all of reality, and the only thing that they could use to get their daughter back.

With their powers only at a fraction of what they could have been, it was not going to be easy. Brainiac seemed to have knowledge of this fact. The only other person who would have known would have had intimate knowledge about the Heralds of Death.

"So what do you think he's up to, really?" Harry asked.

"I don't know, and I really I don't care!" Kara yelled. Harry was taken aback. He had never seen her this upset. Yet, he shared her anger. "After all he put Clark through, after what he did to Chloe, and now what he could put Claire through, I'm not going to sit back and let him hurt another person if I can help it. Herald of Death powers, or no Herald of Death powers, I'm going to make sure Brainiac doesn't hurt anyone else! I'm shutting him down for good."

Kara smashed the desk for emphasis, reducing it to toothpicks. Her anger was something that Harry had to sympathize with. They used a great deal of the minimal power they had to help Chloe earlier. Now they had nothing, but the basics. They doubted that they could stall Brainiac for fourteen hours, until their powers came back completely. While it was not assured that they could beat him, Harry hoped that they could.

"We'll do it, Kara, us together," Harry said. He looked at her with a smile. "I have an idea that might work."

Kara was all ears. This was a true test of how she could cope, and then succeed despite the pressure. She was determined not to fail, and knew that with Harry by her side, they could take on anything. They were the perfect team.

Brainiac would heavily regret what he did. Harry and Kara turned, huddled, and went over the plan. It would take some careful precision, and Brainiac was dangerous enough to be a problem due to his abilities.

The two Heralds of Death were determined because now this was personal. They prepared to take him down. He would not harm another person. They just hoped that their emotions and anger would not get the better of them.

* * *

Clark returned to the Farm House just a moment ago. Lana was right behind him, she was just wrapping up visiting Chloe for a few more minutes. Clark sensed the coming storm was just beginning. And speaking of which, Lana turned up right now.

"Brainiac's back out there, I thought he was gone for good," Clark said. The burning question hung on his tongue. "Will he ever be gone?"

Lana sighed. This was going to be a huge test of her abilities. She wondered how that spoke of her sanity that she was almost looking forward to seeing what happened.

"Clark, we'll think of something," Lana said. "It's just been a bad day for us all."

Clark took a deep breath. He had been racking over what he needed to do in his mind for the past couple of hours. He had only one thing that he thought we need to do. It was the only thing on his mind.

"I think we need to take a trip to the Fortress," Clark said. He took a deep breath, and shifted immediately when he thought about it. Lana offered him an encouraging smile. "I know that there is too much of a risk after what happened last time….but this is a time where I need some insight."

Lana looked thoughtful.

"Clark, there's a chance that the Fortress might be back to normal," Lana suggested to him.

"And there's a chance that there isn't," Clark argued. "But, that's a chance that I'm going to have to take."

The last time Brainiac was here, there was mass chaos. That set off a chain of events that led to one of the worst years of Clark's life. He took a step forward, and then turned around. He saw the physical form of Brainiac. A sadistic grin spread across his face.

"Hello, Kal-El," Brainiac said casually. Lana took a step forward, and Brainiac casually back handed her to send her flying off to the side. He then unleashed heat vision at Clark.

Clark fired back with the battle. The two surrounded each other. Brainiac pushed through Clark's attack, and nailed him hard, before he threw Clark off to the side like a piece of garbage. Clark was tossed down to the ground hard. He rolled over and Brainiac reached into his jacket. He pulled out a chunk of Kryptonite. A bit of agitation stirred in his eyes when he realized that Clark didn't flinch at all.

"That doesn't hurt me, anymore," Clark said, almost taunting Brainiac.

Brainiac said nothing. It was time for an alternate method of attack. He punched Clark a couple times, before Lana flew in. She kicked Brainiac hard in the face. The machine staggered, and he was caught completely off guard. Lana grabbed Brainiac from behind. The two struggled, and Lana tried to pull Brainiac away from Clark .He turned around.

"Get away from me," Brainiac said. He struggled with Lana. This was an unforeseen variable, and one that he had to eliminate. "You're irrevalant."

"I won't let you hurt him," Lana said.

Lana knocked Brainiac back, and he crashed to the ground hard. Brainiac pulled himself back up, and blocked her attempted kick casually.

"Well, we're all full of surprises," Brainiac said, and he threw Lana off to the side like a piece of paper. Lana bounced back, and flew at Brainiac, knocking him through the fence. Clark shook off the cobwebs, and tried to help Lana in the fight.

Brainiac flew into the air, and Lana followed him. She dove towards Brainiac. Brainiac moved out of the way. Lana returned back, circling him. She unleashed her heat vision. Brainiac super sped out of the way.

"Do you even begin to realize how futile this is?" Brainiac taunted her. Lana tried to unleash super breath to blow Brainiac back. Brainiac staggered, and flew back at her. He grabbed Lana around the shoulders.

Lana crashed down to the ground hard. Brainiac put Lana into the ground hard. Clark rushed over. Before he could reach Brainiac, he was casually back handed. The last son of Krypton staggered from the attack.

'_He's more powerful than ever before,' _Clark thought in a groggy manner. Brainiac seemed to have been upgraded by something or someone.

Lana caught Brainiac off guard. A second kick was blocked, and she was sent to the ground. She rolled onto the ground, and tried to focus on a tractor.

The tractor lifted up off of the ground, and slammed down hard onto Brainiac. The shell was barely damaged, although this gave Lana and Clark an opportunity to both super speed at Brainiac at once. Brainiac was sent flying back by their combined attack. The time was a bit off, but it did the job for now.

They did not have too much time to breath. Brainiac knocked Clark back, and Lana went after him. Lana was grabbed around the throat.

"You caught me off guard," Brainiac said. He tried to throttle Lana. However, she grabbed her hands, and pushed him off. Her strength staggered Brainiac back. "You are a slight bit more powerful than Kal-El, and this has given you a sense of grandeur and a delusion of power."

Lana pushed Brainiac off, and nailed him hard. Brainiac grabbed her, and began to nail her with a series of super powerful strikes. Clark once again tried to run over. An electro-magnetic field held Clark in place, and prevented him from moving.

"You have his powers, and yet you have his weaknesses," Brainiac said. He sent a wave of energy towards Lana, freezing her in time. "With this power, you can have anything in the world. Yet, you choose to protect him. Protect someone who at the fundamental core is weak and a disgrace to all Kryptonians everywhere."

Lana was sent crashing down to the ground. She rolled over, and clutched the back of her neck. She coughed from the impact. She had no idea why she suddenly felt so weak. Did Brainiac do something to her?"

She perceived what happened around her. Yet, she could not attack.

"You are weak, and I'm doing Kal-El a favor for his continuing development when I do this," Brainiac said, and with a swift movement, Lana was stabbed in the stomach. The razor sharp object was plunged into her stomach. She was simultaneously hot and cold at the same time.

Lana was caught completely off guard. Surely with her invulnerability she should not be able to get stabbed and injured? Yet she felt warm blood dripping from her stomach where Brainiac had struck her.

"NO!" Clark yelled.

Clark rushed over, and Brainiac tried to do the same to Clark. Lana held him back with her remaining strength. She was knocked off. Clark dodged the attack, and unleashed his heat vision at a greater intensity then he had ever done. It was scary what he could do when he did not hold himself back. He burned a hole right through Brainiac's chest. If a computer could feel pain, he most certainly did.

With the menace staggered, Clark rushed forward, and began to pound Brainiac furiously. His fists beat into Brainiac with super powerful strength. This was the hardest that he had ever hit something, and immediately, Brainiac liquefied in his hands. The computer's remains dripped to the ground. Clark dropped down to one knee. He saw Lana on the grass. Blood splattered from her mouth.

"Lana, no!" Clark yelled. He rushed over. He scooped her up in his arms. A frantic expression spread over his face, and his heart beat against his chest. "Please, I can't lose you again."

Lana's eyes flickered open. The sun's rays slowly healed her, yet she still felt rather weakened and unable to lift her head. The flood of blood had vanished.

"Clark, I'm fine, just…tired," Lana managed. She tried to get up to her feet. She wrapped her arms around Clark's neck, and he supported her. Lana lifted up to her feet. She shifted her eyes, and looked at him with a frown. Something he said had struck her. "What did you mean, you didn't want to lose me again?"

Clark stopped like a deer in the headlights. He stammered for a moment.

"Lana, it was nothing," Clark said. "I just misspoke, but you lost a lot of blood."

Lana frowned. She could tell that Clark was hiding something. She noticed that Clark was prompt in deflecting the question back. Her mind flashed back to the Fortress, and what Lily said.

"Lily said that this time there wouldn't be a reset button," Lana said. She felt a bit stronger in the presence of the sun's rays. She shook her head to the side. Her eyes looked at Clark. "Something tells me that there's something you aren't telling me."

Clark stood there, unable to say anything. This was not going to be easy to explain. Especially even if he did go back and save Lana, it still cost him someone dear to him.

"Lana, it's a long story, and we don't have time to tell it," Clark said.

Lana seemed accepting of that, for at least now.

"Fine, but when we're all out of the woods, I hope you trust me enough to tell me everything willingly," Lana said. "It's okay, I know. It's not like I'm going to disappear, you can tell me later."

Lana suddenly tried to take a step forward. She collapsed. Clark caught her once again, and tried to listen for a heartbeat. He could hear one, it was faint, and he knew that Lana did not have much time left. He tried to figure out what he could for her.

Should he take her to the Fortress?

No, despite everything, Clark had lost his nerve regarding that place. Until they were sure beyond a reasonable doubt that Lily was out of the Fortress, he could not risk it. Lily would not be sympathetic to his plight about Lana. He half wondered if Jor-El would consent to help either. He held Lana, and tried to think. He knew Brainiac could still be out there. He wondered no matter what he did, if he could stop him.

Clark had to remain strong. His resolve could not slip at all. He had to get Lana out of here, and there was only one place to take her. Clark scooped up Lana in his arms. He held her head steady, and sped off towards the Shining Light Foundation. He hoped Harry was there, and hoped that he could figure out what was wrong.

After all, he gave Lana her powers. Surely, Harry would be able to figure out what ailment had befallen her. Her breathing continued to get fainter.

* * *

Lex Luthor pondered the year that was in his life. It had been a turbulent year for him. It wall started with his possession at the hands of the Phantom known as Zod. An alien war criminal who would have destroyed countless lives to achieve one aim. Lex admired the man for ambitions.

Then it was his engagement and marriage to Lana Lang. The less said about that, the better, and Lex was firmly going to put that particular chapter of his life behind him. He really had no choice but to do so. It was a huge mistake. Lana was dead to him, and if she had flown back into Clark's arms with his secrets and lies, so be it. Lex wished them the best of luck. The mansion door was shut to both of them. Neither of them were welcomed in his life any longer.

The news Lex uncovered through a mysterious source was most troubling. For the past few months, he had been trying to uncover the secrets of Veritas. He felt that the traveler was a resource that he needed to grab onto. There was a dangerous threat coming. However, there was false lead after false lead. Every single secret his father held died with him.

Not to mention, that any notes he might have had, was lost forever. Lex crossed his hands over his desk, and pondered. He flashed back to his meeting with Harry Potter a month or so previously. How, Potter seemed uninterested about the secrets of Veritas. Lex deduced that he was mistaken.

It turned out that Harry Potter was very interested. For he got evidence that Harry Potter and his bride to be had been after the secrets themselves. Lex had no idea how he felt about something like that. There was a something about the entire situation that had stirred some powerful emotions. He had felt a bit betrayed if he had been honest. Potter had outright lied to him.

On one sense, he was angry. On the other sense, Lex was actually a bit impressed that Potter had kept up such a devious charade. The Luthors were masters at this game. His mind flashed back to all of his father's warnings about how Harry's mother's family was devious. Lex blocked them out of his mind.

He wondered if he should have listened. Lionel Luthor had been right to warn him.

Time and time again, he wondered what would happen if things were a little different with his life. If he had a more stable upbringing that did not groom him into what he was. Lex shook his head. Delusions like that would make him weak, and perhaps this latest betrayal was something that would open his eyes. He would need to embrace what it truly meant to be a Luthor.

Patricia Swann had gone missing. Luthor suspected she was being hidden, and hidden by someone who knew to keep a person out of harm's way. Another potential avenue of secrets had been cut off from Luthor. It seemed like the mysteries of the traveler would always be out of his reach.

He had a feeling there was something very important that he was missing. He could not put his finger on it.

Lex turned to check his e-mail. His eyes shifted towards the information. Most of it was spam, but not all of it. He received something that was marked of important. He clicked open the attachment. It was someone with the initials "L.E.P." He had received a few cryptic e-mails from her, but had been unable to trace everything back to the source.

"Interesting," Lex whispered. His eyes widened, and he was unable to believe it.

This morning had gotten a lot more interesting.

The face of Milton Fine was on the screen. He recognized that much. In some ways, his involvement with Fine started this entire mess that was the last couple of years of his life. Fine attacked Clark and Lana. He watched the events, and then he could not believe his eyes.

Lana was exhibiting some kind of super abilities, and Clark was as well. Lana was a surprise to Lex. Clark on the other hand, given what he knew, he should not be surprised. He should have seen it coming.

Lex had no idea who gave him this footage. The footage cut off after a time. The answers he had been searching for had been handed to him.

A part of Lex felt hurt. All of those years they were friends, and Clark never trusted him. Lex knew for sure how much Clark valued their friendship. They could have been unstoppable together, yet Clark never let him in. They could have changed the world for the better.

The real question is what was he intending to do with these answers? He was suddenly more interested about Clark and Lana.

* * *

Kara and Harry were halfway out the door. They had found where Brainiac was. Now it was time to battle him one more time. Hopefully, it would be one last final time. They were almost out when they heard Clark arrive. They stopped, and Clark arrived. Sweat rolled down his face, and he did not seem coherent enough to spit out what happened.

"What happened?" Kara demanded impatiently. She stared down at Clark, and tapped her foot.

Her expression softened just a little bit when she saw how upset Clark looked.

"Clark, just take a deep breath, and tell me," Kara told him. "Please, we need to know."

"Lana was attacked…it was Brainiac…he stabbed her with something," Clark said.

Their worst fears about their power backwash also affecting Lana was coming true. They had given her the powers, and they were loosely tied into them. Harry had no time to worry about that right now. He just waved Clark into the main lab. They had to work quickly. If Brainiac could do this to Lana, who knew what he could do to Claire. Claire had mastered her powers, but a fighter she was not. At least not yet, and Harry vowed to keep his daughter away from that life for as long as possible. Both Harry and Kara shuddered to think about this. The main medical wing was across the hallway, and Harry pointed at the table.

Clark walked over, and held Lana in his arms. Lana was placed down. Harry used the scanning spells that he could. He took a deep breath, and tried to figure out what happened. He had enough power left to solve this, and then they were just barely above their standard powers. He looked at Kara. This could really be the difference for today. Yet, if they did not do anything, Lana would die.

Harry was seriously weighing making a rather unfortunate sacrifice. Yet it was not Lana's time, and she would suffer for weeks or even months and years while she was in limbo.

Harry paused for a moment, and Kara offered him an encouraging smile.

"Do it, Harry," Kara told him. "Help her."

Clark looked suddenly grateful. Kara and Harry grabbed their hands, and held them over Lana. A warm light washed over her. Time stood still, as her body assimilated. The poison was flushed from her body.

"Her powers will be gone for twenty four hours, but they'll return when ours do," Kara said.

Clark was taken aback from this.

"Could you please tell me what is going on?" Clark asked.

Harry did. "It's our powers, there's a rare astrological event that happens once every ten thousand years. It has an unintended side effect of putting our powers to a minimum. And apparently anyone who has been gifted powers by us, it affects too. We had to block Lana's powers, but they will return after the next day."

"And it had to happen now," Clark said. Kara just shrugged, and closed her eyes.

"Yes, Clark, it had to happen now," Kara said. She looked at her cousin seriously. "We need to leave right now, to stop Brainiac before he hurts her."

"Hurts who?" Clark asked.

Kara and Harry tried to remain calm. Clark did not know about the situation. Kara had to break it to him gently. An expression flooded in her eyes.

"Claire, he has Claire," Kara said. Clark opened his mouth, but Kara was not done. "And now she's being dragged into this. We never wanted this to happen!"

Clark felt a bit guilty himself. He had been unable to properly deal with Brainiac. He was still out there. He attacked Lana because he could. The menace was annoying resourceful. He could be anywhere. For all he knew, he could be anyone. He had managed to do nothing, but bungle up everything. He had to step up, take responsibility, and take his destiny. With the Fortress, or without the Fortress he had to do something.

There was a long moment in silence before Kara broke it.

"Clark, we're going to leave right now," Kara said to Clark. Clark looked at his cousin with a confused expression. She continued with a stern expression. "Stay here, right now."

"I think that I can help against Brainiac," Clark said.

"No, Clark, Harry and I will handle this," Kara said. The stern expression remained in her eyes. She looked more serious than Clark had ever seen her. "You'll be safe in the Shining Light Foundation. Please stay here, or I'll knock you out. I swear I will, and you won't have any choice in the matter. Both you and Lana should be safe here."

Clark tried to protest. The last time he fought Brainiac, every time he had to deal with Brainiac, it was not something that ended well. He had to take a step back. Maybe Kara and Harry would have better luck. He could stay here, and make sure Lana rested and recovered. Even though she was supposed to protect him, Clark saw no reason why he could not return the favor every once and a while.

"We're going after him, and we're going to beat him," Kara said. She stood. Her expression oozed a great deal of confidence, more than Clark thought that he was capable of right now.

"I've been studying the slight scan I've got off of him, and the information we got from Chloe," Harry told Clark. He took a deep breath, and determination spread over his face. "If we get close enough, we can take care of him once and for all. The nightmare will be over."

Clark nodded. He felt rather revolted that Brainiac was using a child as some kind of bargaining chip. For what he did not know, but he decided not to ask. Kara stood before him. A smile spread across her face, and she looked at Clark.

"Please, take care of yourself Clark," Kara said. She spoke in a soft and serious voice. "We might have had our arguments in the past, but no matter what, I'm always proud of you."

Kara rushed over, and hugged Clark. Clark was taken completely off guard. He returned the gesture, and Kara stepped back to stand by Harry.

Being stuck in that ship for almost nineteen years had caused her to miss out on a great deal of Clark's life. Yet she had made it her business to find out as much as she could about Clark's childhood, and his life. Kara had to admit that Clark turned out alright, likely better than he would have with her influence. Even if a part of her wished she had been able to help him sooner. She offered Clark an encouraging smile, before she spoke again.

"And I always will be proud of you, and I know that the world will be in safe hands no matter what happens," Kara said.

Clark looked at Kara. The way she was talking kind of scared him. He had to say something to Kara.

"Kara, you're talking like you're not coming back," Clark said. Kara just looked at him. Her expression showed that she expected that might be a possibility. "You'll come back, and everything will be okay."

Kara offered him a smile. She shared that thought.

"I hope so, but…stay safe my cousin," Kara said.

There was so much more she wanted to say. So much advice she wanted to give him, so he could achieve his destiny in case something happened to her. However, there was no time. Kara just offered him a smile.

"Good luck, and stay safe."

She turned towards Harry, and the two walked off towards the window. They had a good idea where Brainiac was. All they had to do was going to track them down. Harry and Kara locked hands. They were determined to fight the battle. Kara and Harry flew off at super speed, with Kara grabbing onto Harry's hand.

They disappeared into the skies above Kansas. The two Heralds of Death were nothing, but dots in the distance. Clark watched them leave, flying further and further away. While he was still on the ground, and only could watch them leave.

Clark stood there. He checked the clock. If they did not return in a half of an hour, he would go after them, no matter what they said. It was his fault they were in on this.

In the meantime, he would check on Lana, and watch over her.

* * *

Debris flew when Harry and Kara blasted through the air. Looks of the fiercest determination were on their faces. It was do or die before both Heralds of Death. They were on a mission. The two of them were not leaving there without reducing Brainiac and any other copy of him into scrap. The two Heralds of Death dropped down onto the ground. This was the location that they tracked Brainiac. Kara grabbed the door of the building, and yanked it off with her super strength. She tossed the solid steel door off to the side.

Kara stepped inside. Harry followed. They did not have to walk too far before they saw Brainiac stand before them. He stared them down through beady little eyes.

"I was wondering when you would consent to join up," the malicious machine said.

Harry and Kara stepped towards him. They both had their arms folded, and their sights focused directly on Brainiac. Kara had a look of pure hatred directed towards Brainiac. She only had three words that she wanted to spit out.

"Where is Claire?"

Brainiac stared them down. Slowly, he pulled the girl in question. The girl tried to kick and pull her away from Brainiac. Despite the fact that she put up a spirited fight, she was only eleven years old. She turned her attention towards her parents.

"Don't give him anything!" Claire yelled, but Brainiac placed his hand over the girl's mouth to silence her yells.

"This little girl thought she could be a hero by attempting to set me on fire," Brainiac said. He looked at them all with contempt. "That's a reflection on her parents, I'm sure."

Harry and Kara stood, and nodded towards Brainiac.

"You're damn right it is," Harry said proudly.

Brainiac held Claire in place. Kara was about to make a move. Harry placed a hand firmly on her shoulder. The last thing they needed was to mess this up. Brainiac had purposely put Claire in between them. Harry and Kara stood before Brainiac. The moments ticked away. There was a long pause, before Brainiac broke the silence.

"The child goes free, if you produce the scrolls. The time is running out on this offer."

Harry reached into his pocket. Hesitation was something that occurred. He had the scrolls. He hated having to do this. He had to act like he was going to give Brainiac the scrolls as a decoy. Kara would dart in there, and grab Claire. Then Harry would take Brainiac out before he could read the scrolls. That was the plan the two of them had discussed. Then the two of them would try and upload the virus into Brainiac to corrupt his programming and hopefully fry him.

That was a sound idea in theory. Brainiac pulled out a silver needle and injected Claire in the neck. Time seemed to stand still. Claire screamed in pain. It hurt so much.

Kara snapped the second she heard the blood curdling shrieks of the child. She blasted off. Her arms were outstretched, and she grabbed Brainiac, before she slammed him through the glass windows on the other side of the warehouse. She had put him through with all of the strength that she could manage. Glass flew in every direction.

Harry rushed over, and bent down. He saw Claire, sweat rolling down her face. He placed his hand on her forehead, and nearly burned it from the touch. Whatever Brainiac had injected her with, had given it a boiling fever.

"Hurts so much," Claire managed weakly. She coughed and felt her flesh boil.

"I know, but here this should cool you down a little bit," Harry said, doing a few cooling charms on her. He really could not do much else, but stabilize her vital signs. "I'm going to help your mother. Try and hang on, okay."

"Okay, get him, he can't hurt you guys or Clark or Lana or Chloe or anyone else again," Claire managed. She had fallen asleep. Harry put a cushioning charm and a shielding spell on her so none of the debris harmed her.

Kara had Brainiac down, but Brainiac knocked her back. The blonde Kryptonian bounced back, and aimed a kick towards Brainiac's face. The machine blocked her attacks. Kara gritted her teeth, and she continued to fire every single attack she could at him.

He was upgraded. The two of them had to summon their strength to take him down.

"You thought you could beat me," Brainiac said. "You're supposed to be from a superior race, but like all organic life, you are ruled by your emotions. They have made you weaker. Soon it won't matter; humans will reach their destiny of extinction."

Brainiac knocked Kara down to the ground. Kara landed with a thud, and Brainiac prepared to stand on Kara's head. Kara blocked his foot, and unleashed heat vision up his foot, through his leg. She increased the intensity of the heat, trying to destroy him. Brainiac staggered, his right leg melting. His systems needed to repair it.

"Hey, Brainiac!" Harry yelled.

Brainiac turned around, and Harry conjured a dozen white hot knives to blast at Brainiac. Brainiac was impaled by all of the knives. Magic seemed to damage him slightly. His shields would have to be adjusted to compensate for it. This would mean that he would not be strong offensively.

Harry grabbed Kara to pull her out of the way, and they saw Brainiac was gone. They took a deep breath, and adjusted their footing. They had to find him. He was around here somewhere.

Brainiac found them. He had rematerialized before them. Harry and Kara grabbed hands, and kicked up a whirlwind. If they could rip Brainiac in half, they could weaken him enough to upload the virus into him. Brainiac was knocked around, however once again he had adjusted his footing.

He turned around. His eyes glinted with fury. Harry and Kara both flew at Brainiac, and knocked him down hard. Their timing was perfect, and their attacks were in harmony. They had to hold him down. Kara managed to overwhelm him with her strength. Brainiac had to recall all of his powers.

She was far stronger than any Kryptonian that he had ever encountered. She was almost stronger than him at his full power. Kara held Brainiac in place, and smashed his head off of the ground.

Harry tried to uplink him with the computer virus. He hoped this would work. However, it was getting trouble establishing the connection between Brainiac and his portable drive.

Brainiac knocked Harry and Kara back off of him. The two Heralds of Death put the breaks on, and spun around. He stood on his feet, and Kara and Harry flew forward. Brainiac held his hand up. They stopped, frozen in time. The two Heralds hovered in the air. For them time stopped, even if it would start up in a minute.

Brainiac stepped over, and picked up the scrolls. He held them in his hands. They managed to break through the containment field just this second later.

Harry summoned the scrolls, and caused them to burst into flames, to be lost in time forever. The ashes fluttered to the ground. Brainiac seemed unconcerned.

"A noble effort," Brainiac said to them. He put a shield up to block their attacks. "It's unfortunate that my processor has already interpreted the data within the scrolls. Now the second phase of my objective can be carried out. Earth will be changed into something that is more worthy. And with Death's lapdogs at their weakest, a pity."

"Still strong enough to beat you!" Kara yelled. Her eyes narrowed, and she backed off, before she smashed the field.

Kara broke through the barrier with her super strength. Harry followed her immediately. The two flew towards Brainiac, intending to take him down. A vortex opened up behind Brainiac, and they could feel time begin to unravel around them.

They had to hold it together, and hold him back before he succeeded in going back in time. It was easier said than done.

* * *

Clark arrived at the speed of the light. He looked around. For some reason, he had the feeling that time was running out. He had a pretty good idea where Harry and Kara tracked Brainiac given the light show that was happening. He just hoped that he was not too late. He picked up as much speed as he could.

Something caught his eye immediately.

He stopped, and saw a swirling energy vortex that had been opened. Clark opened his mouth wide. Claire was on the floor, unconscious. He could hear the young girl's shallow breathing and faint heartbeat.

The next thing Clark saw was Brainiac being held at bay by Harry and Kara. Brainiac was almost through the vortex. There was a titanic struggle. Brainiac would have been annihilated had Harry and Kara had their full powers. Harry looked over his shoulder, and saw Clark. He decided to convey to him what was needed.

"Clark, don't worry about us!" Harry yelled.

"But…"

"Take Claire and get her back to the Shining Light Foundation!" Kara yelled.

Clark took Claire up in his arms gently. He offered a backward glance towards Harry and Kara.

"I'll be back, just hold on!" Clark yelled.

Kara and Harry struggled against Brainiac.

"All, we can do, really!" Kara yelled back at him.

Brainiac, Kara, and Harry continued to struggle towards the vortex. They had their hands on Brainiac, and then the three of them disappeared into a flash of light, just as Harry came inches with getting the virus into Brainiac. He just missed the attempt.

Clark arrived at super speed. He brought Claire to the medical area of the Shining Light Foundation. Lana was sitting up. She looked at him with a questioning look.

"Clark what happened?" Lana asked.

"Brainiac, I got to go back, just rest," Clark said.

Clark did not wait for an argument. He turned around. Time was running out. He did not even get down the hallway when suddenly something happened

He collapsed to his knees, and clutched his ears. There was a sickening ringing that was echoing through his ears. It almost made his ears feel like they were bleeding. Clark felt more human, and more vulnerable than any other time he could remember. Something was happening, he had no idea what.

The pain would not stop. It was like he was being torn apart. He was finally able to move, yet it was like his world was being changed from around him.

He felt like he was being pushed and pulled. There was some kind of tug of war with his very being. His skin felt like it was fire.

* * *

In Metropolis Lois Lane was there one minute, and gone the next. Her essence faded, and she was slowly pulled into oblivion. She had vanished into nothingness, like she had never existed.

* * *

As she rested in a hospital bed in Metropolis, Chloe Sullivan suddenly was not feeling so good. She tried to get up to get some help. However, her molecules vibrated. She then vanished into nothingness as well. It was also like she never existed.

* * *

Lex Luthor sat behind his desk. He had a brief headache and spell of dizziness. He got up to his feet to get himself a glass of water. He managed to make it halfway across the room. That was before he vanished off into nothingness like he never existed.

* * *

Clark pulled himself to his feet. He tried to keep himself together.

"CLARK!"

Lana staggered over. She did not look so well. Clark turned around.

"Lana, what is it?" Clark asked.

"I…I don't know," Lana said in a terrified voice. She grabbed onto Clark. "It's like I'm being pulled away, I'm slipping away from here!"

Clark held Lana's hands.

"Something's happening, I can feel it," Clark said. He felt like someone was battering the inside of his skull. He tried to keep his head up, and keep it together. That was easier said than done. Lana looked at him. "Lana, hang on!"

Lana shook her head. Clark tried to hang onto Lana.

"I'm going, Clark," Lana said. "I love you!"

Clark suddenly felt Lana become intangible in his hands. "Lana, NO! Lana, hold it together!"

Lana faded, giving Clark one last smile. She stood on the spot, and the next minute she was gone. She disappeared like she had not existed.

Clark staggered. He wondered if he would vanish into thin air like Lana did. What did Brainiac do? There were many alarming thoughts going through his mind.

"Kal-El, my son, you must report to the Fortress," the voice of Jor-El commanded to him from afar. "Report to the Fortress before it is too late for you as well."

Clark's fear that something would happen should he go to the Fortress was outweighed by the utter urgency of the situation. Lana disappeared, Harry and Kara likely disappeared too fighting Brainiac, Chloe was laid up in the hospital, and he was lost.

Clark made his way outside. The air was noxious, and disgusting. The ground was dirt. All of the grass had been scorched. There were no trees. There were no signs of life at all. The sun above him glowed red.

It was like he had been transported to some nightmare world. There was hardly any sign of life.

He had to get to the Fortress, before his powers ran out and before he disappeared as well.

He hoped to get some answers about what happened, and more importantly how to fix it.

Time ticked by.

**To Be Continued in "Warp". **

_So yes, as you might have noticed on my profile, I'm preparing for another story that will begin publication late in 2013. Likely after Emerald Flight Book Two, Herald of Death, and Beyond the Veil are all done. It might not be some people's cup of tea, and if it isn't, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. It's called the Ascension, and you can now vote on the poll in my profile. The voting will close in thirteen days, and you can vote for up to eight choices on it. The top four vote getters join the four girls that I had already chosen. _


	30. Chapter 30: Warp

_So we continue to go through this story. I would say that certain plans have changed, but technically that's just me going back to my original plan for certain elements of this story. Also, poll on profile, vote, if you are interested, and haven't voted already. _

_Enjoy the show, where things may get worse for everyone before they get better. _

**Chapter 30: Warp. **

Clark arrived at the Fortress in a flash of light. He nearly collapsed on the floor. The energy pulse had overwhelmed him He felt a throbbing through his temples. It was almost as if two cosmic forces had been pulling him in two entirely differently directions. He staggered to his feet, and he waited for Jor-El to tell him why he should be summoned.

Clark did not have to wait for very long.

"Time is running short for you, Kal-El," Jor-El said in a matter of fact voice. "Every single person that you care about has vanished. You may be next. It is imperative that you go through the time stream and stop the BrainInteractive Construct before the change is made permanent. If you do not do within the next seventy two hours, you will cease to exist."

Clark did not take this information well. His entire world had been turned upside down.

"If everyone I care about has disappeared, then what's the point," Clark said. He had mentally just given up. "No one I know exists, why should I save this world?"

"You can right what was wronged by the BrainInteractive Construct," Jor-El said.

Clark felt something push him backwards. It was almost as if something was trying to erase him.

"I feel like the universe is trying to erase me," Clark said.

"That's because it is."

The voice of Lily Potter popped up suddenly. Clark managed to turn around, and he slowly backed off. The last time he had encountered Lily Potter, well it had been an experience that both he and Lana would not forget. No matter how hard he tried to forget. His heart panged when he remembered Lana.

"You merely do not exist, yet you are being kept here," Lily said.

"I thought you had promised Harry that you would leave the Fortress alone," Clark said. "What are you doing here?"

"Harry never truly believed that I would keep that promise," Lily said dismissively. "And judging by the look on your face, neither did you, Kal-El. So stop being self-righteous for a minute, and listen to me."

Clark opened his mouth to say something, yet Lily cut him off.

"My presence in this Fortress is the only thing that is keeping both you and it from disappearing with the rest of them," Lily said. Clark looked absolutely gobsmacked. "Did you not think that after I have had all of this trouble, I would simply allow you to be erased by that glorified pocket calculator? No, Kal-El I have big plans for you. You did not disappear into oblivion with the rest of the world."

Clark had to answer the very obvious question. He could not see Lily.

"If I don't exist, and the world has disappeared into oblivion, then why am I still here?"

"Kal-El, we don't have the time for me to explain to you the inherit theories about how time travel works," Lily said in an exasperated voice. She paused for a moment, and continued to speak. "Just let it be known that there are seventy two hours before the time stream resets itself. I can send you back before it all begins, but do not be a hero."

Clark was confused as to what Lily meant.

"Kal-El you must listen to me, the fate your existence hinges upon it," Lily said.

"I can direct Kal-El, there is no need for your input," Jor-El replied, final speaking up.

"Yes, because your guidance did wonders in allowing him to achieve his destiny," Lily said. Clark had a sense that she was rolling her eyes. "Kara truly is the only intelligent one that has come out of the House of El. She should be the one that should protect the world, and does actually show ambition in doing so. Yet, Clark is the key, so I must help him."

Clark opened his mouth, but Lily cut him off.

"You, quite frankly, are pathetic. The fact that you're supposed to be the hero the world needs really sickens me to the core. You are unwilling to take the steps to embrace your destiny. You'd rather hide behind others. Hide behind this false veil of humanity, and be something that you're not. That's the real reason why you cannot fly. You are afraid to let go of your roots. And the fact that Lana girl has to be your protector really speaks ill of you. Whatever brains you have stems from Chloe doing all of your thinking for you. You allowed yourself to get weak. You should be far and above her. Kara and Harry are the true heroes. You are just some glorified hayseed with powers."

Lily was just gaining a head of steam now.

"The only reason I am helping you right now, is it will upset Kara to see her baby cousin die. And if Kara is upset, Harry is upset. And if Harry gets upset, I have failed as a mother. And that's not something we want to happen. Do not make me fail as a mother, Kal-El! Actually take a step back, and realize that this is one battle that you must fight on your own. There will be no one to save you. And the fact is if you're supposed to be the standard that Earth's heroes live up to, then I weep for the future of humanity."

Clark thought it was awfully rich for this particular woman to try and tell him these things.

"You're wrong," Clark said.

"Maybe, but do try and make a fool out of me, Kal-El," Lily said. She opened up a window. "Step through the time window, and go back. Your time is running out. My magic cannot hold you in place in this time stream forever. Remember you have seventy two hours."

"If you're so powerful, than why can't you deal with Brainiac?" Clark asked.

"Step through the time window, and take the first step towards the next test on your journey," Lily said, ignoring the question.

Clark looked at the time window. His feet shifted back and forth. He was reluctant to really take the plunge. He peered back over his shoulder towards Lily. Lily had now materialized in the Fortress. The distrust was sensed by Lily.

"Trust me or not, the choice is yours," Lily said. "Are you making the right choice? Are you merely a man or are you a super man?" Are you destined to be a great hero, or are you a failure of cosmic proportions? Have you condemned your friends to death? If you fail to make this step, you have condemned them all. And you have failed Lana, once again. But, that does seem to be par for the course for you, Kal-El."

With those words and guilt trip, Clark had taken a step forward. The temporal energy washed around him, as Clark was transported back through time and space.

The essence of Lily Potter broke. She had used her remaining energy to send Clark back in time, to ensure the traveler would still exist. It would take her some time before her powers fully returned.

* * *

The vortex opened. Harry and Kara flew through the time stream at Brainiac. The three spiraled back in time. It was a horrific experience. The two Heralds of Death shielded themselves from the worst of the backwash. Time travel was a rather unpleasant experience, and one that they did not want to make a habit of doing.

Harry and Kara held each other's hands. They were drawing inner strength from each other. This was the strength that they needed to make sure the time stream did not become undone permanently. They could see time all around them. There were threads like a giant quilt. The threads represented past, present, and future. Several of those threads threatened to become unraveled just by the fact that they were going through time.

Would the time stream steady itself? They had no idea. All they knew was that things were slowly becoming undone. Harry and Kara popped back in time. They stood on the ground, having collapsed on the ground.

"The real question is that do you have any magic?" Kara asked, the moment that they dropped on the ground. '

Harry lit up the pathway with his hand. Kara nodded, pleased.

"At least those powers are working," Kara told him. She took a deep breath, and gave a long and labored sigh. "I don't know if you've noticed, but we're on Krypton. And the powers that I have as a Kryptonian might not work underneath the red sun.."

"You have reserves, don't you?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I do, but they'll only last for a few hours," Kara said. A frustrated expression spread across her face. "And that's if I use them smartly. Once they're gone, they're gone."

Harry whispered something underneath his breath, and pointed his hand at Kara. Kara felt a warm glow. She looked at him with a questioning look.

"There, now the red sunlight is automatically filtered into yellow, your powers failing should not be a problem," Harry said, and he almost collapsed. Kara rushed forward, and caught Harry in her arms.

"Are you okay?" Kara asked frantically.

Harry shook his head. He tried to draw some strength from Kara, through the bond they had with each other. "It's just that type of spell is rather draining. And without our Herald of death powers sat full strength, it's going to be hard. It's going to be really hard."

Kara held up Harry, until he could walk on his own. The two stood side by side.

"We can stop him, if we work together," Kara said. "I think the Brainiac we are fighting is the genuine article. He wouldn't send a copy back in time. It would just cease to exist. That type of Kryptonian technology has to have a flaw."

"The real question is can we get his defenses down to insert this," Harry said, and he held up the virus program.

"We're going to have to work quickly, but I think that it can be done," Kara said. "Sixteen hours before our powers come back completely, by the way."

Harry nodded. This was not going to be a picnic. Harry and Kara carefully walked around the Kryptonian village they had ended up in. Normally, Harry would have taken a moment to really enjoy the sights. However, they were on a mission, and he had to keep focused.

"If I remember correctly, we're close enough to Kandor," Kara said to Harry. She added in a joking manner. "Maybe we'll see me."

"You do realize that we can't be seen by a past version of yourself, unless absolutely necessary," Harry said. Kara paused, and she nodded. She understood the rules of time travel, and she knew what was on the line. The two Heralds of Death flew when they heard noise.

It was just a group of civilians. Did they even know that their planet could be destroyed at any time now? Likely they were blissfully ignorant to the subject. Kara and Harry guessed that the citizens of Krypton did not acknowledge the end until it was coming.

"Kara, we might have to use the one power that we hoped that we would never have to use," Harry told her seriously.

Kara got the message of what Harry meant. She shifted herself immediately, and really understood what he meant. Out of all of the powers, there was one power that could go wrong if they were not careful.

"The reality warping power," Kara whispered to him.

"Death only said to use it in emergencies, but something that can wipe out an entire timeline would be classified as an emergency," Harry said. "The problem is that if the timeline gets ruined, that's our only course of action."

Kara closed her eyes. She got a sense of something.

"I think the changes in the timeline are already happening, just by the three of us going back in time in the first place," Kara said to Harry. "I can just feel things shifting around me. It is almost terrifying to think about."

Harry was afraid of this. There were times where no matter how hard he tried, there was always only so much that he could do. He placed his hand on Kara's, and they moved forward. They thought they had seen a glimpse of Brainiac. Hopefully they could take him by surprise. Given the nature of time and space, he had arrived a short time before they did. Harry and Kara were both at a loss to explain it, but that was just how everything worked.

Kara and Harry reached a grave marker.

"I wonder if it's still here,' Kara whispered.

"What's still here?" Harry asked her.

Kara scanned the ground with her X-Ray vision. A box was in the ground. She dug it out, and opened it. It was a picture of a seven year old version of her, and an older woman who resembled Kara, only wearing glasses and shorter hair.

"Your mother?" Harry asked Kara.

Kara nodded with a sad smile. "Yes, this picture was taken a few months…before…"

"She died," Harry said, putting his arm around his fiancée gently.

"The first time I understood what death was," Kara said. "I must have gone over it in my mind a million times, but I never really figured out what happened. Who struck that fatal blow against my mother? Was it my father or was it Jor-El? She was just caught in the middle of their petty squabble. I guess I'll never know."

Kara looked at the grave. She tried not to get emotional. Harry conjured flowers for Kara. Kara placed the flowers down on the grave, and knelt down, staring at it intently. Said flowers would not survive the demise of Krypton, but it was the thought that counted.

Kara did feel a bit guilty for not visiting the grave of her mother more often. Thankfully, in some twisted way, she had gotten one final chance.

"I hope you're in a better place, Alura," Kara whispered, hoping somehow that her mother could hear her. "You and Aunt Lara, I hope you're both proud of what I've done."

"They are," Harry said. Confidence brimmed from his voice. He placed his arm around Kara, and lightly kissed her. It was brief, but tender.

"Both of them would have approved of you, by the way," Kara said.

"I'm glad," Harry said.

The two stood in silence, but Kara spoke up.

"We do have to get going."

They kept flying, careful not to be seen. Harry looked down. He was rather entranced by Krypton. Kara caught him looking, and smiled.

"It is beautiful isn't it," Kara said.

"And it will all be gone, no matter what we do," Harry said.

Kara sighed, but conceded. She had made peace with the destruction of her planet a while back. To return here and now, to a time where it stood proudly had caused all of those bitter memories to proceed to flood back to her.

"So, how do you think I would have done on Krypton?" Harry asked.

Kara smiled at Harry. She said the next statement with one hundred percent confidence.

"You would have been a decorated hero, and beloved by many," Kara said. Those words were spoken with one hundred percent conviction. She turned towards them. "I think we found Brainiac."

Harry had seen him as well. The two Heralds of Death stood on the ground, and hovered above. They still had access to their invisibility powers, which would hopefully make an attack on Brainiac seem rather easy.

Kara had goose bumps. She recognized this day. This was the day that she had got on the ship, and this was the day that Krypton ended.

It had started as such a beautiful day too. In spite of all of the war going on around them at the end, there was still a kind of eerie beauty. Then again, the greatest tragedies in the universe all started with the perfect day. Harry sensed her trip down memory lane, and wrapped his arm around her tightly.

Brainiac was not going to survive this day. He wanted a battle. Well Harry and Kara would bring him a war.

* * *

Clark found himself flung back in time. He felt like his stomach was left back in the Fortress. The trip was not a pleasant one. It was much like being on a rather twisted roller coaster. The Kryptonian landed out of the time hole. It was like he was being shot out of a tube. He landed hard on the ground in a graveyard with a thud. He rolled over, trying to regain his bearings.

Clark backed up, and saw Lana's gravestone. According to the gravestone, she died several years ago. His eyes widened. This had to be some kind of bad hallucination, a nightmare. He turned around a little bit, and he saw Chloe's tombstone. Again, she was to die years ago. He backed up a little bit, and then a ways down the graveyard, he spotted Lex's. He could not believe what he was seeing.

Lois Lane, Martha Kent, Pete Ross, and he saw even more tombstones of people that he knew. All of which who were dead in this world.

He had not really put anyone in danger. The realization smacked Clark faster than a speeding bullet. He realized that for the first time. In a world where he never existed, or never arrived from Krypton, many people he knew could have been killed. Clark realized he had really influenced a lot of lives. Some for the better and some for the worse, but they were gone.

Yet, he was supposed to be brought back to where it all began. He was not supposed to be flung back in time to a time before the end. He shook his head. Nothing made any sense. He wondered what had gone wrong. Had Lily miscalculated the charm work that was needed to send him back? Or had she been setting him up for failure? Maybe because she could not control the traveler, she opted to destroy him.

He shook his head. Clark had to be paranoid.

Clark turned around. This was one of those times where he would go to Chloe to ask her for help. Yet, the evidence right before him indicated why that was not going to be happening this time. Clark looked up at the red sun. He knew that in time his powers would be completely gone. He was going to become mortal, and would wither and die. Or he would disappear all alone. No one would care that he did.

He coughed. The air was noxious, and he wondered what could have caused this. There had to be an explanation. Clark walked around, to try and gain a sense of what was happening. He was at a complete and total loss for words. There were times where even with all of his great powers, Clark had felt helpless. He had felt like he was unable to make that much of a difference. Now at this time, he was completely and utterly trapped without a way out.

Clark took another step forward. He saw more gravestones. He dare not look at them. They were more people who he did not save.

Where were Harry and Kara? They were two people who he thought; who he had assumed would not be affected by the time stream. The way Lily was talking, they were still out there, and still alive.

Clark had tripped over something lying in the dirt. He staggered, and just managed to gain his balance. Rolling over, he got to his feet. He paused to see what was going on. Clark took a step back, and realized that there was something important about this item that he nearly tripped and fell over. He could scarcely believe his eyes.

The item had Kryptonian writing all over it. And it was Kara's handwriting. It appeared to be a message of some sort. Kara had left it for him.

Clark had clicked it on.

"Clark, it's me," Kara said in a short and frantic voice. "If you're hearing this, then Harry's charm work worked. This message in a bottle has survived the changes in the time stream, and that means you have as well. Harry and I are now on Krypton, and we are looking at Brainiac. If you can find a way back to us, then we could use your help. I'm using my father's lab to send you this message. I…I really hope I don't get seen by anyone. Especially me, but it can't be helped. And we've got to go. Just hope you get this message. Bye, take care, and remember, where there's a will there's a way. And no matter how dark things seem, there's a Shining Light at the end of the tunnel."

The message turned into static. Clark had held the device, and saw his last lifeline to the old timeline just fade out. He rewound it and listened again, to hope to listen for another message. However, there was nothing, but the same old message.

Clark had managed to get the gist of that message. It was hard for him not to. He had been sent back here, but not all of the way. However, the way Kara said, there was a way for him to join them on Krypton before the end. Where Brainiac was. If they needed his help that meant that they were way over their heads. Clark smiled; maybe he wasn't so useless after all.

He could right what was wrong and still he could fix what had happened. Brainiac would not be able to hurt another person out there. Clark adjusted his footing, and turned around before he knew what he had to do.

He needed to find his way to the Shining Light Foundation. If he found his way there, and found what Kara was talking about, then he could return back. Brainiac was on Krypton, and Harry and Kara were fighting them. They might be powerful, but Clark wondered about the limits that they had more than anything.

He knew what he had to do. Clark tried to block the gravestones he saw out of his mind. Those were not real. It was not going to happen. He would make sure of that. He had a feeling that time was running short with the seventy two hour window. He summoned whatever power he had, and began to super speed to the Shining Light Foundation.

The sands of time continued to slip away from him. Jor-El said he had seventy two hours. There was no time to waste.

It was time for Clark Kent to step up. He was alone, but he vowed to change that.

* * *

Kara just finished sending a message back to Earth. She sighed.

"There, hopefully Clark receives it, and knows what do to," Kara said to Harry.

"Will it work?" Harry asked, and he put the necessary preservation charms.

"We'll know in a little bit," Kara said.

The two Heralds of Death carefully moved through the lab. Time was running out for them, and the world, and Clark especially. The two of them did not delay their actions much longer. They spotted Brainiac immediately. Kara saw several of the guards already taken down. She tried not to disturb them.

Kara knew that Brainiac would likely kill her past self. She had an idea that was not something that she could allow. Immediately, Kara flew forward, and nailed Brainiac hard in the chest with a blast of heat vision. That sent him spiraling through the lab, and out of harm's way.

"Kara, discreet, remember," Harry said.

He tried to tie Brainiac in place. Brainiac shifted out.

"You made a grave error following me back in time," Brainiac said.

"That's what you think," Kara said, and she took a deep breath. Her super breath began to blow Brainiac back. The windows of the lab cracked. Harry fixed them, and then once again tried to go behind Brainiac to insert the virus into him.

Brainiac back handed Harry, and knocked him down. Harry rebounded from the attack. Kara flew in at super speed, and tried to grab onto Brainiac. She tried to crush his skull. However, he blocked the attack, and nailed her several times. Brainiac tried to stab Kara much like he did to Lana. Kara was too quick for that attack, dodging out of the way. She burned Brainiac's hand with heat vision.

She was not sure that Brainiac felt that. She kind of hoped that he did.

Harry sent a series of magical attacks down on the back of Brainiac. Brainiac was staggered, and immediately, Harry and Kara locked hands. They flew Brainiac out of the lab and high up into the skies above Kandor. It was only a small miracle that no one could see them. Maybe, because of the explosions around them

'_We're running out of time,' _Kara thought to Harry.

'_We don't have to defeat him,' _Harry thought back to her. _'We merely have to stall him long enough until Clark's ship can get safely off Krypton, and back to Earth. And yours too.'_

At first, Kara was not too pleased with having to wait eighteen years at the bottom of that dam again. However, it did not seem so bad, because Harry would be waiting for her. Her knight in shining armor (or at least ragged robes) would come and rescue her. Harry and Kara continued to fight Brainiac high in the sky. The two pushed Brainiac. He pushed back. The battle was intense high above.

"You cannot keep up this dance forever," Brainiac said. "Soon all will be lost. Kal-El will not make it to Earth."

"As long as we are together, nothing is lost," Kara said firmly.

She spiraled through the air with precision and grace. The blonde Kryptonian took aim. She knocked Brainiac hard in the face with a kick. Harry wrapped several ropes around his legs. Kara flew one way, and Harry flew the other way, They held onto Brainiac's head and arms and tore him into half. Sparks flew in every direction, and Brainiac dropped down to the ground hard.

Brainiac rolled over, and cables shot out. He put a shield around himself. Harry and Kara tried to penetrate it. They had a feeling that they could destroy Brainiac if they could just break through the shield. They continued to bounce back off of it time and time again. Brainiac was reconnecting his top half until his bottom half.

Brainiac moved back, and tried to freeze Harry and Kara in time.

This time they were ready for it. They summoned all of the remaining Herald powers they would have at their disposal for the next fourteen hours. They blocked the time jump, and sent Brainiac back. The explosion had caused them to knock back. Harry used a cushioning spell to prevent him from slamming hard back first into the crystal structure. He caught Kara in his arms. The two gained their bearings, and flew towards Brainiac.

He thought that they would not be that annoying. They posed far more of a danger than Kal-El did. That was something that he determined right away. He had to trap them somewhere where they would not jeopardize his plans.

Harry and Kara once again attacked Brainiac with fury. He was sent backwards. His legs had buckled underneath the impact. The two forces struggled back and forth. It was a constant battle. There was panic in the streets nearby.

Kara looked over her shoulder, and saw from the window her past-self stare out the window towards them. Kara, circa 1986, had her gaze focused intently on Harry. She turned around at that moment, knowing she had been caught. Harry and Kara could not pay this any mind. Even though Kara remembered that she had saw herself and Harry on Krypton all of those years back. She now remembered how she had been interested in Harry at that point. It was hard to explain, but at that point she knew exactly what had happened. Memories were coming back to her, that she could not access until this point in time.

There was no denying what was meant to be in her heart.

She had remembered how she had subconsciously made the choice to become the Herald of Death to be with him forever. It was not Jor-El who made that deal, or anyone else, it was her. Kara shook her head.

So it meant that if they were here now, then they did not lose. They had defeated Brainiac on this day, and he had not changed the time stream.

At least Kara hoped that they did. She could not afford to get too arrogant. Bad things happened when people got arrogant. She exchanged smiles with Harry. Brainiac really had no idea how strong they were.

Even with their powers at their lowest, as long as they stood together, the battle was never lost.

They blitzed at Brainiac with all of the power of a super nova.

He really did not stand a chance. Something had to give.

Explosions continued to rang out. Although many had assumed that they were just something that was a backfire from the ongoing war.

* * *

Clark arrived outside of the Shining Light Foundation. It was the only building that he could see for miles, and miles that was not in ruins. Clark remained on his guard for guards. When he saw none, he used his strength to rip off the door. He looked up at the red sun. He knew that at any time, his power could go out.

He made his way up to the top floor, where he knew Harry and Kara's office was known to be. He saw a glimpse of Kara through the door. Kara sat wearing a short black top with a silver "S" shield on it. The top showed far much more skin than normal, and just barely covered her breasts. She wore an all too short black mini-skirt, and black high heel boots. The skirt could be almost classified as a belt with how short it was. On her neck rested a necklace with a growing red rock. Clark pulled open the door with a little effort.

Kara's eyes snapped up. She looked at Clark much like she thought he was a slug. Clark was taken aback by this cold stare by his cousin.

"Who are you?' Kara demanded, and she got up to her feet. "How did you get in here?"

"Kara, thank God it's you," Clark said. Kara just looked at him. Her arms folded. "It's me, Clark, your cousin. You know, Kal-El."

Her eyes flashed dangerously. Kara grabbed Clark by the throat, flew him across the room, and roughly slammed him against the wall. Clark struggled against the wall against Kara's titanic grip. Kara was much stronger than he was. For some reason her full powers had not left her underneath the pull of the red sun.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Kara snarled. "Because if it is, I'm not laughing. Kal-El died on his way to Earth from Krypton. The rocket failed. You can't be him."

"I am him, Kara," Clark wheezed, and Kara hurled him across the room. Clark landed on the ground, and Kara stood on Clark's chest with her heeled boot. He struggled, and noticed the red rock hanging from her neck. It was out of his reach. "Kara, see the rock around your neck? It's making you violent and unstable. You're not yourself."

"I'm more myself than you could ever know," Kara said, and she picked up Clark. Her grip tightened. "You barge in here, and think that you can just talk to me like we're family. The only family I knew died years ago. And I'm trying to save what's left of the human race. I had to take them over."

"Kara, you'd never do that," Clark said. "You can't do that!"

Kara's eyes flared with anger, and Clark thought for a moment that Kara was going to fry him to a crisp with her heat vision.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, human!" Kara yelled at him. She dangled him by the jacket in her grip. "There are no other options. I can turn this planet into Krypton. Harry and I will restore the Kryptonian race to its proper glory. And I should snap your neck for even trying to tell me what to do. Defying the Empress of this planet is punishable by execution!"

"Empress?" Clark asked. He took a deep breath. "Kara, that's the Red Kryptonite talking. We need to take that off of you."

Clark tried to remove it from Kara. She smacked his hands away, and grabbed his wrists. Clark winced as her superior strength caused his bones to crack.

"Harry gave me this as a gift," Kara told him. Her gaze looked at Clark. "Before, we decided that we needed to take them over. Humanity is a sick species. They can't save themselves. Conquest is the only option."

Clark was hurt. Several guards arrived at this point.

"Kara, please, look into your heart,' Clark whispered. There was something wrong with Kara and likely something wrong with Harry as well. Clark wondered if this was Lily's doing. This was what she wanted all the time.

"Is this man bothering you, Empress Kara?" one of the guards asked.

Kara's eyes narrowed and a scowl crossed her face.

"No, in fact he was just leaving," Kara said. She marched Clark over to the windows, and spoke to him in a deadly whisper. "Come back again, and I will kill you."

Clark was hurled out through the glass window several stories up. There was some invisible force that had caught him before he landed on the ground. Clark found himself shaken, and slightly injured. Without his powers, glass could injure him just as much as the next person. He coughed slightly.

He had to get back up there, and remove that Red Kryptonite necklace from Kara. It was screwing with her mind. Clark had assumed that Kara was immune to all types of Kryptonite because of her Herald of Death powers. Something changed, it had to. It was just a matter of figuring out what was happening.

Several robed figures dressed in black with white skull masks surrounded Clark. Things had just gotten from bad to worse. Wands were pointed at Clark.

"We've been waiting for you to arrive Traveler," one of the robed figures said.

"I don't have time for this,' Clark said.

He stood on his feet, and was ready to fight. He tried to blast the wands with his heat vision, but found out that he could not. That power was gone.

"You will make time, Kal-El," one of the robed figures said.

"The Dark Lord will want you to be brought before him," another robed figure said. "You will be sacrificed that will bring him to a more acceptable form that the one he has been borrowing."

"The Dark Lord?" Clark asked.

"Lord Voldemort has been waiting for you for a long time, Kal-El," the third robed figure, a woman said. "He always knows."

It was six against one, and Clark was only at half of his powers. There was no yellow sun. He had a feeling that these robed figures were going to take him whether or not he was willing.

He would not make it easy. If he was going down, he would go down fighting. He stepped back, and threw himself at them. He knocked one of them back. A second robed figure went for Clark. Clark used his super speed to dodge it.

"You can't keep up this dance forever. Your battery is running dry."

Clark conceded that they had a point. He managed to trick two of the six into sending green lights into each other. They struck each other, and fell down to the ground. Neither were moving. Clark suddenly stopped. His super speed was out. He tried to summon up his remaining reserves for a really powerful breath that would hopefully blow everyone away.

He was knocked back. Clark braced himself for the end.

A figure popped in out of nowhere. She flew towards Clark's attackers. Two of the robed figures had been taken out with a blinding flash of light. The third figure was knocked down on the ground. The fourth figure was attacked by birds that ripped and pecked at their skin. Clark spotted the figure, dressed in blue robes, with a hood pulled over her head.

"Hello, Kal-El," the girl said in a dreamy voice. "Fancy meeting you here."

Clark took her hand, and she pulled him up to his feet.

"Just who are you?" Clark asked.

"Time is becoming unraveled," the girl said sadly. "People who should be alive, are dead. People who should be dead, are alive. And not all of those people are nice people either. And perfectly nice people have been warped into would be conquerors due to harsh tragedy. Time travel is a harsh mistress, and she often does spread her legs with disastrous results. I realize what has happened, and I know that I must help them. I must finish my mother's mission before the timeline gets fixed, and I get recalled to the next great adventure once more. It was quite terrifying to be in the afterlife one moment, and then to return to life. I thought the Nargles had all died, and caused an imbalance. But it's something far more horrifying."

Clark looked bemused at all of this.

"Oh, how rude of me," the girl said in an apologetic voice. "My name is Luna Lovegood. I suppose this could be all traced back on the day of the Arising, that started in motion back in 1986 after the destruction of Krypton. The butterfly effect can be a disastrous one. "

**To Be Continued in "Arising Part One."**


	31. Chapter 31: Arising Part One

**The Chapter Schedule for February and March for what chapters will be posted for all my stories is up in my profile, so check that out, and we continue this story. **

**Chapter 31: The Arising Part One. **

Clark was completely and utterly confused. None of this was adding up. He decided to ask the most obvious question that came to mind.

"The arising, but I thought…."

Luna hushed Clark immediately, and dragged him behind a set of bushes. There were several more guards that patrolled the area. They had noticed the downed bodies of the Death Eaters on the ground. Luna spoke to Clark in a hushed undertone.

"The arising is a tricky subject to deal with. They have no idea what kind of Pandora's box they opened. You see the world around us. There are hardly any people around us. Well any people who cannot perform magic. Harry and Kara managed to defeat the monster that was brought forth by the three Heralds of Lord Voldemort, but not without a great price."

"What do you mean a great price?" Clark asked. "What is going on here? And if I don't exist, then how am I here?"

Luna shook her head. She remained patient, and calm. The girl held her hand to quiet Clark.

"To answer your questions in reverse order, you don't exist in this world, because you never made it here," Luna explained. "However, there is a world where you do exist, the world where you were transported from. The world did not technically change; you were brought here to this world. Time travel cannot change a world. Rather what Brainiac did was that he branched off two separate worlds from the maiden time stream. One without you, and one where the world for all intents and purposes for you stopped the moment you disappeared. In theory, that world is still going on. Your mind just perceived that everyone around you disappeared, but rather you did."

Clark was completely taken off guard by this. He had many more questions than he did in fact have answers. His head was spinning by the absolute insanity that was time travel.

"You've been transported to this world, a harsh world that is not like your own," Luna continued. "And in this world, if you do not find a way to return to yours within the seventy two hour window, you will cease to exist. Since you do not fit in this world, it will be trying to erase you. Lily's charm work is the only thing that is keeping you from completely and utterly disappearing."

Clark just nodded. He had no idea what was going on. In fact, he felt like he had no better explanation to what was going on around him than what Luna was telling him. The girl was not done.

"The timeline diverged in several instances," Luna said. "The meteor shower that brought you here arrived, but the ship failed and you perished before Martha and Jonathan Kent could find you. The lives of those infected by the meteors were still altered, and their lives were changed forever. And many of the same people were targeted. How many times were you to save the day? Without you there to save the day, each and every single one of your friends died a premature death."

Clark swallowed the lump in his throat. The gravestones really hit hard. In a world where he did not exist, he could not save his friends from danger. Therefore, they no longer existed.

"You said Harry and Kara defeated the monster that was brought forth by the Arising," Clark said. "Yet, why is Kara acting the way she is? She threw me out of a window, and then….they called her the Empress."

Luna remained silent. She was checking for another patrol. One did come around here annoyingly often. She took a deep breath, and turned towards Clark.

"The Harry and Kara you know still live, but they are out of reach," Luna said. "Brainiac intends to trap them on Krypton when it explodes. Even with their powers, they cannot survive an entire planet exploding. And they will go down to stop Brainiac, to save you, to make sure a world like this doesn't exist. They do not want a world where the darkness has engulfed eighty percent of the world's population, and where Harry was taken over by his inner demons."

Clark had more questions, but now was not the time. Luna grabbed Clark by the sleeve, and moved off.

"We got to keep moving, we can't face them right now, especially you with your powers being low," Luna said. She tapped her wand on his sleeve. Clark felt a warmth flood through him. "There, the red sunlight should be filtered into yellow sunlight. It's not as good as the real thing; it would take charm work of someone more powerful than me to do so. However, you will find it to be an acceptable enough substitute."

"How did you do that?" Clark asked.

Luna offered him a smile.

"Magic can do anything."

Clark felt that there was no reason to argue with an explanation like that.

"As to answer your question to what's going on here, there is a dark force coming," Luna said. "Judging by your expression, the arising was stopped in your universe."

"Yes, Harry and Kara defeated the Heralds of Voldemort," Clark confirmed.

Luna's expression darkened, and she looked serious.

"However, fate tends to have a strange way of making sure that certain prophecies are fulfilled," Luna said. "It is unfortunate that an entire timeline has to suffer for this. It was written that Harry was to defeat Voldemort. However, that did not happen, at least in the conventional sense."

"He's dead though, that seems pretty defeated to me," Clark said.

"To most it would be, but Harry's destiny indicates that he slays that personal demon with his own hand," Luna said. She looked saddened. "I know enough about what is happening in your timeline to be very worried. There is a darkness that looms inside Harry Potter. His noble heart has been fighting it, but the powers of the Herald of Death could tend to cause him to tap into that darkness. As long as Kara remains uncompromised, she will be able to anchor him. In this world, for years, they were two of the greatest heroes the world has ever seen. That was until he popped into their life, and offered them help in defeating the monster."

"What monster is this?" Clark asked. "Lord Voldemort…"

"Voldemort, while dangerous, was not capable of the destruction that this monster was when he was brought forth by the Arising," Luna explained cryptically. "Kara and Harry defeated it, after Harry tapped into his full powers. These full powers awakened something deep inside of him. Kara was given a gift from Harry around this time. A red necklace that radically changed her personality, and made her come to the conclusion that Earth needed to be conquered to be saved."

Clark could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"Kara should be immune to Kryptonite of all types," Clark said.

"In the right hands, with the right charm work, anything can be made more potent," Luna said. "The point was both of them were beloved heroes. Up until the point where these radical changes happened in them. Things were made worst when Milton Fine assisted them. He encouraged the worst in them. And now Harry and Kara have been turned into dark mirrors of themselves. Fine might be the puppet master, but there is another looming force controlling his strings."

Luna sighed. She remained silent. Clark looked at her.

"I have a plan to change all of this, and I will get you back to your time, to help Harry and Kara stop Brainiac," Luna said. She fixed her eyes on him. "I need your help."

"Why do you need my help?" Clark asked.

Luna offered him a bright smile. "Because this looks like a job for Clark Kent."

* * *

Harry Potter sat in an office in the heart of the Shining Light Foundation.. He had been trying to convince himself that what he was doing was right. The human race had been wiped out for the most part. The few that had remained had been in fear. He was hoping to create a world that people of all races could prosper in. Yet, the only way he could do this was conquer it. Kara had been on board with this. He had given her a necklace to cement their love.

Kara was the most important thing in the world to him. He would never forgive himself if anything bad ever happened to her. Anyone else, he really could not care about. Harry thought that his girl was the most beautiful thing in the universe. She was powerful, and loyal to him. He had helped her find everything to achieve a grander purpose in life.

"Master, are you…"

"Leave me," Harry told the robed figures.

"There was a problem outside," one of the robed figures said.

"I said leave me," Harry repeated to them.

The robed figures bowed. Soon enough the echoes of their master would be brought out completely. Harry Potter had been annoyingly fighting it for years and years. That girl was a huge problem, and she would need to be sacrificed for the echoes deep within Harry Potter to be full realized. The power would come to life.

Milton Fine popped up.

"Is everything prepared?" Fine asked him.

Harry turned towards him. "I'm having second thoughts about what I'm going do."

"You must preserve both your race and Kara's," Fine said. "The two of you are the last hope for two races that are dying. The Fortress is prepared. All you have to do is open the portal, and the key that you need will be presented for you. The two of you can repopulate Krypton, and bring it back. It will be a brand new utopia."

Harry stood and tapped his foot. He was not completely sure about this. He stood on his feet, and looked out the window. For the past couple of years, he certainly did not feel like himself. He had taken his mother's advice to the letter of what to do. However, even Lily Potter questioned his trust he had for Milton Fine. And Fine did seem to have his own agenda. Harry was just stringing him along, hoping for him to slip up and he would find more information.

"Why am I going along with this?" Harry asked him.

That was a question that had been bouncing around Harry's mind for the last several days. It had kept coming back to that point. He wondered if he was losing sense of himself. There was this whisper in his ear that he needed to do something with Kara, for she would betray him like the rest of them. Harry stifled those whispers. He loved Kara. She was the only reason he had to live.

"It was your idea, Emperor Potter," Milton Fine told him. The two locked eyes. "I will await your decision, but the longer you wait, the more of a risk you have of losing much more. You will be evolved to a completely different level, and your powers will increase. You will be an entirely new person."

Harry did understand that. He folded his arms, and stood to face this man. Time ticked by. He would have to make a decision. There was a part of him who just wished to take Kara, and fly off to find a new world to start a new life. Responsibilities be damned, Harry just could not handle the deaths and destruction that he had inadvertently caused. He stepped forward, and turned around.

"I will need to consider what my next move is," Harry said.

"You are merely a fair and just ruler," Fine said. "But I feel that you can be much more. Just trust me on this, Emperor Potter."

Harry felt like Fine was the devil on his shoulder, whispering what to do to him. He had no idea what was going through his mind. All he knew was that he had to figure out something. He needed to speak with Kara about this. Kara seemed to encourage this conquest, but he had a feeling to her loyalty was tied to him and only him. Harry had to make sure.

He helped his girl fine the three stones, and construct her Fortress. The two of them had bonded at that moment. Through the trials and tribulations, the two of them had grown closer than any two people in the universe could have ever hoped to dream. The monster they slayed, and managed to put down for good was their greatest triumph.

It all went wrong. He had given Kara that red necklace on a whim. It did seem to change her a little bit; however it had made her far more adventurous in many ways. Not that she was not already adventurous before he handed her that red necklace. A voice within Harry had silenced every single one of his little doubts that he had.

"Tonight, I will know for sure," Harry told Fine.

A looming presence within Harry Potter grew frustrated and impatient. He was nearly able to get through Potter, and use his body to return to his more natural form. There were times where he thought he had got closer. However, Harry remained utterly stubborn in giving in to his inner nature completely.

It was all about that girl. She would need to perish. Potter and that alien would be taken out. And also Fine would have to suffer. The dark force within Harry Potter had understood what must be done. He knew that machine had his own agenda. Oh yes, he knew he was a machine, and he suspected that Harry Potter suspected that fact as well.

Soon everything would come true. The plan that had been created many years ago would come to light. He would rise again. The steps had been taken where he would never die.

And Harry Potter, the alien, and that computer would all perish. Lord Voldemort would rise once more. Combined with the own darkness that Harry Potter had tried hard to repress, he would be unstoppable.

There were many changes that happened in this new timeline. Among many of them was that the Horcrux inside Harry had never been vanquished. Fine's attempts to weaken Potter had made him stronger, and able to take control of this vessel. Yet, there would be a stronger vessel coming, one that was invulnerable to all attacks. Combined with his magic, he would be invincible.

All would tremble before his power.

* * *

Clark stood outside, and peered through the bushes. The sun was coming down. There was some kind of eerie beauty about a red sun that he could not explain. Luna stood beside him, and began to hum underneath her breath. She saw the guards move around.

"Well, the cat's out of the bag right now," Luna told Clark. "They know you're here. My mother told me stories about the traveler, but with heroic, bold, and brave, without tact was not one of the many adjectives that were given to you. Not that it is a bad thing. There are heroes that are bold and brave, but they have no sense of subtly. I would think that with an advanced race, you would be able to understand what to do. Your training should have conveyed this much to you."

Clark sighed. He did not know how to tell someone that his training still had not officially begun. Luna stepped forward, and shook her head. She turned and put her hands on her chin, cupping it. A smile spread across her face.

"From what I've been able to tell, they have a distinct shoot on sight policy regarding you," Luna told Clark. "While bullets cannot hurt you, magic can in many ways. That particular weakness has been determined through my mother's studies. She was researching many matters before you died. I have some awareness from myself in the other universe."

"How is that possible?" Clark asked. "Aren't you dead there?"

"I assume that I am," Luna said in a cheerful voice. "However, you just never know what happened. I'd like to think that my death was an elaborate hoax. Somewhere out there, I am riding around with a UFO with Elvis, Bigfoot, and Tupac just waiting to make my move, but that's beside the point."

Clark really had no idea how to react to this girl. She most certainly viewed the world through her own unique perspective. Not that it was a bad thing, but it was a strange thing. Luna tapped her foot.

"Are there others out there?" Clark asked.

"Kara, Harry, and I have been mostly holding the fort down, until what happened occurred," Luna told him. She closed her eyes. It was hard to deal with something like this. Especially since her, Kara, and Harry were all so close in this world. "I ran off to try and find help for Harry and Kara. The two of them don't deserve to be used like this, but what they've gone through to get to this point, it's understandable why they are vulnerable like this. They would kill me for even thinking that they were vulnerable, yet the strongest of us tend to have our moments of weakness."

Luna remained calm. The experiment that her mother was doing with the meteor rocks that lead to her death had caused an indirect side effect on her. The rocks had empowered her, and allowed her to view the world through a different perspective. She saw things that others could not see. It had caused her to be considered a misfit, to be dubbed insane. However, she had seen the things that people would not even acknowledge.

She peered out into the distance. The girl remained silent. Clark seemed to be impatient. Luna thought that this was one of his more annoying traits. Luna folded her arms over her chest.

"You said Brainiac is here?" Clark asked, and Luna responded with a crisp nod. "It's almost like he knows that I'm here."

Luna pondered this matter for a second. It was hard to explain how the BrainInteractive Construct had fit into this equation. However, she had to give Clark her honest response of the matter.

"I'm sure that particular problem knows that you're here," Luna said. "There have been several messages sent here through the time stream. The Harry and Kara you know sent one through."

"I found that one," Clark agreed.

"And if they could sent the messages through, it stands to reason that Brainiac could communicate to his counterpart here as well," Luna said. "I normally don't assume, because you know what that does to you and me, but this is one case where I feel confident that we could. Assume that he knows everything about you, and prepare for it. He will be waiting for you, and he plans to use Harry to enact his plans. However, the puppet master is about to be strangled with his own strings. And Harry and Kara will both be hurt in the crossfire by the real mastermind. We have to separate Harry from the thing that is infecting him."

"How?" Clark asked.

Luna just smirked, and pulled out a lead lined box from her robe. She handed it to Clark, and cracked it open. There was a very familiar black rock in it.

"Harry can't be affected by Kryptonite," Clark told Luna.

Luna just smiled. "Yes, normally he couldn't. However, Harry is Kryptonian enough where with the modified charm work; he will be affected just as much as the next person."

Clark was taken aback by this.

"Harry has Kryptonian ancestry deep within his bloodline," Luna told Clark. "One of his ancestors was Kryptonian, but he managed to suppress his powers to live a normal life. Harry's bond with Kara has awakened his lineage deep inside him, the first member of his family to tap into those gifts for generations."

Luna remained calm as if this was nothing at all. Clark would normally have had all of the questions in the world. Time ran shorter.

"This should separate Harry from his dark side long enough to banish it and any lingering parasites," Luna told him. "We can break Kara's spell as well, and she can help us save Harry. And then Harry can return you home."

Clark hoped so. The time was running out. He was not relishing stepping one foot into the Shining Light Foundation. Kara threatened to kill him the last time he entered there, and threw him through a window.

The only consolation was that Kara was not herself. He had been down that road before, and could understand. Plus, Clark reminded himself that he did not exist in this world, and he had brought up a very touchy subject.

"It's time, Kal-El," Luna told him. "Through that gate, and be ready to fight. They will kill you if you show any mercy."

Clark stood. He did not want to take a life, but these Death Eaters were far more dangerous than anything he had ever fought, except maybe the criminals from the Phantom Zone. Harry had said a few things about them, even if they were a subject that he would have liked to avoid.

The two moved forward. Clark was determined. He could fix this all, even if he was sure he was gone for almost a day. Time was running out.

* * *

The time they had spent looking for Brainiac had given Kara a lot of time to think. She was given ample time to think about whether or not the destruction of her beloved home planet was going to be something that was inevitable no matter what was done. It did seem to be the case. It was scary to think that no matter what was done, there was nothing that she could have done there.

Kara was here on Krypton. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that her powers had not returned. The two of them could have stopped it from all happening had they had their full powers. However, there were many consequences. She stood, arms locked with Harry. This was the person she wanted a future with. Krypton was something that was part of her distinct past. The echoes from the past threatened to overwhelm her. People begged her to save them.

Yet, Kara could not save them. In her heart, she knew that. There was no way to stop it. A lot of good people died, and Kryptonians had thought that their civilization would last for thousands of years more. There were times where their own arrogance had gotten the better of them. In hindsight, the destruction of Krypton was something that everyone should have seen coming. The Ruling Council had brought it upon themselves, and greed had driven them the rest of the way. No one did, and Kara could sense the millions of mistakes that were made.

Perhaps she could use the foundation of the mistakes from the past to build a brighter future. Those were the thoughts in her mind. Even if she could not save Krypton, perhaps she could help Harry prevent the same fate from Earth. Earth would evolve to that point someday, and in a few hundred years, they could be at a similar crossroads.

Growing complacent was the downfall of many great civilizations. One did not have to be a historical scholar to understand that. Kara bit her lip, and frowned immediately. Harry stood by her, and scanned the area.

"Is he near?" Kara asked Harry quietly.

Harry nodded. "I'm sure he's very near. I don't think this time travel thing was going as planned. The only solace is that the past cannot be changed. An alternate timeline would be created. Normally this would not be a problem. However, I think that Brainiac modified what was in the scrolls enough to also transport Clark to the doomed timeline."

"The timeline where he doesn't exist," Kara said quietly. She turned towards Harry, a pleading look in her bright blue eyes. "What…what…what will happen if Clark stays in that timeline?"

"He'll be erased, because he doesn't belong," Harry said grimly. "We can't allow that to happen. And we need to find a way off of Krypton before everything explodes. Heralds of Death or not, we might not be able to survive the explosion. Especially when our powers are at our weakest."

Kara frowned. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"How long?" Kara asked.

"How long before the destruction or how long before our powers return?" Harry asked her.

Kara clarified the statement. "Just how long before we get our powers back."

Harry remained calm, and thoughtful.

"One hour, forty eight minutes, and twelve seconds," Harry said making the calculation in his head. "We don't necessary need to defeat Brainiac in that time, but stall him. We got slightly more time before Krypton explodes. About two hours and eighteen minutes."

Kara just allowed that all to sink it. It was rather sombering to hear about the death of a planet.

"Do you think that we could save it?" Kara asked. Harry looked at her strangely. "Hypothetically speaking if we had a chance, could we save it."

"I wish we could save many people," Harry told Kara. Kara nodded. "However, if we save Krypton today, something could happen where it blows up tomorrow or the next day. Eventually, the scales would balance itself. Or some other planet or civilization would be sacrificed. Maybe even Earth."

Kara had to concede that Harry had a point. Her hand tightened around Harry's. They walked around, getting one last look at Krypton. It was still a beautiful day, and Kara could hardly believe that this perfect day would mean the end. She was glad Harry was here with her to experience the beauty one last time, before it was gone. There would be no return. Her memories would be the only thing that would be intact from her experiences.

There would be new memories with Harry. They would get off this planet alive. Then the future would be bright.

"I think we found Brainiac," Harry whispered.

Kara looked determined. What happened to Claire was fresh in her mind. While she would be safe when they got home, the fact that Brainiac tried to kill her child really pissed her off.

"Good, let's pay our respects," Kara told him.

The two Heralds of Death were united. There was a little over an hour before their powers returned, and a little under two hours before Krypton would meet its inevitable end. Brainiac did not care if he perished. Harry and Kara saw them heading towards Jor-El's laboratory. Where the ship was about to be launched as they spoke.

Harry and Kara would beat him there. Their minds were one. They had no idea what the consequences would be of failure, but the two of them knew that they could be dire.

Immediately, Harry immobilized Brainiac. Brainiac tried to shake himself free. This gave Kara the opportunity to fly forward. The simulated yellow sunlight empowered her, and she tried to focus her X-Ray vision on Brainiac. If she could find his central processor and damage it, he would take a long time to repair. And Harry would be able to input the virus to destroy him without any firewalls blowing him.

Brainiac sent a wave of energy. Kara caught Harry, and the two of them flew into Brainiac. A tremor shook the planet, which mean time was running short.

"It is folly what you're trying to do," Brainiac said.

"For a computer, you talk way too much," Harry said, and he tried to rip through Brainiac.

He was more damaged than he been during the past attacks. Harry continued to make headway. Perhaps his powers were slowly coming back sooner than he could have hoped. The battle between the Heralds of Death and Brainiac raged on.

So long as they stood together, the battle was never hopeless. The tandem attack cracked Brainiac. They had to keep him away from the ship before it launched. Then everything would be okay.

* * *

The guards turned their heads from side to side. They thought they heard something. One of them stepped forward to verify that he was not seeing, or hearing things. He paused, and looked forward. He blinked a few times.

"Just a cat," the guard said.

The guards were all knocked out the moment that their backs were turned. Luna had taken out five of them in one hit. They all toppled to the ground like dominoes. Clark seemed rather impressed, and she motioned for him to go through the gate. He moved forward, but stopped. He knew by now to look before he leaped. The X-Ray vision had been focused.

"There are nine more guards up there," Clark told her.

Luna responded with a nod. "We just got to keep going then. We're almost there."

Luna stepped forward, and pulled the door open. The doors flung open with an unlocking charm. The guards stood. Luna turned the stairs into a slide. They staggered. Clark rushed up the stairs. For a brief second, Clark thought he had gained flight. However, those hopes were dashed when he realized his feet were firmly on something.

The quirky blonde followed him. The guards dropped down, their arms were snapped together, and they fell over the banisters to their doom. Clark gave Luna a quizzical expression. Luna pushed open the door, and they were into the main throne room.

"Get the necklace, and throw it out the window before it tempts you," Luna told Clark.

Clark did not need telling twice. He super sped into the scene, and rushed towards Clark. Kara extended one hand forward. She was far quicker than he was. Kara blocked his hand, and knocked Clark off to the side with a huge kick. Kara stepped forward, and her eyes narrowed with malice.

"Kara, fight it," Clark managed. Kara grabbed him by the throat. She squeezed, and Kara tried to push Clark down to his knees. Clark struggled. His strength pushed her off of his throat partially, but he had come the sad realization that Kara was holding back. There was still a part of the real her still in there. "Kara, you're not like this."

"I warned you about coming back here," Kara said. "I guess they were right, I am too soft with those who are beneath me."

"Kara, you don't believe any of this," Clark said. "You're not yourself."

"You will kneel before me!" Kara yelled.

Luna crept it while Clark was trying to plead with Kara. With a swift movement, she snapped the necklace off of Kara's neck. Kara staggered around, and she began to come back to her senses. She shook her head. Her eyes blinked.

"Luna…what happened to me?" Kara asked. She shook her head and then everything became far more clear to her. She came down on her Red Kryptonite induced high. Fear completely flooded her at the moment. She shook her head, and took a few breaths. "Harry…it's Harry…there's something wrong with him. We got to snap him out of it too. And Fine, he can't be trusted."

Luna smiled. She pulled the other blonde into half of a hug and offered her a light kiss on the forehead.

"It's good to see you back Kara," Luna said. "We must…."

Luna, Kara, and Clark were all knocked down at that moment before Luna had finished this sentence. The three of them were down on the ground. Clark tried to get up, but Brainiac had showed up to immobilize the three of them.

"You should not have come here, Kal-El," Brainiac said. He stood with his eyes narrowed. Clark tried to fight him, and the struggle continued. Luna and Kara both rolled over. Kara made a motion to help, Clark. Luna held her back.

"This is his battle, he must fight it," Luna told Kara. "If he gets in trouble, only then will we intervene."

Kara watched the cousin she never really knew in this world. There was something that was beginning to tell her that everything that happened in this world was never meant to be. Clark and Brainiac surrounded each other, and began to fight with each other.

"You are as weak as my counterpart told me," Brainiac said in a crisp voice. He slammed Clark against the wall hard, and began to strangle him.

Clark began to knock Brainiac backwards. Brainiac was sent crashing towards the throne. He pulled himself up. "We have a different idea of what weak is and what strong is."

Super speed was avoided, and Brainiac grabbed Clark, and choked him out. Kara and Luna tried to intervene. Both girls were sent backwards. Luna tried to blast through the shields with magical energy. Kara unleashed her heat vision through the shields. The two of them continued to slam their shoulders through the shield.

Clark hammered. He would not disappear. He could not fail everyone. There was something that told him that if he did not return to his timeline in time, this fate would happen. Determination flooded through Clark's face, and then he slammed into Brainiac. Again and again, he tried to rip him apart. Brainiac divided into half. One drone attacked Clark from one side. The other drone attacked Clark from the other side.

He remained on his feet, and slammed them together viciously. They smashed together. The two Brainiacs shattered from the impact, but a third stepped into focus. His hand slammed down across the back of Clark's neck.

"All you will know have failed," Brainiac said.

Clark pushed Brainiac off. At that moment, a black light impacted Brainiac in the face. Clark stood, and watched as Harry Potter stepped forward. Brainiac dropped to the ground, crumbling into ashes.

"No man, or no machine can hope to get the better of me," Harry said in a cold voice that was not unlike him. Clark stood, and then was knocked into the wall.

"Harry, fight it!"

Kara's yells fell on deaf ears. Clark tried to pull himself to his feet, and Harry slammed him down hard. A magical noose had wrapped around Clark's neck, and choked him. His strength managed to push Harry back.

Like a blur, Kara grabbed Harry from behind. She tried to hold him into place. Harry gently broke her grip, and she was stunned, dropping to the ground.

"You made me do that," Harry told Clark. His voice was getting colder. His eyes turned from red to green. Luna moved over to revive Kara. An electrical shock knocked her back. "This is the great hero that was prophesized to be sent from the stars. Humanity's last line of defense against the dark elements that rise."

Clark tried to fight, and Harry knocked him down. He was on his knees. Clark tried to hold his head up. His face was smashed into the ground. Strength tried to push his way out of the attack.

"You're not yourself, you're not yourself," Clark said. "Harry, if you're in there somewhere, fight it."

"He is in there somewhere, but he's finally slipped and I've taken control," Harry said in a cold voice. "And you Kal-El, are going to be the sacrifice I need. Both you and Harry Potter will perish. And I will return to your timeline and conquer it."

"Over my dead body," Clark managed.

Harry gave a high and cold round of laughter. "All in due time, Kryptonian. I know you have a plan, and you think it will work. But it will be inevitable to fail. That machine has been poisoning me for months, thinking he can weaken this form to use as the proper channel as a vessel for his master. However, while he weakened Harry Potter's mind, he left the door open for me to return. He fulfilled the objective of the Arising."

"You're him," Clark gasped.

Harry laughed once again.

"Yes, Kal-El, I am him. Lord Voldemort knows that you're not stupid."

Clark tried to calculate the plan. Both Kara and Luna were trapped. He was in a world where he could get erased at any second.

A voice whispered in his ear.

'_Kal-El, you do not need to merely beat him, but you just nearly need to stall him until Harry can re-take control of his mind and then he can send you the rest of the way back.'_

Clark knew who this was. Harry stood before him, his newly slit like red eyes staring down him with thinly veiled contempt.

**To Be Continued in "Arising Part Two." **


	32. Chapter 32: Arising Part Two

**Chapter 32: Arising Part Two. **

Clark was blasted onto his back with a powerful burst of magical energy. The energy caused every single inch of his body to feel like it was on fire. He struggled to get up to his feet. Then a wave of pain washed over him. It was like Kryptonite, only a thousand times worse. He felt like red hot metal was puncturing his skin, and he tried to struggle up. His skin blistered, which he had no idea was possible with him.

His vision was blurry. The Kryptonian struggled to his feet. His knees crumpled from the pain.

The high cold laughter of the dark force in front of him continued to ring out. It was taunting, twisted, music in the ears of Clark. He tried to focus his X-Ray vision. A magical blast repelled it back into his own eyeballs, causing everything to hurt like hell. His ears rang as well.

Kara flew in, and grabbed Harry around the waist. She tried to wrestle him to the ground.

"Let go of him!" Kara yelled in Harry's ear.

Kara tried to grab onto Harry. She tried to get through with him.

"Foolish alien girl, you waste my time!"

Kara was knocked back from the impact. Harry stepped forward. The dark force that beat inside him had compelled him to hurt her even more. Yet, the love Harry felt for Kara, it was holding him back. He was unable to raise one hand to hurt her even more. The dark haired wizard opted to bind her wrists and ankles together instead.

Harry spun around, and Clark tried to attack him. The attack was blocked. Luna stood in the background.

"Harry, I know you're in there somewhere, fight it," Clark told him. There was a long pause. "You couldn't hurt Kara, so there's parts of you that are fighting it."

"Yes, the vessel's attraction to this creature is most annoying," Harry said with disgust dripping from his voice, and he slashed his hand at Clark. Blood was drawn, and Clark was knocked around a bit more. "However, I can harm you, and I will."

Harry began to fire several spells at Clark. Clark dodged them at super speed. However, he eventually was flung against the wall. The Kryptonian smashed hard into the wall with a sickening impact. No matter how hard he fought the powers he had were no match for that of Lord Voldemort. Harry stepped forward, and a spell struck his back. Luna stepped in, and Clark jumped at Harry. He tried to put Harry through the wall. Harry blocked it, and propelled Clark back.

Clark landed on the ground, and rolled over. Harry walked forward, and stood over Clark. He prepared to finish the job, and sacrifice the traveler.

"Clark, remember the secret weapon!" Luna yelled.

Harry spun around, and Clark reached into his coat for a lead-lined box. He pulled out the black Kryptonite. Rushing over, the rock glowed in his hand. It was like fire. The rock was pressed against Harry.

"You think that rock is going to defeat…." Harry said, but immediately the essence of Lord Voldemort had been sucked out of Harry. Voldemort hovered a few inches off of the ground. Clark got a good look at him. This dark wizard had a smoky white face, with twisted red slits for eyes, and no lips. The rest of his form was black as what passed as a soul for him.

Harry sent him flying with a spell. His essence was sent backwards. Green eyes flickered at the red eyed wraith that was floating in the air. Harry prepared himself for the battle.

"Now, it's just me and you, Voldemort, like it should have been."

Voldemort offered a high round of cold laughter. His form was nearly complete. However, this just left him open for another attack. Harry blasted Voldemort a few times, slashing his hand through the air. The dark haired wizard tried to stop him before he could latch onto another vessel, or worse, return. The two hated enemies surrounded each other.

"You think you can defeat me, when you can't even defeat the demons in your mind," Voldemort taunted him.

"I don't need to defeat you, Riddle, you defeated yourself," Harry told him firmly. The situation was intense. He tried to prevent the wraith from taking him back over. He was stronger. His heart beat faster. He would not let this monster define his life.

"What are you blathering about, Potter?"

Harry jumped forward, and sent a series of spells at Voldemort. Voldemort deflected them. This would normally mean that Harry would be almost down for the count. However, he had a couple of tricks up his sleeve. One of them was a spell that sent Voldemort crashing into the wall, where solid steel spikes materialized. Blood dripped down from his back.

"Do you really think it's that easy?" Voldemort gasped.

"No, but this might be," Kara said. She sent a blast of heat vision at Voldemort. Voldemort screamed, and Harry jumped in, to finish Voldemort off with a high intensity blast of magic. Given that he was only a shadow of his former self, the former Dark Lord exploded into dust particles.

The darkness deep within Harry had been eliminated. Harry had finally defeated Voldemort, and could be at peace.

Harry collapsed into Kara's arms. Kara held him, looking up in his face with a smile on hers. She brushed his hair away from his eyes, and smiled at him. Harry cave her a weak smile.

"Are you okay, my love?" Kara asked Harry in a soothing voice.

"I'm back, Kara, one hundred percent," Harry said, and Kara cradled him in her arms. She planted light kisses on his forehead. Harry bit his lip nervously. "So you still love me, even after all that happened?"

Kara looked at him with an incredulous voice. Did he really doubt the love she had for him?

"I love you, always and forever," Kara said. She pulled him into a deep kiss to emphasize that point. "It wasn't your fault, what happened. And the two of us, we can rebuild. It's going to take a long time, but we're going to do it. The two of us, we can take on the world."

Harry smiled. He always felt that with Kara, he could accomplish anything.

Clark watched. Now that they were back to normal, they reminded him of the Kara and Harry that he knew back in his world. Back in his world, he was reminded of something that needed to be done. Time was running short.

Luna seemed to understand what happened, and she cleared her throat with a loud "hem hem". This acction caused Luna to get a nasty look from Harry.

"I think you can have your reunion later," Luna said. The blonde took a few seconds to think about what was going to happen. "Kal-El here does not belong here. Even if he would be welcomed by most, this universe has an unfortunate habit of erasing people who do not belong. Therefore, we need to return him home."

Harry and Kara exchanged looks, and nodded. It was long overdue time for Clark to return to his universe. Kara looked at the cousin she never had in this universe. A smile spread across her face. Her expression and demeanor had softened from earlier.

"We can send you back to where you should have been," Kara said. "If I'm not mistaken, your universe's Harry and Kara are in danger, and may need a little assistance until their powers completely returned."

Clark's only response was a swift nod.

"Right this way," Harry told him. He allowed Clark to follow him down the corridor. The dark haired wizard paused, and turned around with an afterthought. "And sorry for what happened."

Clark waved it off. "You weren't yourself."

Kara, Luna, and Harry lead Clark down the hallway. There was a level deep down on the bottom floor that would send Clark where he needed to be.

* * *

Harry, Kara, and Luna finished leading Clark to his destination. They moved down a spiraling set of stairs. Eventually they reached their destination. Clark had thought for sure he would disappear at that moment. His powers were slowly returning, even if he was a bit sore. Clark took a deep breath, and looked at Harry, Kara, and Luna.

"This world it's…."

"A nightmare, I know," Luna said. The girl sighed. "The thing is that what was once destroyed can be rebuilt once again. All it takes is some patience and some perseverance, and two dedicated people. Harry and Kara were beloved heroes once."

"We're going to be once again," Harry said. He was firm in that statement, and stood up proud.

Kara smiled. "Each journey begins with a step. And your step begins by walking through that portal, and helping take down one of your greatest enemies."

Everyone allowed a moment to make sure everything was ready. They did not need any other surprises.

"By my calculations, there is only twenty seven minutes before Harry and Kara have their powers returned, and slightly more than that before Krypton blows up," Luna said. Clark gave her a strange look as she said this statement. "I know things, Kal-El. That's my meteor ability, remember. To be able to see through things that others cannot perceive, to have awareness of different worlds. It's not an easy power to master, but alas it is one that I have."

Clark could understand how that particular power could drive a person mad. Mastering his powers had been a journey. A journey that had many potholes along the road, and in some ways the journey had just only begun. There would be plenty of time to work on that later. Right now, he stood, waiting.

"You must leave," Luna said curtly.

"Yes, because the world will erase you," Harry told him. "Whatever, is holding you into place will not hold for long. The world you know has stopped the moment you left. However, it will go on, with or without you. And countless may perish without your influence like they did here."

Clark understood. Kara walked up to him next. It seemed like she was struggling with what to say next. Eventually she just decided to spit it out.

"I admit when I imagined my cousin, you weren't quite what I had in mind," Kara said with a smile. "I really apologize for throwing you through that window."

"I know what the Red Kryptonite does to people," Clark told Kara. Kara relaxed, and nodded. "And to be honest, I'm sure you're not the first person who would have thrown me out of a window if they had a chance."

A grin spread across Kara's face at that statement. Hopefully, even if the world she knew perished, Clark could return. Her cousin could triumph. Everything would work out in the end, and this nightmare world would never come to be.

"You better get going soon," Kara said. She looked at Clark with a serious look on her face. "Your Kara needs your help, and I'll be fine. I'm sure she cares a great deal about you. Even if you can't seem to fly."

Clark cracked a smile at that. Harry walked over to him.

"Not that I'm trying to rush you or anything, but I don't know how much longer I can keep this portal open," Harry told Clark.

Clark responded with a swift nod. It was time to leave right now. He spun around, and prepared to walk off towards the portal. Luna grabbed his arm, and stopped him.

"Before you go, there's something that I want to tell you," Luna said.

Clark was confused, and Luna grabbed him by the shirt, before pulling him into a kiss. This action caught Clark off guard. He pulled away, and Luna had a satisfied smirk on her face. Clark looked at the strange girl, completely dumbstruck by what she did. It seemed so gloriously random and out of the blue.

"It was on my bucket list," Luna said. Clark looked confused. "Kiss a male alien."

Clark just nodded. Some strange girl randomly kissing you was something that did not happen every day. Not that the kiss was bad, but it was just unexpected.

Naturally Luna had already kissed a female alien, and she was quite an amazing kisser. Luna looked over at Kara with a smile. Then Harry joined in, and it was a real party. Luna could not walk for a week, but it was worth it. However, that was a story where she would keep the details to herself. Right now, Luna nudged Clark. She averted her eyes towards the gateway.

"Your gateway to your destiny awaits, Kal-El," Luna told him.

"Stay safe," Kara said. She had many things that she wanted to say to her cousin, advice she wanted to impart on him. Sadly, there was no time.

Clark turned around, and took a step towards the portal. The energy glowed around him. It felt odd going back in time. Yet he was sure that this would not be sidetracked, unlike the last time he had stepped through this portal.

Harry and Kara looked at each other with a sad smile. They could not tell Clark the truth, because that would make him want to stay. Even if it meant sacrificing himself, and that truth was when Clark went back in time, he had caused a chain reaction that would have caused this world to never exist. It had served its purpose.

Harry and Kara wrapped their arms around each other. Luna had already vanished into oblivion. They exchanged a deep and passionate kiss. Both of them really got into it. Their tongues probed each other's mouths, and they danced with passion. This would be the last thing they did, before they were no more. They just wished that could do more, one more time before everything faded.

The solace they had was that this world and all of these deaths should never come to be. Harry and Kara disappeared into the light, along with this world. Everything was gone. The last thoughts they had was the love they shared for each other. It was not something that could be erased by any means.

Everything faded to black, and the world they knew no longer existed. Even if the love they did would go on through all eternity. The two faded out, along with the rest of world.

* * *

An energy field held Harry and Kara back. The two of them tried to push back, and they almost broke it.

"Time is running out," Brainiac told Kara and Harry. "All I have to do is stop that ship from leaving."

The two Heralds of Death broke out.

"Again for a computer, you talk too much," Kara told Brainiac, and she sent heat vision at Brainiac. Brainiac met Kara with a blast of heat vision of his end.

Harry jumped in, and blasted Brainiac hard. The menace flew backwards.

'_Five more minutes until our powers come back,' _Harry mentally projected to Kara.

Kara nodded. They had to keep the mental link up. That was an easy way to communicate without Brainiac knowing what was going on. Scheming was part of winning any battle, and that link was something that would be their most valuable resource. Harry and Kara flew forward, and knocked Brainiac for a loop. Brainiac repelled them, and made his way towards the doors of Jor-El's lab. The sounds of a ship arming for launch could be heard. Brainiac had to stop that ship from leaving. Kal-El's demise was at hand.

"Kara Zor-El, Harry Potter, the two of you have meddled in plans where you have no comprehension of."

"You'd be surprised what I can comprehend, you glorified programming error," Kara said, sending heat vision when she spoke.

"Insufferable, much like Jor-El."

Kara saw red when she was compared to that particular person, and she nearly took out Brainiac through the sheer force of anger. It was unfortunate for her that Brainiac blocked the attack.

Clark popped up in a flash of light, and knocked Brainiac back. Brainiac flew into a crystal structure, and smacked hard. His eyes looked up, and he seemed unsurprised. The computer got up, and properly faced Clark.

"Hello, Kal-El, here to witness your own demise?" the machine taunted him. Clark rushed over. Brainiac dodged him. He felt fatigued, and Brainiac sent him flying back. "I don't know if you've noticed, but there is no yellow sun here. Without the yellow sun, you are weak, and mortal."

Clark realized that the charm Luna had put on him had worn off. He was in a predicament. Brainiac tried to stab Clark like he did Lana. Barely, Clark blocked the attack. He used his remaining strength to shove Brainiac off.

"You won't win," Clark said through gritted teeth, and he tried to go for Brainiac. The lunge attack did not work. Brainiac knocked Clark back once again .Clark was down on his knees, and at the mercy of Brainiac.

"You're not in Kansas anymore, Kal-El," Brainiac said. His hand clenched around Clark's throat, choking him. Clark struggled against the grip of Brainiac. "I get to kill both your present and past self on the same day. It will be like you never existed, and Krypton shall flourish. I am Krypton!"

"No, you're just a machine with a few programming errors," Clark managed. His breath was short. "You're flawed, damaged!"

"It is you who is flawed, Kal-El," Brainiac said. He began to choke Clark some more. The dagger was in his hand. He raised it above his head. "And now I shall correct that fundamental error of your existence."

Before Brainiac could do the devious deed to Clark, Kara propelled herself into the air. She flew at Brainiac, and sent him flying with a swift attack. Brainiac was driven down to the ground, sending an explosion of rock.. Kara took out her aggressions on Brainiac, hammering him with punch after punch. Harry jumped over, and waved his hand. Clark felt himself get empowered once again. The red sun above Krypton empowered him, magically filtered into yellow sunlight, and Clark rushed over at super speed towards one of his toughest enemies.

Clark nailed Brainiac with a punch that nearly broke the sound barrier. A tremor caused everything on the planet to shake. The ship began to launch, as the planet began to crack underneath them. It would only be a matter of minutes before the core exploded.

Brainiac flew high into the air. He could stop the ship. Clark had other ideas. He grabbed onto Brainiac's legs, and pulled him away. Brainiac stabbed Clark in the chest. Clark fell to the ground. This did stall Brainiac, and make his target be much more difficult to reach.

Harry had used this distraction to knock Brainiac down. Kara caught Brainiac with a kick from behind, and smashed a large chunk of debris over his head. The knees of the malicious machine buckled. Harry reached up his sleeve, and found a port. He inserted the virus into Brainiac.

"You can't do this," Brainiac managed. "The BrainInteractive Construct will…"

His statement was cut off, and the machine found himself unable to articulate what he needed to say. His systems were crippled. They could potentially be rebooted. One of his powers was that he was highly adaptable. Harry and Kara could not let that happen. Their powers had returned. Two waves of energy shot from their hands. They struck the malicious machine. He began to rattle underneath their efforts, and slowly came undone.

"No, system error, must purge," Brainiac managed. "You're tearing me…must download…"

"Not today," Kara said Brainiac, blocking Brainiac from uploading a copy of himself elsewhere.

The machine began to break apart, devolving into a lower and lower level of intelligence with each passing motion. It was the closest thing a machine could feel with pain. Brainiac was blown to smithereens. All copies of Brainiac past, present, and future had ceased to exist thanks to their powers. The machine was no more.

Clark rolled over. He felt faint, and cold. Kara walked over, and grabbed Clark. She propped him up. Using a bit of magic, Kara managed to heal Clark's injuries that he suffered. He looked like he had a long day, and that was a feeling that the two of them could sympathize with.

There was a long pause, before Kara let out the breath she was holding.

"Clark, everything's going to be fine," Kara said. The planet gave one last shake, and the core was about to reach critical pass. Kara and Harry hovered over it, holding Clark up. "We did it."

"How do we get home?" Clark asked.

Harry paused for a minute. He had to really think this one through, and fast. Even though Clark's ship would have safely launched, there was really no way to get back. Harry took a deep breath. He might have been down, but he was not out.

Suddenly, a blinding light appeared over the top of them. They saw the Shining Light Foundation on the other side. Kara, Harry, and Clark looked at what lied in wait on the other side of the portal.

"I guess that's our answer," Kara said. The planet shook beneath their feet. The towers in the distance began to topple. "We better get going, before it's too late."

Kara and Harry held onto Clark, and guided him through the time portal. The three flew side by side and the planet of Krypton exploded. They passed through the portal just seconds before

Krypton had perished. While Harry and Kara may have been able to reverse it from happening, thousands of other lives elsewhere would have been sacrificed in exchange. It was very tempting to think about what might have been. Those were thoughts that had vexed people for centuries, and had taunted them.

As easy as it was to think about what might have been, it was more prudent to think about what was here now. Krypton exploded into a shower of meteors, which followed Kal-El's rocket ship through to Earth. And history to the point where Harry and Kara left to fight Brainiac remained unchanged.

The world was as it should have been, for better or for worse.

* * *

They were back at the Shining Light Foundation. It was almost like they never left. Lana stood in the hallway at that moment. She looked around. It was a moment before she regained her bearings. The dark haired woman blinked, surprised, and rather astonished.

"Why do I have a feeling that I just narrowly missed something bad?" Lana asked.

Harry, Kara, and Clark exchanged knowing looks. They were the only three people who remembered what happened. Suddenly, Lana's confusion dawned on Clark.

"Lana, you don't remember?" Clark told inquired. Lana shook her head. "You disappeared into nothing, or I disappeared. And Lily Potter sent me back to another world where I didn't exist."

Harry's expression darkened. Kara's did as well. The two of them knew what had happened. They knew who had let Brainiac into the Shining Light Foundation. Harry and Kara stood around, and stepped down the hall. They saw Claire sitting on a chair. They rushed forward to check on her.

"Claire, I'm so glad, you're okay," Kara said to her.

There was a long pause with Claire looking at Harry and Kara. The eleven year old girl blinked. She wondered if her parents were feeling okay.

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" Claire asked in a confused voice.

Harry and Kara looked at each other. Perhaps Claire not remembering her ordeal was for the best. No one seemed to remember what had happened. The two just made sure their daughter was all there. They would have to give her a full check-up to make sure there were no lingering surprises from Brainiac. Everyone was really pleased with how this turned out. This day could have ended rather badly. Yet, everything remained fine. Everything was just going to be fine.

"Claire, we've all had a long day," Kara told her.

Claire looked at the two of them, and gave them a swift nod.

"I can tell," Claire told them. The girl had a bright smile, untainted and ignorant at what happened. "Something happened, and you fixed it. You saved the day, like you always should."

Kara and Harry smiled. They moved Claire off. While she seemed to be fine, Harry and Kara still wanted to have her get checked out. The two of them walked Claire off into the distance. Kara was pleased that this was all over, just in time to get married. Soon they would be a family officially, on paper. Not that any stupid paper mattered to Kara. All that mattered was what was alive in their hearts.

As long as they were together, they could take on anything that the world had to offer. The couple stood in the background. Clark and Lana had been left alone. There was a bit of silence from their reunion, as Clark held Lana in his arms.

"Kara and Harry said that your powers will come back in a few hours," Clark told her. "Can you handle it?"

"I've been normal for over twenty years, I think I can handle a few more hours," Lana said with a shrug. She looked at Clark. "So Clark, I remember being stabbed by Brainiac."

"Yeah, I thought for a moment that I lost you," Clark said in a calm voice.

There was a moment of silence, before Lana grabbed Clark by the hand. She looked firmly in his eye.

"Clark, after all that we've been through, it won't be that easy," Lana said. "Sometimes in life, we don't get happy endings. Yet, if we get tested like this time and time again, we should get that happy ending."

Clark shared Lana's hope. Some might have considered that belief to be one of a fool. There had been times where he had thought that he had that moment with Lana. There always seemed to be something that pulled that happy ending out of his grasp. The two of them had been through many trials, and tribulations.

"I do remember something else, that we do need to talk about," Lana said. Clark looked at Lana. "You said that you couldn't bear to lose me again. And I know that was more than from when I married Lex and you thought I died. There was something else. Lily said that there was no reset button this time."

Clark had hoped that Lana would have forgotten about this as well as most other things. He could not have been so lucky. Lana stepped forward, and she had Clark pinned against the wall. Her strength had not returned, yet her determination remained such.

"Clark, I understand that you don't really want to talk about whatever happened," Lana said. There was another moment of silence between the two of them. "But, I can sense that it's been something that has been eating away at you."

Lana had really hit the nail on the head, Clark thought. Clark stood before Lana. There was really no easy way to say what needed to be said. The two looked at each other. There was a tense moment of silence between the two. Lana looked at Clark with a pleading look. There were times where she felt they were closer together than ever before. And there were times where she felt that Clark still put up walls to guard himself.

"Let me in, Clark," Lana whispered to him. She placed her hand on his cheek, and looked into his eyes.

Clark felt that the anticipation had to be worse than the aftermath.

"Two years ago, you died," Clark said. Lana suspected this much. "I…well I told you my secret then. And Lex found out you know. That was after the Senate Election with my father…"

"The night he died," Lana gasped. Suddenly, she felt a stirring of guilt in her stomach that she could not completely squash.

"Yes, that night," Clark said. He thought that night was one of the worst nights of his life. Clark opted to tell Lana an abridged version of that story. "Lex had a few drinks, had an argument with you, and accidentally ran you off of the road. You died from what happened. I went back in time; I never told you my secret. And my father died of a heart attack after an argument with Lionel Luthor."

Lana appreciated this from Clark. She wrapped her arms around Clark. A bit of guilt stung her.

"Clark, I'm so sorry," Lana whispered to him.

"Lana, this isn't your fault," Clark said.

"You heard what Harry and Kara said about the balance," Lana said to him. "If a person was saved, that meant someone else had to die. And since I didn't die…oh my God, I feel so…"

Lana seemed to really take the revelation badly. She pulled away from Clark. Kara stepped in front of Lana. Harry was right behind her. Kara frowned. She could sense a lot of self-loathing and guilt coming on. It was best to nip this one in the bud.

"Lana, Clark's right, none of this is your fault," Kara said in a gentle voice. "Clark made a decision to go back and save you. Jonathan Kent died."

"Clark would not have been able to save you, had your fate been completely sealed," Harry explained to Lana. Lana opened her mouth to protest, but Harry was not done. "Jonathan Kent was a good man. I never met him, but I've heard enough good things about him. I think we might have gotten along decently enough. However, perhaps he was the one destined to die on that night. And if not that night, it would have been a week from there or a month from there. His heart was weakened. He pushed on through. Eventually something would have had to give."

Lana conceded that was true. Clark had to also concede that was unfortunately true. If he had not gone back in time, Jonathan Kent may have died regardless. Maybe not on that night, but he would have died before too long. Whether it be days more, weeks more, or months more, Clark could not say.

Harry and Kara looked at each other. They walked around. Lily had vanished from the Shining Light Foundation mainframe. She had done the dastardly deed of letting Brainiac in, and kidnapping Claire. Harry had no idea what her intentions were. This had to be one of her tests, although what it amounted to, they had no idea.

The gloves were off regarding Lily. Harry had tried to give her the benefit of a doubt. However, family or not, she had a lot to explain for. No one let a monster like that into someone's home.

They needed to find Lily, and put her down. The one good thing was that somehow she had left the Fortress. However, she had to be somewhere.

The real question was where?

There were a few ideas, but Harry and Kara felt that after that night, they needed to check up on everyone and make sure they're okay. Everything appeared to be stabilized, and no one remembered what happened except for those who had time traveled. It was time to perform a scan of everything, which would take time. Harry would need to make sure Lily was gone to a the microscopic degree.

* * *

Lex Luthor had plenty of time to ponder about his lot in life. The most recent revelations had slapped him in the face. There were times where desperate men did desperate things. And the lust for power was something that had tempted many men before him. He drummed his fingers on the desk. The revelation that everything he thought he knew was wrong had continued to taunt him.

In reality, Lex should have known. All of the pieces fit like a demented jigsaw puzzle. He had suspected. His suspicious tended to get distracted by other matters. And Harry Potter knew everything, and covered the trail. Did Potter want to control Clark for his own means? Lex somehow doubted that, even if he would not be surprised. He had seen enough about people and their nature to be automatically suspicious about the intentions of others.

A voice whispered through Lex's ear.

'_Lex Luthor.'_

Lex sat up straight. He recognized that voice. It was the same taunting voice that had told him about protecting the secrets of the traveler. The same voice who had been behind the man who had shot his father down. Lex sat up straight. His full attention was grabbed.

'_You feel betrayed by everyone around you.'_

Lex remained rigid. He shook his head.

"I don't think I should be listening to some random voice in my head," Lex said. Lex suddenly felt his muscles react. His hand reached up, and wrapped around his throat. Lex felt himself strangled underneath the grip of his own hand. He was choking himself.

'_It would be so easy, Lex. So easy for me to make you kill yourself. So easy to make you throw yourself out of a window or drown yourself or hang yourself.'_

Lex's hand loosened from his throat. He fell down on the desk, gasping for precious oxygen. He shook his head, and tried to regain his bearings. Everything was starting to taunt him. The answers were out of his gasp. He could not resist. There was a need to respond to this taunting voice in his head.

"Then why don't you?" Lex asked in a raspy voice. "Whoever you are, there would be many who would cheer you along. You have a Luthor in your grasp, and obviously I'm some puppet dangling on a string to you. Just do it, whoever you are.'

The silence was eerie. Lex despised it. He had so few of the cards on the table at his disposal.

'_You'll serve me no purpose, dead, Lex Luthor. You have a great destiny of your own, and today is the day that it will be fulfilled. It's time to drop the façade and show the world who Lex Luthor truthfully is. The world must be saved from an alien threat far greater than you could imagine.'_

Lex stood up. This was not on his own free will. His feet were moving own their own accord.

"The traveler, I presume," Lex said. "You had my father shot over this.'

'_I didn't kill your father, Lex Luthor. He died because of his own arrogance.'_

Lex had to grudgingly agree with that fact. His feet still moved under their own accord. He had no idea why he is being controlled by this mystical puppet. He tried to call for security. Then he stopped himself. What good would security do against a spirit?

'_You have been chosen, Lex Luthor. You have been chosen to save the world against the traveler. You have been chosen to be the greatest threat the traveler has ever faced. The traveler, better known as Kal-El or Clark Kent, as you might know him.'_

Realization smacked Lex Luthor like a shovel to the face. Clark had been the mysterious traveler all along. The traveler could be the greatest treasure the world had ever seen, or its greatest menace.

A small, microscopic, and miniscule amount of loyalty towards his former friendship with Clark bubbled to surface of Lex's subconscious. It was not much, but it was there.

"Clark for all of his faults, would not conquer the world," Lex said.

'_Do you really know Clark Kent? You thought you did. Perhaps you assumed that you would be like brothers, only closer. Yet, Clark shielded his true nature from you for years. All under the carefully constructed veil of lies, he deceived you That deception is something that he seeks spreads across the Earth. Clark Kent could pose himself as some false idol, fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. Yet, his species is predisposed to conquest. It is encoded within their DNA. He could rule over all. Yet, you could be the savior of humanity the world needs. All you need to do is listen to me, and the traveler will no longer be a threat. All will be right in the world, and Lex Luthor will be hailed as a hero.'_

Lex stepped forward. His paranoia had been properly stirred. He thought about this. A part of him really did feel betrayed about Clark keeping his secret from him for all of these years. That just proved that Clark did not trust him, and likely did not respect him. Clark was the only true friend, and in some instances the only true family, he ever had. That hurt form betrayal had caused Lex to step forward and let this spirit guide him.

Lily Potter was pleased at how her plan was going. Lex Luthor would be the lamb being sent to the slaughter. The traveler would step into the light, and embrace his destiny. All great heroes needed a great enemy to vanquish. What better enemy for a hero than a former friend?

Lex stepped forward, towards a fireplace. He was compelled to reach inside.

Lily watched her puppet dance on a string. Soon the traveler would embrace his destiny.

Much to Lily's utter dismay, the orb was not where she thought it was. She applauded her son and future daughter-in-law for their quick thinking. Lily was proud of both Harry and Kara. Yet, they would be fools to think that this was not over.

In fact it was only just beginning.

She had more than one puppet dangling on a string that she could use. It was time.

**To Be Continued in the next arc, Conquest. **

_For those interested, the DC Girls Poll had closed for the Ascension, and the Marvel Girls poll had been posted on my profile. There has also been a slight alteration to the summary, just changing when it happens. _


	33. Chapter 33: Conquest Part One

**Chapter 33: Conquest Part One. **

Chloe stirred awake, still trapped in the hospital, and not to be discharged until at least the evening. To be honest, she was going stir crazy. Chloe had been in the hospital for the past couple of days, and she did not have the foggiest notion as to why. Everything was all a blank. It was hard to comprehend everything. The last thing she remembered she was talking to Lois at the Daily Planet. For some reason, Chloe had the strangest feeling that she had a near brush with death, or something like that.

Exactly what it is, Chloe had no idea, and that fact drove her nuts.

The curtains in the hospital blew, to signal an unexpected arrival. Chloe looked up, expecting to see Clark there. Instead, she saw Kara and Harry.

"I guess sudden appearances which disrupt everything in the room must run in the family," Chloe said. She propped herself up on the bed, and smiled at Kara and Harry.

There was a long moment of silence. Harry drew breath, and decided to address the elephant in the room.

"You don't remember anything that happened, do you?" Harry asked.

Chloe looked at Harry, with a frown. "No, I can't say I have. And I have the slightest feeling that I should really remember it, and it was a memorable and life changing event."

Kara was prompt to explain.

"You nearly died. And that's not hyperbole; Brainiac came really close to killing you. He injected something into you. It may have been a backup program in the case of his defeat. However, Harry and I purged it from you. Then the entire universe went insane, and everyone disappeared. Clark, Harry, and I are the only ones that remember exactly what happened. And we went back to Krypton, right before it was destroyed."

Chloe allowed herself a few seconds to process this information. It was a lot to handle.

"I'm guessing you didn't try and save it then," Chloe remarked in a weak voice. Harry and Kara shook their heads. "Could you have?"

Harry and Kara paused for a time before they answered that very weighty question.

"We could have, but the real question is whether we should have," Harry answered. "And we save one race, and we could doom countless others. It's that balance thing that we were talking about before, the cause and effect of everything."

Chloe thought about that and she found the logic sound. Or perhaps it was just sound logic in her weakened state.

"Yeah, that could be a problem," Chloe said. "And just to think, all of this insanity happened on the biggest week of your life. Unless, the wedding got pushed back because of everything, and I wouldn't blame you in the slightest if it did."

Kara shook her head. "No, the wedding is still on."

"For sure," Harry said. "We won't let some glorified pocket calculator ruin the best day of our life."

"Glorified pocket calculator, nice one," Chloe said.

"Well, it seemed like something that was fitting," Harry remarked

"Wished something like that would have come to mind," Chloe answered wistfully.

Kara's gaze met Chloe's, and she responded with a knowing smile. "Although, there are a lot of interesting things that were in your mind when we were combing around in there, when we helped you."

This statement caused Chloe to sit up straight in a hurry.

"What things?" Chloe asked, and she looked a bit alarmed at the implications.

"Chloe, I'm not mad at you," Kara said. She looked at Chloe with a reassuring look. "You can't help what you feel, and I must admit I'm intrigued. But we'll discuss that when we've all had a chance to recover from this ordeal. "

Chloe held the motion on saying any more. She wondered if Kara had just said what she thought she said. Maybe the medication was making her delirious. That had to be it. That really had to be it.

"The real question is will you be out of there in time for the wedding?" Harry asked.

Chloe smiled. "I wouldn't miss it for the world .Even if I had to break out of here, I'd still be there. So, am I fine after what happened? Not that I'm doubting how well you guys work, but I just want to really make sure that there's nothing wrong."

Harry and Kara looked at her. They understood her concern.

"Chloe, trust me when I say that you're completely healthy, just a bit weak, but you'll recover and be back on your feet in no time," Harry told her. "I ran some scans; you're at healthy as can be given the circumstances, and will make a full recovery. In fact, you will be better off since before you were in the hospital. Your stamina and vitals are off the charts. And your meteor power, it's stronger than ever. I think should you ever choose to use it, it won't be as bad. Your body can handle it, and when you get a better handle of it, it will be even better."

Chloe bit her lip, and sighed.

"I just never thought that there would be a day where I'd thought that a meteor power would be a good thing," Chloe said. "But, maybe I can use it to my advantage. There could be some good done in the world."

"I'm sure you can do some good, if you put your mind to it," Harry said with a smile. "Even without your powers, you can do some good, so really this is a chance for you to do more good. The sky is the limit for you Chloe. All you have to do is keep reaching for the stars, and the world will be yours."

Chloe thought about that. Harry really did have a way of putting a good spin on things, in his own way. She looked at Kara. The two women met eyes. She watched Harry place his arm around Kara.

'_You better appreciate how lucky you are,' _Chloe thought as she looked at Kara.

"So, thank you for everything, and all of the times you've saved me from certain death," Chloe said. "Both of you, I really do kind of owe you my life."

Harry and Kara stared at Chloe, and Chloe looked back at them. A bit of alarm flooded across their faces, and they took a deep breath. Chloe was dumbstruck, and tried to comprehend why they would take such an innocent statement the wrong way.

"What, did I say something wrong?"

"Chloe, you better be careful saying things like that," Kara said seriously. "Admitting that you owe your life to a Herald of Death could have life changing consequences for you. And it's not something to be said lightly."

"It's different for you, because you know about our roles," Harry said. "If you were a person who didn't know, there wouldn't be the potential for consequences. However since you knew…"

"Sorry, I didn't know that such a statement could have consequences," Chloe said. She became a bit nervous about what Harry and Kara said. "What will happen now?"

"Well hopefully the magic around the Herald of Death moniker will judge you as only making a flippant statement," Harry told her, and Chloe responded with a nod. Her body relaxed, given what Harry told her, magic was all about intent. "Of course, there could be life changing consequences, for the three of us."

Chloe had no idea whether or not she wanted to know what "the three of us" meant. Harry and Kara looked around. The three of them sat in awkward silence.

"We cannot take back what is said," Harry said. "Of course, given some of the thoughts that have been stirring around in your head, you just never know what might happen."

It was that point that Chloe really wondered what Harry and Kara had seen in there. She tried not to fly into full panic mode. That was likely the worst thing for her health.

"We better let you get some rest if you want to be out of here in two days," Harry told Chloe. "Take care."

"I will," Chloe said with a smile, and she watched Harry and Kara leave. It was not a long wait as they were out of there. She looked up, and suddenly a searing pain had gone through her hand.

It was far worse than anything she had ever experienced before in her life. She clutched her wrist. Chloe's eyes watered and she was temporarily paralyzed. Some kind of power washed through her body and she felt a warmth come from the tips her toes, all the way to the top of her head. It was a feeling unlike anything she had ever experienced. Chloe lifted her hand up, and saw it burned into her hand.

The symbol was on her hand. The triangle had a circle in the center, and there was a diagonal line down the center of it. She looked at her hand, completely transfixed by it. The blonde wondered what the consequences of her little declaration she made were. All she was trying to do was show her appreciation of what Harry and Kara did for her. Suddenly, it was like her body was undergoing some weird metamorphosis.

'_What is happening to me?" _Chloe thought to herself.

Suddenly something echoed through her head like a badly tuned radio. Chloe put her hands on her head, and gave a pained sigh. There were many sounds beating through her ears at once. The pain was unbelievable. She tried hard to focus on one particular sound, and could hear Harry and Kara's voices, once she got her wits together.

'_We're going to have to get back to the Shining Light Foundation soon, everything that happened with Claire, we should spend some time for her.'_

'_I'm just glad that Brainiac is gone for good.'_

'_Yeah, me too.'_

'_He'll never hurt anyone again. And do you think that Chloe will ever admit…'_

The static in her head had gone out, and the thousands of sounds had once again overwhelmed her, blocking her from hearing the rest of Harry and Kara's conversation. Chloe was mentally screaming "admit what, admit what", over and over again.

"Good, I was wondering if you would ever be awake when I visit."

Lois popped up at that moment with a smile, standing in the doorway. Chloe discreetly held her right hand underneath the blanket. There would be awkward explanations all around if Lois saw it. The marking would hopefully be temporary.

She really, really hoped it would be temporary.

"Yeah, I guess I've dozed off," Chloe said.

"Yeah, after what happened…you know I can't really remember what happened now," Lois said. "I was talking to you, and then the next moment I woke up in the hospital. The strangest thing was that no one can even tell me what the hell happened. I was fine, and I got let out yesterday. You on the other hand…"

"I'm getting better, in fact I feel like I could walk on air," Chloe remarked.

"That could be the medication," Lois told her.

Chloe just smiled.

"I guess so," Chloe admitted. She could tell that Lois had big news to tell her. "Okay, Lois, spill."

Lois did in fact spill.

"The news around the bullpen in the Daily Planet is there was some hotshot with a lot of money that bought out most of the top shareholders," Lois told Chloe.

"Oh, I wonder if that's a good thing or a bad thing," Chloe said.

"I don't know, new boss is being rather hush-hush," Lois said. A little look of amusement spread across her face. "The word is also that Lex got the Planet snatched from underneath his nose. And hey, any enemy of Lex Luthor is a friend of mine."

Chloe would have to concur. She had a hunch who might have done the deed, but given that she was under bed rest, it was hard to kind of verify that fact.

"The real question is whether or not either of us will keep our jobs," Lois said. She tried not to look too worried. "I mean, with a changeover in management that big, someone like that's going to be cleaning house."

Chloe looked at Lois.

"We're just going to have to wait and see," Chloe said. "I know how hard that is for you."

Lois just shook her head.

"Well you're feeling better, you've got your sarcastic tongue back," Lois remarked. Regardless, she was smiling. "And that's good to see."

Chloe nodded.

"I'll let you get some rest," Lois said. "If you need anything, just let me know, and I'll be right over in a flash."

Lois walked away. Chloe looked at her hand when Lois had left. This was going to be a hell of a thing to explain to everyone. It was not like she could wear gloves for the rest of her life. People would notice that.

Why did magic have to take things so literally?

Chloe suddenly noticed something else with a start. She was floating about six inches off of her bed.

Things might have gotten a bit more complicated now. Chloe would just have to figure out how to bear the consequences.

And not only that, but figure out how to get back down, as she had gotten higher off of the bed. Chloe winced slightly, when the top of her head smacked against the ceiling.

Somehow, by sheer luck, Chloe finally got back to her bed. The woman hugged her legs and looked up, eyes widened. Chloe was almost tentative to move, in the fear that she would bonk her head on the ceiling again.

* * *

It was a beautiful day outside. The spring weather had arrived in full force, and there were many people who enjoyed that. Harry and Kara sat outside, checking the latest weather forecast in the newspaper. Claire was off to the side of them, sitting in the grass. She was happily reading a book. Both Harry and Kara were glad that she was in one piece.

Kara smiled at another bit of news, and turned to address Harry.

"Unless this forecast changes, our wedding should go off without a hitch," Kara said. "It will be a nice sunny day outside. Even for us, planning a wedding is so much work. And with everything else that's gone on, there are some day's where I wish there were two of me."

"That would be interesting," Harry said with a grin, and Kara just playfully tapped him on the shoulder. She wrapped her arm around him and snuggled her head onto his shoulder, smiling. Harry wrapped his arm around in her in kind, and the two just enjoyed the company of each other, while keeping a watchful eye on their daughter.

Kara wore a white tank top. The tank top showcased her firm and developed bust, showcasing a generous amount of cleavage. Harry could tell that she was wearing no bra underneath, even if the shirt was charmed to see that no one but Harry did notice that fact. It rode up on her so Harry could see her tanned and toned midsection, along with her sexy little belly button. The red skirt she wore wrapped around her hips snugly. Her beautiful legs were on display. They were smooth, long, and tanned. Kara got on her hands and knees to check something. Harry got a look at her cute rear.

Underneath her skirt, she wore a black thong. She wiggled her ass slightly to tease Harry when Claire was occupied with her book. She wore no shoes, and Harry looked at her perfect feet. They would be the envy of most girls, with her lovely arches and cute little toes. Kara was beautiful, but her personality and her confidence made her ten times more attractive to Harry in addition to her white-hot good looks.

Kara threw herself over Harry's lap. Claire read her comic book, barely even paying attention to anything in the outside world.

"Claire, are you doing fine over there?" Kara asked Claire.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Claire said. The eleven year old redhead sighed. "I can't really remember what happened, though."

"There's a club forming for that," Harry told Claire, and Claire nodded.

They had spent some time when they got back checking out Claire to make sure Brainiac had not left any traces behind on her, or any nasty backdoors. Harry and Kara scanned Claire, who was very impatient, for several hours, and much to their relief, they had found not anything. Perhaps it was for the best that she did not remember anything about her ordeal. Harry wished that he could forget some things about his life.

"So are you ready for the wedding?" Kara asked her.

"Yeah, it's about time," Claire told her. "You two deserve to be happy together, and then you'll be on your honeymoon."

"I'm sure Megan and you will have loads of fun," Harry said.

"Yeah," Claire said with a bright smile. She then bit her lip nervously. "You're coming back aren't you?"

"Of course we are," Kara said. "There's no force in all of the known galaxies that could stop us from returning to you."

Claire felt overjoyed at that reassurance, but really she had no cause to worry. Her mom and dad were awesome, and tried to take time out of their busy day to spend what they could for her. She understood that they had busy lives, and a lot of responsibilities. Even with their powers, it was hard to keep up with anything. Claire thought that they had a lot of important things to do, and appreciated when they spent time with her. Harry and Kara did so not because they had to, but because they wanted to.

Harry and Kara continued to enjoy nature. They were sitting on a small patch of grass outside of the Shining Light Foundation. Suddenly a girl dressed in a red shirt and green skirt with her red hair tied back in a ponytail walked out of the Shining Light Foundation. She held a folder of papers in her hand.

"Hello, Megan," Harry called over to her. "What can I do for you?"

Megan Morse stood, watching them, feeling a bit bad that she had to disrupt this little family outing, but business did call.

"Are you busy, Mr. Potter?"

"Is it important?" Harry asked her.

"The papers came in today," Megan informed him. "And I'm also out here to remind you that Claire has classes this afternoon, and I know after our near scare things might be rough. But you did say that her education should not be disrupted even after what happened yesterday. Um, whatever happened yesterday."

"Right, thanks Megan," Harry said. The dark haired wizard turned his attention to his daughter. "Claire, be a good girl, and go in with Megan. Remember, you have classes this afternoon."

Claire nodded. She rushed over, and hugged Harry and Kara goodbye.

"I'll see you two later," Claire declared cheerfully.

"If you get your homework done, and it's good, we'll do something fun tonight," Harry said.

Claire was lead back inside. Harry looked at the folder of papers on his lap, and a smile crossed over his face.

"Luthor's going to flip," Harry remarked casually.

"What can he do to you?" Kara asked.

"I'm not really concerned with what he could do to me," Harry admitted to her. "It's more like what he might try and do to me that's my concern. And there's just something coming, but I can't place what it is."

Kara snuggled closer against Harry. Harry pulled his soon to be wife in towards him tightly.

"What some kind of calm before the storm?" Kara asked.

Harry nodded. Kara placed her hand on Harry's, and offered him a bright smile.

"We can handle it, after we saved an entire timeline from being wiped out, there's nothing that we can't handle," Kara said. She wrapped her arms around Harry, and pressed her lips against his. She pushed him back onto the grass, and began to kiss him heatedly. Harry returned the favor, and worked his fingers around the back of her, feeling her up underneath her shirt and skirt.

Kara moaned into his mouth. Their tongues clashed together for dominance. Harry broke the kiss slightly.

"We better put some charms up, so no one gets a free show," Harry remarked.

"Yeah, I don't think it would do well for some kind of sex tape starring us to go up on the Internet," Kara said. She added with a teasing grin. "Besides, shouldn't we make some money off of it?"

Harry had no idea whether his fiancée was being serious or not. He put up the necessary charms, and Kara reached her hand down Harry's pants, and began to slowly stroke his length. Harry felt himself grow in her hand, and his pleasure heightening. The fun was just beginning.

**Smut/Lemon Begins.**

-Snipped for Terms of Services Reasons. Uncensored Version Link in Profile.

**Smut/Lemon Ends.**

Harry and Kara rested on the grass, arms wrapped around each other. The two lovers gazed intently, and lovingly into each other's eyes. Harry and Kara spent a fair bit of time snuggling with each other. Kara lightly kissed Harry, and then proceeded to nuzzle her face into Harry's neck. They managed to find their clothes, and walk back inside. There were a few scans of the building that they needed to conclude.

* * *

The last year, the last several years had been a trying time for Lana Lang. She pondered about what happened over that time. She sat outside of the Kent Farm, cross legged, and just sipping on a cup of coffee. The sun shined brightly. A change in her life having these powers really did put a new perspective on everything. Everyone was bittersweet, but at the same time offered new possibilities.

Clark walked out immediately. Lana was hit with a sudden burst of inspiration.

"Hey, Clark, do me a favor and throw that rock at my head," Lana told Clark.

Clark looked at her like she had grown a second head. "Are you sure?"

Lana folded her arms, in an exasperated matter. Her gaze flickered towards Clark's

"Yes, Clark, I'm sure, now just do it," Lana said.

Clark picked up the rock. Lana held up her hand.

"And give it everything you got, I want to be sure," Lana said.

Clark did give it everything he got. Lana did have invulnerability now, even though throwing a rock at your girlfriend's skull no matter how tough she was would be something that would not be considered to be natural. The rock froze in mid-air, and Clark stood below Lana. His mouth remained a gap.

"Is that one of your powers?" Clark asked.

"Yeah, it is," Lana said. "Here come up here Clark, and take a load off."

Clark opened his mouth to protest that he could not fly. Lana levitated him up into the air. Clark had his legs crossed. It took him a moment to get used to being in the air.

"Just relax Clark, I won't drop you," Lana said in a reassuring voice. She felt her grip on Clark lessening when he fidgeted. "Although you might want to sit perfectly still."

Clark nodded. The two of them sat in silence. Clark was floating on air. He just resolved not to look down. That seemed to be a common piece of advice when a person was floating in mid-air. The two of them avoided bringing up what happened.

"You can't really remember one bit of the battle with Brainiac," Clark prompted.

Lana shook her head. "I really wish I could, and I get flashes of everything, but nothing is clear. The way you described it, it sounded amazing. And while there is room for improvement, it wasn't too bad my first time out. It does seem a lot easier to think about what someone should do when you're watching from the sidelines. Then when you're actually out there, in the heat of battle. Have there been times where you froze up, and did not know what do?"

"A couple," Clark admitted. "It comes with the territory."

These types of powers had planted the weight of the world on his shoulders. That type of weight could crush any mortal man and someone like Clark Kent, it would be no exception. Lana wrapped her arms around Clark in mid-air. She gazed into his eyes with a smile.

"So, we're out here alone, in the middle of nowhere," Lana said to him. "No one is around here for miles, and this would be an interesting exercise to see if I could keep the two of us levitated while we were occupied."

"In mid-air?" Clark asked, a bit confused by the thought.

"Clark, we keep breaking the bed," Lana told him. She grabbed him around the waist aggressively, and looked into his eyes. "It's not like we're going to be able to break the sky. Although it would be helpful if you did one day learn how to fly. And I know, you keep trying. There's something that keeps holding you back. But maybe this will give you some…inspiration?"

Lana kissed Clark in the cheek, and then moved over. She straddled Clark's lap while they were in mid-air. Clark just went with the flow, and Lana's lips pressed against his. If she was not careful, they would be crashing through the roof of the barn. Although that would give an entirely new meaning to the phrase "romp in the hay."

"Clark, you feel like you're made of steel," Lana whispered in his ear.

Clark felt her hands go to work. He closed his eyes, and savored the moment. The yellow sun so close to them did make the experience rather different.

"Lana," Clark whispered in her ear, as she pulled his pants down. She had Clark pinned into place in mid-air.

That never got old, and Lana savored each moment. Clark sometimes had a mental block where he held back a little bit. She had to encourage him to step things up a little bit. Then again, Clark just seemed to be the type that tended to want to go slowly. That would not do.

Lana brought Clark's head down onto her lap, pulling her skirt off.

The activities continued for a while, and they really got into them for several minutes. Suddenly a loud blaring sound had knocked them out of the air. Lana swooped beneath Clark, and caught him in her arms.

"At least we finished before we got knocked out of the air," Clark said, trying to lighten the mood.

Lana thought that Clark had a different meaning of "finished" than she did. There was no time to dwell on this. .This sound compelled her to keep moving forward.

"Clark, stick around, rest, and I'll be right back," Lana said to Clark. Clark opened his mouth to protest, but Lana silenced him with a kiss. It was brief, but she pulled back. "It's something important. We'll have to pick this back up later."

She pushed Clark against the barn, and gave him one last kiss. Clark was surprised that she practically stuck her tongue down his throat. He slumped against the barn, and Lana turned around, giving Clark a bit of a show. Lana put her clothes back on, and flew off before Clark could say anything.

A thump, thump, thump, echoed through Lana's head. The attack was very distracting. She wondered where this headache was coming from. There was some mysterious force attacking her brain. She placed her hands on either side of her head.

"Who is this?" Lana asked.

'_Hello, Lana, long time no see,' _Lily Potter answered in a cheerful voice.

Lana nearly crashed out of surprise.

"What are you doing in my head?" Lana demanded.

"A part of me has been dormant ever since your trip to the Fortress, inside your head," Lily said.

Lana was completely mortified out of her mind, and that meant if Lily was there, then she was with her and Clark during their most private moments. The thought of which made her want to hurl.

'_Don't worry, I shut my eyes during the graphic parts,' _Lily thought to Lana. _'Although I must say, the traveler is everything that I had ever thought of. He's quite gifted, is he not, dear?"_

Lana was not hearing this. She was so not hearing this. This was so wrong on so many levels. Her stomach turned, and she felt violated.

'_Get out of my head," _Lana demanded.

'_In a little bit, sweetie,' _Lily thought. _'First, I need you to be a good little protector, and pick up something for me. We're going to shove Kal-El on the first major step towards his destiny.'_

"_I won't do anything to hurt Clark, you witch!" _Lana thought to Lily angrily.

'_Dear, that's not really that much of an insult in our world,' _Lily thought back to Lana. _'It's time for you to really test your mettle. We'll see if you are worthy to stand beside Kal-El, or not. There is a fifty-fifty shot, princess. And now I'm in control. I can make you crash into airplanes, into buildings, and kill innocent people. But you don't want to do that, do you?"_

"_Do whatever you want to me, just don't hurt Clark,' _Lana thought, perfectly aware she was not in control of the way she was flying.

Lana strained, and very nearly regained control. Lily was much stronger than she was.

'_Lana, I can never hurt Kal-El,' _Lily thought. _'Everything I have done is with his best interests in mind. The world needs a hero. It's unfortunate that the greatest lessons are learned through adversity, and it's survival of the fittest. We cannot hide behind a false veil of secrets forever.'_

Lana reached a building on the outside of town. She recognized it as a satellite outpost of the Shining Light Foundation.

'_You're going to borrow something that Harry picked up a while back,' _Lily thought.

'_You're going to use me to steal from your own son?' _Lana asked.

'_Steal is such an ugly word,' _Lily replied. _'I prefer the term liberate.'_

Lana continued to fly, and tried to find a way out of this. She had to fight without Lily being any the wiser.

Lily did seem to plan for every single bit of resistance.

Lily needed to accelerate her plans. The third Herald of Death was coming, and by her calculations, she would arrive in less than a day.

* * *

Kara and Harry poured over records from the Shining Light Foundation security systems. They would be able to secure the main building, and make sure what happened to Claire would not happen again to anyone else. There was a small, but easily exploitable hole in the mainframe of the Shining Light Foundation security system. The two worked over it, and to seal it so it could never be used to hurt anyone again.

"My mother and her games," Harry said with a disgusted sigh. He poured over everything. "The good news is that she has been purged from the system again. I'm currently reworking the charm work to lock her back out and hopefully keep her there."

"There's good news, but is there bad news?" Kara wondered.

Harry paused, and looked long and hard.

"The bad news is, there may be still faint traces of her out there in someone," Harry said.

"So, you think she still could be hiding somewhere in the Fortress?" Kara asked.

Harry nodded, but there was a bit of uncertainty to that gesture.

"Yes, somewhere in the Fortress, maybe," Harry said.

There was a small amount of skepticism dripping from his voice. Harry and Kara continued to pour over the security logs.

"Look, there's an erratic spike here, all the way to Luthorcorp," Kara said.

Sure enough there was. That would explain the strange energy spikes that had been happening all over the city. Harry and Kara sat by each other, and tapped into their little backdoor into the Luthorcorp network. They punched their way into the video footage that they had seen over the past twenty four hours. Harry saw Lex looking around, and muttering to himself.

The two Heralds of Death surveyed the situation. Both were thinking the same thing.

"He's acting odd, even for Luthor," Harry remarked casually.

Kara responded with a nod. He was acting a bit odd. They continued to tap into the network one step at a time. Luthor was trying to find something in Luthor Manor, and conversing with someone. Given that Luthor was the only one present at the time, this was strange behavior. Harry and Kara watched. Perhaps they were putting two and two together, and getting five.

Another silent alarm went off.

"It looks like someone found the orb," Harry said.

Harry and Kara punched up the security camera. The vault had been ripped open by super strength.

"You seem oddly not bothered by this," Kara replied to Harry.

Harry shook his head, and decided to elaborate. "No, I'm not truly bothered by this. The fact of the matter is that I put a tracing charm on the orb. I'll be able to track it where I want to go immediately. There's something inside that orb that is of great value, and it's an item that can control Clark."

Kara thought that Harry should be a bit more bothered by this, but she was willing to accept that he had his reasons for now. He punched up the footage, and the blur that moved in was Lana. Harry shook his head. This had gotten from bad to worse.

"I seem to have created a monster," Harry said to himself. "Or I could have created a puppet that can be easily exploited."

Kara stared at the security images on the secret.

"Lana looked like she was fighting it," Kara offered.

"Yeah, fighting it, but it's kind of hard to fight something with your mind when someone is controlling the body," Harry said.

Kara concurred with a nod. The two of them traced the orb, even if they had a shrewd idea where the destination was.

The two Heralds had to work quickly. They had a feeling that the die had already been cast. Harry really wished he could destroy the orb, but there was something that prevented him from doing so.

* * *

Clark sat outside of the barn, and waited impatiently. It was getting late in the afternoon. He heard footsteps and though for a moment that it was Lana. That thought was proven wrong, when he saw Lex walk up towards him. It had been a long time since he had come face to face with Lex, and Clark's mood darkened when he did.

Lex stood before Clark, as bold as brass, like he was just rolling into town to greet an old friend.

"What are you doing here?" Clark asked.

Lex replied with a smile. Clark did not like the look of that smile. It was a knowing one, a calculating one. "Come on Clark, is that any way to great an old friend?"

"We haven't been friends for years, and after all you did, I wonder if we ever were friends," Clark replied. He kept his voice even.

Lex winced for a brief moment, before he grew rather stoic.

"I see," Lex said. His voice was cold. "I don't know what to say after all of these years. Our friendship was something that should have been the stuff of legend. Clark Kent and Lex Luthor, a regular dynamic duo, and no one could stand in our way. I thought of our potential together, and I guess that I thought wrong."

Clark was on his guard. Lex did not attack him yet. Not that Lex could hurt him. Physically at least, although Lex had done much to him emotionally, and that's what put Clark on his guard.

"And you didn't trust me, no matter how much I tried to prove myself," Lex accused. "I suppose I was the fool for deluding myself. I guess I was a fool for actually thinking you valued our friendship. And I gave you plenty of chances to open up. But, you never took them. This isn't the way I wanted to find out. I wanted to learn it straight from the horse's mouth. And after seven years, I wondered what I could say."

"What are you talking about?" Clark asked.

Lex just looked at Clark with a knowing grin.

"Oh, come on, Clark, it's not like it takes a rocket scientist to know what's going on," Lex said to Clark. "All of those near misses over the years. All of those times where you just happened to pull me and others out of the fire. I should have known. But I didn't want to admit it to myself. I wanted you to admit it to my face. Face to face, I wanted you to tell me the truth, like a best friend should. But, I wonder, while you were not admitting it in front of my face, were you laughing behind my back?"

"After all you did, I was right not to tell you anything," Clark replied.

Lex threw his hands up into the air.

"Clark, you of all people should not be taking the moral high ground. You kept your secrets from people who were supposed to be your friends. Did you really think so little of me? What did you think I was going to do? Dissect you? I respect people, who respect me, and I trust them. I thought that trust could exist between us."

"There was never any trust between us," Clark argued.

"That's where you're wrong, Clark!" Lex yelled. He took a moment to calm himself down. "You could have been like a brother like me. Which is the ultimate irony, because you would be worthy of the name Luthor .All of the times you stabbed me in the back with your secrets."

Clark reached over, and grabbed Lex. Lex remained calm and collected. He looked Clark directly in the eye.

"You could crush me like a tin can," Lex said to him. He was fearless. "But you can't destroy one thing. The fact of the matter is that I'm right about everything. It didn't have to be this way Clark, but it now is. It's almost a shame."

Clark tightened his grip on Lex's jacket. There was a tense moment where Clark considered his options. He could not do much more than consider them. Years of pent up anger was inside him, and Clark tried to get himself in line before he would do something that he would regret.

A wave of magical energy washed over them. The next thing Clark knew, both he and Lex had been teleported into the Fortress of Solitude. Lex's eyes widened and he looked around. He was impressed by everything, and amazed. Lex Luthor resembled a kid on Christmas morning.

"Magnificent," Lex mouthed, and he looked around. He took a good long look at everything.

"Don't get too comfortable, you're not staying for long," Clark said.

"No, Clark, you're right, I wouldn't overstay my welcome," Lex said, and he reached into his jacket. He pulled out a green meteor rock. Clark stood before Lex. Lex pointed the rock at Clark. Clark stood by him, unflinching. Confusion washed over Lex's face, but he recovered. "All of those times you dropped like a drowned kitten around these things, and now you stand tall. I wonder what's happened to you."

Lex paused, and smiled.

"You might be powerful, but you have a weakness," Lex said. A knowing grin appeared on the bald young man's face. He stared Clark directly in the eye, and his voice dropped. "And your weakness is you care about others."

"That is a strength!" Clark argued.

"Many would argue otherwise," Lex said. "I would offer you the hand of friendship one more time to try and reconcile what once was, but I know when to take a hint. Perhaps it is not in the cards for Clark Kent and Lex Luthor to be friends. Perhaps we should be enemies."

"You made that choice a long time ago," Clark replied.

The two young men, once friends, stared each other down. Neither blinked, both remained firm in their stance and their opinion. Lex stared Clark in the eye, and his voice lowered to a near whisper, before he asked Clark one burning question.

"The real question is, which one of us is the hero, and which one of us is the villain?" Lex asked.

Before Clark could answer, he heard familiar screams. He saw Lana suspended in mid-air above him. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head. Kryptonian writing had been burned into her forehead.

"Lana!" Clark yelled. His heart skipped a beat. "Let her go!"

"Krypton flows through me," Lana said in a creepy monotone. "I am Krypton."

Both Clark and Lex were completely disturbed by this development. It was almost like the knowledge of the Fortress was being uploaded into Lana's brain.

**To Be Continued in "Conquest Part Two." **


	34. Chapter 34: Conquest Part Two

**Chapter 34: Conquest Part Two. **

After seven years, what more could someone say. That was the question that was rolling through the mind of Lex at this point. It was honestly difficult to say anything at this point. His entire friendship with Clark, and then the subsequent animosity that soured things rolled through his head. The bald young man questioned every single thing that happened between the two of them. All of the times where he took Clark at his word replayed in his mind. If Clark could be dishonest about his origins, then it stood to reason to Lex that he would be dishonest about his intentions and everything else.

Everything the two men had been through was a lie. Lex looked on with a bittersweet smile. It was just like everything else in his life.

Lana hovered in the air, dangling. Clark watched her. She looked like a puppet, and was in pain. His mind was going several miles a minute. There was no way he could see to disconnect her from the field.

"Jor-El, if you can hear me, your advice would be appreciated about now," Clark pleaded. There was no response. The silence was deafening.

Lana's eyes glowed. Clark could see Kryptonian writing flash through her eyes. A pained expression crossed her face, and she mouthed the word "help". She tried to fight what was happening. The knowledge was not siphoned into her brain slowly, so she could assimilate and understand it. Rather it was crammed into her mind.

"Jor-El, father, I don't care what you do to me, whatever you want just help Lana!" Clark yelled. His voice nearly cracked from the panic.

Lex had never seen Clark this desperate. Desperation was something that Luthors had been taught not to show. It was an avenue where enemies could swoop in and take advantage of them. It was easily exploitable, and Luthors had exploited it. Weakness was something that was forbidden. Especially around an enemy, and Lex speculated that he would be considered Clark's enemy. Lex understood it all, achieving perfect clarity. He was a hero that would save the world from this alien menace.

"Jor-El cannot hear you, it's my consciousness that flows within the Fortress," Lana said in creepy monotone. "This is my destiny to become the protector. After seven years, the two of us can be together completely. I understand everything. Everything that I see, is sensations unlike the world has ever known. Everything I touch, everything I smell, the world is in an entirely different light, and the world will never be the same again! It is all ours, Kal-El, just accept it is our destiny!"

Clark took a step forward. He reached over, and tried to disconnect Lana from the Fortress. How, he did not know. She might be saying one thing. However, the woman's expression and body language said a different thing.

"Lana, I can help you, just help me," Clark said desperately. "I know you're in there somewhere!"

Lana's expression flickered between tranquil and horrified. Her fingers twitched, and Clark tried to grab Lana. He could not even touch her. The energy pulse knocked him back onto the ground right at the feet of Lex Luthor. This the last place where he wanted to be in this point of time.

Surprisingly, Lex extended a hand for Clark to grab. Clark looked at it. He wondered what Lex's game was. There was always a game with a Luthor. His head shook to try and clear the cobwebs.

"Clark, trust me, I've been sucked into this situation as much as you have," Lex said. "Whatever happens from here, between the two of us, we'll deal with that on our own time. If we want to both live to see another day, we have to work together."

"Work together with you?" Clark asked. His voice seemed to be dripping with skepticism. "Are you mad?"

"Mad, perhaps, desperate, definitely," Lex replied in flat voice. Clark finally took his once friend's hand, and allowed Lex to help him to his feet.

Clark and Lex stood side by side, but neither really trusted the other. Once again, Clark saw Lana floating in mid-air. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head. Lana started muttering Kryptonian under her breath. Lex had no idea what she said, but Clark did.

Lex's expression shifted. There was a glowing orb on the ground. He had never noticed this object before. The truth was that Lex was too preoccupied with the architecture of the Fortress, and his admiration of it. Despite the situation, he would have to admit that it was rather impressive. And he debated on how this Fortress could best serve humanity. It would not do well to be in the hands of aliens.

Temptation flooded through Lex Luthor. He saw Clark preoccupied with Lana. She was always his Achilles heel, Lex thought. Then again, perhaps the inverse could be true. Clark was Lana's greatest weakness as well. Lex saw that fact with the most picture perfect clarity. The orb was on the floor. It was tantalizing, and annoyingly out of reach. His fingers twitched, and he stepped forward. Inch by inch, he got closer to the orb.

A voice told him that the orb would be the key for his control. There was something that made Lex hesitate. His father had told him that hesitation gave your enemy a chance to swoop in and stab you in the chest. His footsteps got closer, and closer towards the orb. There were many things Lex wanted to do.

He was told that jamming that orb into the Fortress console would cause his ultimate control, and would give him his triump. Lex never made a habit of listening to the voices in his head. These voices might have been forceful. However, Lex did not want to go down that road. His hand was extended.

'_The power is in your hand.'_

Lex shook his head. His heart beat against his chest. Every single step he took was towards a greater destiny, but doubt and hesitation held Lex back from completely taking the plunge.

Clark had been preoccupied by Lana. All of his powers were useless, so he had to use the one thing that could not be measured with any super power. His mind, and he had to calculate a way out of there before it was too late. Clark's fingers twitched, and he reached over to try and pry Lana out of her cage.

He stopped, and saw Lex. Lex was making his way over to the orb. Clark sensed that the orb was nothing, but trouble. There was a voice whispering in his ear. It was forceful. Lex was a deadly enemy. Clark wondered if they ever truly were friends.

At super speed, Clark moved over and blocked Lex's hand. The two young men locked eyes. His firm grip held Lex's wrist in place. The bald young man struggled. Clark held him up. Lex's gaze was focused onto Clark. A bit of passive hurt crossed the eyes of Lex Luthor.

"What don't you trust me?" Lex asked.

Clark could not even believe that Lex would have the gall to ask that question. His firm grip held his once friend in place. Lex was lifted off of the ground. Clark pulled him away from the orb. Walking over, Clark tried to pick up the orb.

He could not touch it properly. Lex's eyebrow rose, filing this piece of information away for potential use later.

Clark's attention was half on Lex and half on Lana. Keeping an eye on Lex was a full time job, but keeping an eye on Lana was important. More information was force-fed into her mind.

"What is your game?" Clark asked.

"I'm trying to help you, but some people just can't appreciate help," Lily's voice echoed through the chamber.

Clark wondered if Harry would forgive him for wanting to hurt Lily. Although given Harry's recent comments about Lily, and his attitude towards her, he might have been right beside Clark. The triumphant tone in Lily's voice was not one Clark missed.

* * *

Two figures appeared as far outside of the Fortress as they could be allowed. Harry and Kara dropped down, and had a nice, long look around. The two had to figure out what to do, and quickly. There was a weird light show appearing outside of the Artic. The two of them had a feeling that this light show would pick up the attention of some undesirable parties. The two of them had to move quickly. Harry and Kara made their way outside of the Fortress. The two of them touched it.

There was an energy field around it to block their entry. The two of them tried to push through, but it repelled them back slightly. Kara and Harry stood beside each other.

"Well, this might complicate things," Harry concluded. He placed a hand on his chin. Intently, the dark haired Herald of Death looked at the Fortress.

"We can get inside though if we find the flaw in her charm work," Kara suggested to him.

Harry and Kara exchanged an expression, and studied everything. The orb had been tracked right now. Harry would have sooner destroyed the object. However, there were two distinct reasons why. The fact of the matter was that he could not destroy it. Something had stopped him from being able to do so, even with the most powerful magic. And it offered some level of insurance against Lily. That being said, that was out the window.

At that moment, Harry and Kara heard someone drop down in the snow. It startled them, and brought them out of their concentration. They turned around, and saw Chloe on her hands and knees in the snow in the Artic. Chloe shook her head.

"Harry, Kara!" Chloe yelled. The two of them flew over to her, turning their attention away from the Fortress.

Harry paused, and looked at the blonde in the snow. Her unexpected arrival threw him completely off guard.

"Chloe, what are you doing here?" Harry asked.

Chloe's eyes popped up with a confused expression in them. "That's kind of what I want to know. One moment I'm lying in my hospital bed, minding my own business. I was going to get discharged tomorrow morning. And the next minute, I wake up in the Artic. I don't like throwing around the word normal, but this isn't normal."

"No it isn't, even for us," Kara agreed.

Harry conjured some warm clothes for Chloe. The woman took them graciously.

"Thanks," Chloe said, feeling a bit better that she was not lying in the Artic with just a hospital gown on. Oddly enough, the cold did not bother her. She filed that away with questions that would need to be investigated later. Yet, it was just more of the principal of anything. "Wow, I guess magic can do anything. I suppose that it could undress people as well as dress them."

"I can verify that it can," Kara said knowingly.

Chloe stood with a smile plastered on her face. She knew that she was outside of the Fortress. Harry stood over, and his eyes flickered over towards Chloe's hand. His green eyes surveyed her, and he spoke with the utmost calmness.

"Chloe, what's on your hand?" Harry asked her.

"Hand, there's nothing on my hand, just a scratch," Chloe said, backing up.

Kara reached forward, and gently grabbed Chloe's hand. Chloe winced, with Kara taking a good look at her. The cat was out of the bag so to speak. Kara studied her hand, and saw the familiar marking of death.

"You look like someone died," Chloe said, trying to lighten the mood. She saw the grave expressions on their faces. "Yeah, that was a poor choice of words."

"Chloe, we were afraid there would be consequences like this," Kara said with a sigh.

"Consequences, yeah you told me about that," Chloe said. There was a long pause. Then something struck Chloe. "Does that mean I'm…the third?"

"It's complicated," Kara said dryly.

Chloe shifted around. An impatient expression crossed her face. "How can something like that be complicated? It's either a yes or a no answer? How is something like that complicated?"

Harry was the one who had to explain. Chloe really had no idea what her innocent declaration would have caused. He rubbed his fingers on his temples.

"Chloe, I know you appreciated us saving your life," Harry said. "However, you really don't know what owing someone your life means for a Herald of Death. It leaves a mark that indicates that…well you owe them big time, in a big way. To put things in laymen's terms, you are a Herald of the Heralds, for lack of a better term."

Chloe had many questions about this. Kara placed a finger to her lips, and prevented her from talking.

"Chloe, you have many questions about what might have happened," Kara said. "However, now is not the time. We have a bit of a problem. Clark and Lana are both in trouble."

Chloe's eyes snapped up, her breath hitched, and the girl was focused. This got her attention one hundred percent. Her heart beat a bit, and she looked at Harry and Kara with a determined expression on her face.

"Let's save him, then," Chloe said firmly.

Harry and Kara looked rather reluctant.

"Oh, come on, I'm capable enough," Chloe told them firmly. Harry and Kara had no questions about her capability. Suddenly, Chloe was hovering a few inches off of the ground. "Oh, well this is new. Actually the second time it happened, but that's beside the point. And I really just have no idea how to get down."

Chloe was hovering off of the ground, and going further up. She tried to will herself down to the ground. It was harder than it looked. Harry and Kara looked at her. Kara decided to give Chloe some advice.

"Chloe, just take a deep breath, and relax," Kara told her. "And lower yourself to the ground. It's like breathing, it's natural. Just do it. Don't try and force it. Just get down to the ground."

Chloe dropped down to the ground. She wondered if she could get back up. Chloe decided not to risk it for now, and focused on the matter at hand.

"We're overdue for a long conversation of what's happening to me," Chloe said.

"And you'll get one, once the day is saved" Harry agreed. He blinked and turned back to the Fortress. "I believe we have found a way in. My mother is there, so we really have to be ready for anything. She has a pull on the Fortress, and she managed to hide what kind of pull that she had for a time."

Chloe took a deep breath, and frowned.

"So, I guess you can lead me inside," Chloe said.

"If you're willing to help, just listen to everything we say," Harry said.

Chloe decided to agree. They knew what they were up again. And if she did not want to be on the outside looking in, she would allow Harry and Kara to help her. Harry grabbed her hand, and she shivered. Kara grabbed her other hand.

"Just relax, and we'll guide you," Kara said. "The first time is always the toughest."

Chloe closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She felt a tingling sensation. It was assumed that this was perfectly natural. Harry and Kara were unbothered by it after all, so why should she. Those thoughts were in her mind when the three of them were transported into the Fortress.

* * *

Clark thought had almost had a way to get Lana out of there.

"Don't you realize that this is futile," Lily said.

"You wouldn't be the first person that said that to me," Clark retorted, in a half distracted voice. He tried to grab Lana, and pull her out of the containment field. He attempted to push her out.

The fully formed form of Lily Potter had arrived. Her red hair flowed in the Artic winds. Her green eyes were full of determination, and she positively glowed with power. One could not argue that Lily Potter was a beautiful woman, and she was also completely dangerous. Lex looked at Lily for a few moments, captivated by this figure before him. He tried to regain his bearings, and then he spoke.

"I can see where Harry gets his eyes," Lex said, trying to get in the woman's good graces.

"You don't have any right to say any word about my son," Lily said, her voice as cold as the Artic they were in. Her green eyes were on Lex's face. "You have come a long way Lex Luthor. Yet, there is so much that you learn. And your final lesson is when you have an opportunity to kill your hated enemy, you seize that moment. Or someone else may seize you!"

Lex was knocked hard to the ground by a blast of magical energy. He slammed down onto the ground with a thud. It took a moment before Clark to realize that Lily was fully corporeal. He tried to rush at her a super speed. A field of energy knocked Clark back, repelling the Kryptonian. He crashed back against the ground, right beside Lex.

"There seems to be something oddly appropriate about this picture," Lily mused. Her green eyes blazed, and she looked down at Clark and Lex on the ground. Two men were flat on their backs. "The hero and the villain have been brought down by a force that they could not comprehend. I thought long and hard about what must be done. The two of you, you could go around and around in circles for years. Or something could be done where it ends right there. You two are an interesting contrast. Lex, without your brilliant mind, you are nothing. And Clark, without your powers, you're nothing."

Clark's gaze looked at up at Lily's. He struggle underneath her push.

"You're wrong!"

"That's really the best you could say," Lily said. She clicked her tongue, and shook her head. Clark was down on the ground. Lily floated over to Clark. She barely paid attention to Lana floating behind her. Lana's eyes popped open, and she felt that she could move her right arm open. Lily bent down and patted Clark on the head in a condescending manner. "It's okay, I don't expect snappy dialogue. I just expect snappy results. Of course, one could argue that you are inadequate in that matter as well."

Clark had never felt more humiliated in his life. He tried to lift his arm up. There was an attempt to get away from away. He saw Lana's attempts to get herself free, and Clark took a deep breath.

"I've never been one to appreciate a flair for the dramatics," Lex said. "Are you going to kill us off or not?"

"Not today."

Lily's head spun around. Harry, Kara, and Chloe stood at the end of the Fortress. Lily stared down them. They stared back, arms folded, and glares intense.

"Hello, Harry, Kara, Chloe," Lily said with a smile. "I was wondering when you would find a way inside. Did you not think that I would notice the tracking charm?"

"You've gone too far this time," Harry said.

"Too far, maybe one could say that if they had a lack of imagination," Lily said. A calculating expression spread across her face. Malice burned through her green eyes. Her eyes met Harry's identical eyes. "I don't expect anyone to understand what I do. What I do is done on a greater level than many can fathom."

"I fathom something," Chloe said. She stared down Lily, no fear in her eyes. "I fathom that you're completely out of your mind."

Lily just offered a grin towards Chloe. There was a moment's pause. Lily decided to enlighten the girl on a few truths.

"Perhaps one could say that my madness is assured. However, it is just a culmination of hundreds of years of obsessive searching that nearly killed off my entire bloodline. If I didn't control the traveler, then someone else would try. And people would keep trying. Lionel Luthor hid his intentions behind a mask. He might have fooled many people, he may have fooled himself into thinking he changed. The best of us often become the tricked by the masks we wear. Despite his intentions, one thing is for certain. I doubt he fooled Lex."

Lex had to admit that he agreed, and agreeing with this woman was something that caused him a great deal of discomfort.

"I don't know where Harry gets his noble heart," Chloe said. "It's certainly not for you."

"You misunderstand my intentions, all of you," Lily said. The red haired woman offered a long sigh. There was just some times where people did not get what had to be done.

Harry somehow doubted that he misunderstood anything. He had seen some of the games his mother had played. A part of him understood that Lily was a product of her childhood. However, Harry thought that he could have turned out as hate-filled and spiteful as the Dursleys, phobic towards everything different. Yet, he had risen above that. So that was where his sympathy had ended.

"Why are you doing this to Lana?" Clark asked.

"I'm not hurting her, I'm helping her," Lily said. She seemed hurt that Clark misunderstood her intentions. "And I'm helping you. She might have the powers, but there are certain personality flaws that need to be ironed out, for her to understand what is truly at stake."

"Lana isn't flawed!" Clark yelled.

"Kal-El, you're not thinking straight, one day will understand" Lily said, shaking her head.

"Let Lana go," Harry told Lily. "She doesn't have anything to do with whatever game you're playing."

Lex crawled off to the side, and tried to figure out a way to cut his losses.

"You made her a part of this game, when you allowed her to keep those powers," Lily said. "You do tend to have a savior complex, my son. Then again, you and Kal-El are heroes, but in different ways. Ka-El is the type of hero that the world wants, that the world could look up to. You, on the other end, are the type of hero that the world needs. As for letting Lana go, consider it done!"

Lana was swaying from side to side, and eventually she was let go out of the stasis field. Immediately, Clark super sped in front of Lana, and caught her before crashing into the ground. Lana looked at Clark, a milky look in her eyes.

"Lana, talk to me," Clark said.

Lana offered him the slightest smile of recognition before her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Clark's eyes angrily turned towards Lily.

"What did you do to her?" Clark asked.

"You did it to her," Lily corrected. "You keep wanting to bring her in, make her a part of your life. And I tried to give her the chance. I downloaded the knowledge of the Fortress into her brain. Guess she couldn't handle it. Her brain may have very well been cooked like an egg."

"No one could handle that, you just forced the information into her brain!" Clark yelled.

Lily thought she had struck a nerve. Lana's eyes flickered open suddenly.

"Clark, it's okay," Lana breathed. Her hand pounded, and she had learned a ton of new information, but had not properly figured it out yet. "Just got a headache really, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Clark asked her.

Lana gave Clark a look that indicated that she was sure. Harry's head turned around, and he stared down Lily in the distance. Mother and son looked at each other for the longest time.

"Once again, the dice had been rolled with life, and Lana manages to slip free," Lily commented. "It does seem like that if anything her power is to survive situations that should have destroyed her."

"So that was your intention all this time," Harry said. His expression was calm and neutral. His eyes were on Lily's. The two identical sets of green eyes stared each other down. "I find something to be kind of funny. In another life, I would have been much like you. I would have been too much like you. In fact, I wouldn't really doubt that there are parts of me that are a bit like you. There are times where I thought that it would be the easiest thing in the world to take control."

Lily shook her head.

"Harry, if you had one flaw, you always have to take the hardest path. I don't know why you tend to heap the adversity on yourself. Life could be easy. It you could yours."

"Taking the easy path would just be that," Harry said.

"It would be a path that is barren," Kara added. "You died a beloved hero, protecting your son."

"I am a beloved hero, I sacrificed everything," Lily said.

Harry's expression was fixed on Lily's. There was a long pause. The two of them looked at each other. It seemed like they tried to understand why one did what the other did.

"Even heroes have their moments of darkness," Harry said quietly. "And even villains have their moments of near redemptions. I don't know what side you could be classified on. And perhaps there are no answers."

"There are no answers," Lily said. "Everything is a matter of perspective. The world is only as black and white as you personally view it."

"My perspective is that we tried to gain some common ground with you," Kara said. Her gaze was on Lily. There was no humor in her blue eyes, and no sympathy at all. "But, what you did today, that was too much. Out of all of the things you've done, when you used a child as a bargaining chip, that was something that we could never forgive."

"I never intended anything to happen to Claire," Lily said.

Kara lost it at this point. Her temper flared.

"Yet, you did! Something happened to her, and she could have died. And for what reason? Was this part of some game to test us?"

"All things in life are subject to examination," Lily said without any empathy in her voice.

Harry thought that he was beating his head up against the wall. He looked up at Lily at this point. All of the good things he heard about Lily from others, Harry remembered them. All of those words of praise flowed in his mind. A part of him admired Lily for her deception. Then again, who was the true Lily Potter? Did she even know anymore? Despite her advanced charm work, she was an imitation of the original, whoever and whatever she was.

"I can forgive a lot, maybe too much," Harry said. "But all of the things you did, they add up, and even test what I can forgive."

Lily folded her arms. They were coming towards a crossroads in their lives, many of them. Chloe's eyes snapped towards Lily.

"Why would you do this?" Chloe asked. "I was under the impression that you were helping Harry, and Clark too. Well if this is your definition of helping, what you do to hurt them must be borderline sadism."

Once again, people had misunderstood what Lily was doing.

"There are many things that Harry did that I would have never done. Giving Lana those powers, it was something that I cannot comprehend. And there was something else. Saving Lex Luthor from drowning, that was also something that I would not have done. Even if it wasn't his time, he should have died. But perhaps it was just destiny. Every hero needs their arch-nemesis. Would a hero be so heroic without their enemy? Would a villain's deeds matter without a hero being around to stop them? It is a co-dependent relationship, and Lex and Kal-El are destined to have this dynamic. They complete each other."

Realization hit Lex, it struck him hard in the face. He had remained on the ground, and backed off just slightly. Harry had been Death. He had saved him. Why did Harry save him, Lex Luthor? Likely, at that time, Harry had no idea who he was. Ignorance had saved Lex Luthor on that day. There was no grander purpose, and Lex cracked a tiny bit from the realization. His entire world was spun upside down, and Lex blinked. He saw Clark standing there. Lana was in his arms. He saw Lily standing before them.

Chloe, Kara, and Harry stood before Lily, and Clark stood off to the side, with Lana in his arms. Lex was on the floor, and everything flashed before him.

Lex thought that everything in his life had been leading up to his moment. Yet, there was one moment in time that every single moment in life lead up to. That was a person's death. What would happen, Lex had no idea.

His heart thumped against his chest. Something told him that no matter what happened, there was a good chance that he was not leaving here alive. Lex wiped the blood away from his mouth.

If he died on this day, he would do so proud and standing up straight. Just like a Luthor would. Lex noticed that Lily had become rather solid. She was solid enough to put a bullet through. Whether or not a bullet would work on a magic user, Lex had no idea. It would be a worthy avenue to explore given time. The only thing that gave him hesitation was the possibility that if he would pull him a trigger, that might be the last action that he ever undertook.

He watched Harry Potter stare down his mother. It reminded Lex of him and his father in a way that was eerie. Similarities existed, along with differences. Lex shivered, and that was not because of the cold Artic air either. Much as Lex loathed to admit it, there were ways where he had taken after his father. And as much as Harry would have loathed to admit it, there were certain personality traits that he got from Lily.

"I don't want to do this," Harry told Lily. Lily held the glowing orb in her hand. "But, you've left me no recourse."

Lily decided to enlighten Harry on a fact.

"Harry, no one twisted your arm to activate that journal," Lily reminded him. This very true statement had caused Harry to cringe. He took a few deep breaths, and continued to stare down his mother. "We all make mistakes. Perhaps it was an error that you dropped your blood onto my journal, to wake me up."

Harry shifted next to Kara. Death had told him that he needed to get that journal. Was this just another trial or another way to remind him that no one was perfect? Or was Death actually not omniscient as many believed.

"It's an error that I regret making," Harry said. He stepped forward, and faced the spectral image of his mother. "The powers of the Herald of Death are at my disposal. The only thing that is stopping me from destroying you is…"

"That despite all that I've done, you can't even raise a hand to destroy your own flesh and blood," Lily said. A smug expression crossed her face.

Harry stood forward. Kara was the one to speak up. Her determined voice cut through the silence. Blue eyes were locked onto Lily's form. Kara decided to be the one to enlighten Lily on a truth this time.

"You are neither flesh nor blood," Kara said firmly. Her eyes glowed with malice, and her hand glowed with power. "Your time has passed, and you died long ago. Honestly, I'm sick of all of these AIs that are hanging around past their welcome."

Lily swayed immediately. Her form was solid. Even if she did perish, what was inside the orb would be a great failsafe. Her and Isis had managed to secure that during one of their final trips to Krypton, years before Lily's death, before Harry was even born or conceived. Lily's eyes locked onto the group. There was a long moment of pause.

Right before Lex shot Lily directly in the back of the head. Lex stopped, and paused. Lily slowly turned around, and a grin spread across her face, maliciously staring down the bald young man before her.

"Well I do appreciate your ambition, even if your intelligence may be far more lacking than I could have ever realized," Lily said.

Lily waved her hand, and Lex dropped to his knees. Harry and Kara made eye contact. There was something that they would have done, had they been there. Lex was being slung around the Fortress. Lily did not seem intent to want to hurt him too much. Perhaps that was to draw his torment out.

Harry and Kara both locked eyes. They knew what to do.

Harry and Kara both aimed a bright light at the back of Lily. The spells impacted her back. In theory, the purpose of this spell was to banish problematic spirits to another realm. However, Lily was not strictly a spirit. Her form contorted. Lily's pull on the Fortress had loosened, just enough for Jor-El to return back online and gain some semblance of control over the Fortress.

Harry and Kara had Lily trapped. Chloe, Clark, and Lana stood in the back, almost transfixed by the light show that was going on.

"Run!" Harry yelled. "All of you!"

"We aren't able to; something has frozen us in place!" Lana yelled.

That just complicated matters a lot more.

"I'm sorry, I cannot allow you to do what you do Harry, and this Fortress is just too valuable to just leave to one that is not worthy of the destiny that was given to him," Lily said.

Her face contorted, and Kara and Harry used their magic to push back her form. Lily's essence bounced back, but her magic was still active. It was still binding them within the Fortress. Lex was on the ground, and he crawled over. The orb was within his grasp. Lana managed to break free immediately.

She flew towards Lex, and knocked him away from the orb. Lana grabbed Lex, and stared him down.

"You won't hurt Clark again," Lana said.

"I never intended to hurt him, but he forced my hand," Lex said. He slumped on his knees, with Lana's grip on him. "Lana, you know you don't have the guts to kill me. So don't even pretend."

Lana's eyes glowed. Clark stepped over, and grabbed Lana by the arm.

"I'll deal with Lex," Clark told her firmly.

Lana opened her mouth to protest. Lex reached behind his back, and pulled one of the crystals that had busted off of the Fortress during the battle. Lily Potter was nearly defeated, but Lex only paid the slightest attention to that occurrence. He had the crystal.

"Thank you Clark, thank you, you're like a brother to me," Lex breathed. He held the crystal, and stabbed Clark with it in the chest. The crystal seemed to hurt him somewhat. "But, unfortunately, that means little in the Luthor family."

Lana made a movement to nail Lex for what he did. He had somehow drawn blood from Clark. The crystal was super charged with Lily's magic, and could hurt him. Lana blocked the second stab, and she pushed Lex back. She locked eyes with Lex. Lex's eyes seemed flooded with fear, but had been determined to make her see reason.

"The traveler, I must save the world from him," Lex whispered. "Don't you get it, I'm the hero."

"Only in your deluded mind," Lana said.

Harry and Kara gave one final push of magic and Lily was illuminated. Two energy scythes slammed into Lily, and she was sent beyond.

Lily was banished. However, she had one last trick up her sleeve before she was pushed out the back door.

The Fortress started to crumble, and crack around them. It started to hum as well, with a bright light show appearing around them. Kara and Harry exchanged an expression. Everything seemed to move so fast. The Fortress of Solitude was engulfed by energy, and it was being broken apart. The spirit of Jor-El faded, apparently being sucked into oblivion.

The world around them went to black.

Harry and Kara grabbed Chloe, and flew her off, and up to safety.

"Lana, grab Clark, and fly faster than you've ever flew before!" Kara yelled.

Lana was about to do so, but Lex had grabbed her from behind by the ankle. She used her strength to throw him off, but the seconds it took to do so was all it took for Lana and Clark to be trapped behind. A flash of light illuminated the Fortress, and the entire structure was pulled into the light. Red light filled the tunnel where Lana and Clark stood, and snow, and ice had slid down the tunnel in an avalanche.

The backlash of the Fortress being pulled into a pocket dimension had caused a tear in the time-space continuum, and a bright figure shot out of the rip like a shooting star, a young woman, flying over the Artic, before she landed somewhere in Russia.

Harry, Kara, and Chloe exited the Fortress at the speed of light. Around them, it illuminated, and a big explosion went off in the Artic. Snow was sent everywhere. Harry and Kara blocked it with their shield charms.

The entire Artic looked like a war zone. The Fortress was gone, and Clark and Lana did not exit the Fortress.

"Clark!" Kara yelled at the top of her lungs. "CLARK!"

There was no answer. The Fortress was gone, and Lex, Lana, and Clark were all nowhere in sight. Harry, Kara, and Chloe all stood in the Artic, and the all knew one thing.

They had to work quickly. Time was of the essence.

**To Be Continued in Shambles. **


	35. Chapter 35: Shambles

**Chapter 35: Shambles. **

Kara floated in the air; her arms were by her side. Her chest inhaled and exhaled, trying to get ahold of herself despite the dire situation. This was a catastrophe of epic proportions, and one that could not have happened in their worst nightmares. Lily was certainly gone, for sure this time. Their powers had banished her to beyond. The woman who had caused them so much trouble was gone.

At least they hoped that she was.

However, she certainly made her mark, regardless of if they had successfully vanished. Lily Potter was gone, but not forgotten. The proof was in front of them. The Fortress had collapsed into time and space, and the backlash had left snow and ice everywhere. The entire Artic as far as she could see was completely destroyed by the backlash. An avalanche occurred where the Fortress once was. And Clark, Lana, and Lex were all in there. Kara had little interest in whether or not Lex remained alive. Hopefully he had been buried, and killed, after what he did.

The blonde Kryptonian tried to use her X-Ray vision. It was really a crapshoot to find them. They could have been anywhere, or dare she even think about it, any time. That was something that rattled Kara, her cousin being lost in time and space, without any way to help him.

"CLARK!" Kara shouted once again. "Give me a sign if you hear me!"

There was nothing. Kara never felt more frustrated in her life.

Chloe was equally worried. Clark seemed to be able to survive a lot, and with his powers, that did go without saying. Kara was flying around frantically. The girl was trying to find her cousin. Chloe could actually hear Kara's heart beating against her rib cage. She wondered if that was a new consequence of some kind of powers that had been manifested. Chloe clutched her ear. Harry moved over, and whispered in her ear.

"Chloe, keep it together," Harry said. "Just focus on one thing at a time."

Chloe nodded. understanding what she needed to do, but at the same time it was easier to say than to do. "Clark makes everything look easy. So do you and Kara. But I guess everything is a lot easier said than done."

Harry would have to agree. He tried to use some scanning charms to find Clark. Kara nearly fell out of the sky. She was so upset with what happened that the girl could barely fly straight. Chloe walked over, and turned to Kara.

"Kara, you need to calm down," Chloe tried telling her in a pacifying voice.

Kara slowly turned around, and the blonde Kryptonian's eyes narrowed.

"I AM CALM!" Kara shouted in fury.

Chloe winced at this shouting. That likely took a couple of years off of her hearing. "Yeah, that's calm alright. I can hear your heart beating. I'm not sure if Kryptonians can even have a heart attack, especially one in the prime of her life, but we better not risk it. Clark's out there somewhere. If we want to find him and Lana, we need to just keep it together. I know it's hard."

"It is hard," Kara breathed, shutting her eyes and trying to regain her bearings. She put her face on hands, and sighed deeply. Kara swayed back and forth, fighting tears. It would not serve her well to lose her head.

Harry paused for a moment, before he decided to bring up his assessment.

"Clark and Lana are across that large snow bank, or likely underneath it," Harry informed them.

"Underneath the snow and the ice," Chloe said. A sigh escaped her mouth. "What is your mother playing at?"

"Tell me, and we'll both know," Harry said dryly. His arms folded, and he pointed his hand forward. Chloe just put a hand to her forehead. "Chloe, are you…"

"I'm coping," Chloe said, shaking her head. There was still a subtle ringing in her ears. Chloe allowed Harry to place an arm around her to offer comfort. Kara did not question anything, although she was too preoccupied with Clark.

"Once we take care of everything, we'll be able to help you get a handle on these new powers, and your old ones too," Harry responded, and he looked at Chloe. "But just try and keep a calm head."

Chloe decided that she would have to agree with this situation. Everything had happened so fast. The trio moved forward. Time continued to tick by with each passing moment. Clark and Lana were in reach. Harry had no idea how far they were buried underneath the snow, and the two of them could be anywhere. Lex was another matter entirely. They would have to track him down once Clark and Lana were out of the woods, and safely out of this situation.

"We got to find Clark, Lana, and Lex," Harry whispered to them.

Chloe looked at Harry. To be honest, Lex had slipped her mind until this moment.

"I wouldn't complain too much if you left Lex for dead in the Artic," Chloe replied.

Harry's smile spread across his face.

"I'd like to know if he was dead for sure. Just call it crazy, but as long as there is one breath in his body, Lex poses a danger. Especially considering he knows the secret now, and who knows what he could do, because he might be a desperate man."

That was another thing that Harry could thank his mother for, among the many secrets she let slip out of the bag. This entire day was starting to become stressful, but Harry somehow had the feeling that everything was just reaching a fever pitch. The Artic as far as they could see was in shambles, and the search continued. Chloe, Kara, and Harry stood, and Harry continued to scan. On the chance that they were too deep down, any scanning spells would not be able to find them.

That was providing that they were actually conscious, or had not been transported wherever with the rest of the Fortress. Harry shuddered at the thought. There were an infinite number of dimensions where Lily could have transported Clark and Lana, along with the Fortress. And he would not put it past Lily to use some sort of misdirection in her schemes.

The search continued. Kara and Harry scanned the snow for any tell-tale signs. Chloe wondered if she had the particular power of X-Ray Vision. Her eyes focused, and sure enough she did. Chloe found her X-Ray vision focused on Harry, perhaps a bit longer than she wanted to. Chloe shook her head.

'_Stay focused, Chloe,' _she thought to herself.

Chloe did what she could to help Harry and Kara go through the snow. It was a few moments of searching, before Kara piped up.

"I think I found something!"

The other two stood up straight. There was a moment of hope, hope that they could get Lana and Clark out of there. Something told them that time might have been running out, and the three of them had to move quickly.

Time ticked by, and was this close to running out.

* * *

Lana clutched her head, and winced. It was plainly obvious she suffered a few bruised ribs. Her head was also buzzing, and her powers had been somewhat sapped, due to the magically simulated red solar radiation that Lily had bombarded them with on their way out. Falling through the ground was not an experience she relished. Lana tried to float into the air. Sure enough, she was floating, although with the low ceiling and potential for the cave in, it would be unwise to fly.

"Clark!" Lana yelled. She saw that her hand was scratched up, although she suspected that would heal in close proximity to the yellow sun. The limp was annoying, so Lana switched to floating. "Clark!" If you're down there, just give me a sign, any sign!"

There was a swift, and a grunt, which prompted Lana to pick up her pace down the tunnels.

"I'm here, Lana," Clark said in a raspy voice.

Clark was down. He had the blood staining his shirt when Lex had stabbed him with the crystal. Lana reached down, and helped hold Clark up. Clark nearly buckled underneath his weight, but he was still in one piece.

"Thank God," Lana whispered, throwing her arms around Clark, and allowing herself to catch her breath. "I thought for a minute….never mind what I thought. Both of us, we need to find a way out of here, and you've lost a lot of blood."

Clark winced, everything just hurt so much. His eyes looked heavy and lidded.

"I know it hurts, but you got to keep it together Clark," Lana told him. The two of them made their way forward, and continued their movement. Lana saw the specks of red splattered in the snow.

"We're going to die down here," Clark managed in a pain voice.

Lana frowned. The dark haired woman shook her head, with a determined gaze focused on Clark. "No one is going to die, especially not you. Not today, not if I can help it. Just hold on. We'll find a way out of here."

Lana mentally added that she hoped they found a way out of this place. The truth was it was highly likely that they would be entombed in this snow coffin forever. Lana dragged Clark a little way, and Clark's knees began to buckle under his weight. It was a small mercy that Lana had enough strength to hold both herself and Clark steady. That would buy themselves a small amount of time. Exactly how much time, Lana thought that was a good question, and one she did not have the answer to you.

Lana could not resist asking Clark a question, given the fact that blood was drawn.

"Do you have any idea why that crystal hurt you?" Lana asked.

"I think it was because it was super charged with magic," Clark said.

"Lex found a way to leave his mark," Lana said. It made her feel anger towards Lex, and given the condition of how she got her powers, that was something that she could not really be feeling right now.

Clark was reminded of Lex's lack of presence down here with them. He had most certainly been down here with them.

"Did you see Lex when you were down here, Lana?"

"No Clark, I didn't," Lana admitted. A frown spread across her features. She would have just sooner Lex had been buried alive in the snow and ice, without any way out. Hopefully it was slow and painful, he would deserve no less after all the trouble he caused. The last bits of life should have faded away from him. Yet, until Lana saw the body in the casket, she would have to assume that Lex was still out there. And even then, Lana would have her doubts. "But, we'll worry about Lex later, right now let's worry about getting us both out."

Clark tried to remain optimistic that everything was going to be alright, and both were going to get out to breathe another day. The fact was that they might have been so far underneath the ground, the yellow sun had been blocked. Reserves they did have, although Clark found himself sufficiently weakened after Lex had stabbed him with that crystal. There was also the fact that he lost a significant amount of blood that was weighing a huge amount on him as well.

"Are you alright?" Clark asked to Lana.

Lana offered the slightest ghost of a smile at that statement. "You're the one who had the blood loss down here."

"Yes, well you're the one who Lily tried to force feed all of the knowledge of the Fortress into her frontal lobe," Clark replied.

Lana shook her head, which was still buzzing with all of the new knowledge that had been crammed into her mind. "Seems like both of us had a rough day."

"Rough last couple of days, it seems like," Clark added.

"Rough last few years," Lana amended. "Maybe it should be a rough life, but that just sounds a bit too…"

"Bitter?" Clark offered.

"I was about to say pessimistic, but bitter works too," Lana responded.

Clark cracked a hint of a smile. He would have offered more than just one smile. However, the young man was weaker than he had ever been in the past. Lana hovered in the air, lightly suspending Clark. She had to be careful to conserve what powers she had, until there was an exposure to a yellow sunlight. However, Lana was visited by inspiration how she might do that in a pinch.

"I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel," Lana said.

"Seeing light might not be a good thing right now," Clark replied.

Lana sighed. She should be glad that Clark was joking, and maybe feeling just a little bit better. They were close to the area where the Fortress used to be, and that was a sign that they were heading in the right direction. Lana's heart skipped a beat at this, and there was shouting from above that caused her to perk up just a little bit.

"CLARK!"

"I think Kara is above," Lana whispered to Clark.

"Yeah, I hear her too," Clark offered in a weak voice. He then paused, wincing at everything. His hearing was more sensitive than ever before. "And Harry, and Chloe they made it out okay."

Lana and Clark both looked at each other. It was plain to both of them that thinking quickly would be their best ally out of here. What would they be able to do? One wrong move could cave in the tunnels, and entomb both of them in a casket of snow and ice. That was the last thing that either of them wanted to do to each other. Lana half dragged Clark beside her, and tried to shift the ice a little bit. If a little sunlight could come in, without compromising the structural integrity of the tunnels, it would help them a lot.

A flicker of hope was scene, and Clark felt a little bit better.

"Thanks," Clark offered weakly.

"No problem, Clark," Lana said. She tried to figure out where everyone was.

Suddenly, the voices that shouted for them gave them something to focus on.

* * *

Harry, Kara, and Chloe had been searching the area around where the Fortress used to be for the past ten minutes. It was hard to cling onto hope at this point, in time, but they tried. Lana and Clark had been separated from them. It was very likely, but not assured, that Lex went down as well. However, it was just like a Luthor to take as many people down with him when he had fallen. Kara stiffened, and heard the voices of Clark and Lana from below. They were fainted.

"Do you two hear that?" Kara asked them.

Chloe and Harry nodded in confirmation that they did.

"Clark, Lana, if you can hear us, just hang on!" Chloe yelled. "Harry and Kara will get you out."

Chloe folded her hands. The blonde bit her lip nervously, and she shifted her feet in the snow, leaving footprints as she did. Harry and Kara cracked open the snow and the ice. They began to shift through everything. It was going to take a bit of time, even with their powers.

"I think I see something!" Kara yelled.

She used her heat vision to lightly melt the snow, while Harry siphoned the water away. Kara could not burn through the snow and the ice too much. It would drown both Clark and Lana, at least in theory. It really should not because of their abilities, but there were so many variables that they did not want to play with. With their powers at their lowest point, it would be wise not to leave too much to chance.

There were several more minutes of this, before Clark was pushed out through the snow. He landed with a hard, and coughed. Kara and Chloe walked over, to help pull Lana out of the snow. She was on shaky legs. Despite the fact, the yellow sunlight managed to heal the scrapes and bruises that she had. Lana collapsed to her knees, mostly to check on Clark or anything. The stains would only be coming out of his shirt by magic.

"Compliments of Lex," Clark told them, and he rubbed the wound on his chest. It slowly healed, at least up to a certain point. Then there was a light scar left.

"And my mother," Harry added. He had figured out what had occurred. The crystal had been super charged with magic. There was no way around it.

Kara stood, and looked at her cousin. If they had not found him, if there had just been a few more minutes, Clark would have died. Kara sighed in relief at the crisis that they averted. There were other problems.

Lana's expression remained calm. She did everything possible to keep Clark from getting buried alive in the snow, even if it was a risk to herself. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, Lana managed to take a deep breath, and felt light headed. Everything that happened over the last few weeks had hit her. This new responsibility was a dangerous one, and now with the Fortress gone, things weren't going to get any easier on both of them.

Lana mentally vowed to step things up just a little bit.

"There's nothing down there," Clark said, to break the silence.

"You mean, the Fortress, it's gone," Chloe whispered.

Everyone turned towards Harry. Harry sighed, and answered. "There could have been an infinite number of pocket dimensions Lily had sent the Fortress. Or that she banished Jor-El to. Providing she didn't erase his programming completely.

"Something tells me that Jor-El may have had some kind of failsafe," Kara suggested, out of blind hope more than anything. She said that in a matter of fact way, but none of them were able to determine what that failsafe was. "Did either you see Lex down there?"

Lana and Clark both shook their heads.

"Maybe Lex got transported off to Dimension X or wherever with the Fortress," Chloe suggested.

"I'd feel a lot better if we found a body," Lana said solemnly.

That was one statement that the entire group agreed on one hundred percent. The lack of body of Lex Luthor was the most disturbing thing of it all. Harry, Chloe, and Kara all knew that he had been with Clark and Lana when all hell had broken loose. After that moment, it was hard to say what happened. Then there was where the Fortress had gone, Jor-El, and if Lily had somehow still lingered out there somewhere, despite their best efforts.

Any semblance of a plan they had would have to be reevaluated and restructured. Harry scanned the area, but he found nothing. No telltale hints of the Fortress, his mother, or Jor-El. Lex was not there as well. He had mysteriously vanished with the rest of everything. They had searched all they could. There were no easily exploited hints, or backdoors to be found.

Harry decided that it would be prudent to get the entire group back to the Shining Light Foundation, and regroup there. Having something stressful like this a couple of days before a wedding was not conductive to many things. Especially given the complications regarding Chloe, but that would be something that Harry and Kara would both have to mutually figure out later.

That would be a fun situation to hash out when everyone had gotten out of the woods, and safely home.

* * *

Deep in the wastelands of Siberia, Lex Luthor had laid face down in the snow. He had been transported to this place through means which he scarcely remembered. His breath was shallow. His fingers and toes were both numb, and his lips had been frosted over. The bald young man lost the usage of his legs, and hoped that his call for help had gotten through to someone at Luthorcorp. Today had been both his greatest triumph, and his greatest failure all rolled into one.

Death had visited Lex Luthor many times, and somehow he had survived. Luthors were survivors. His father had that credo driven into his head time and time again. Lex could barely feel his face now. The cold weather bit him with harshness. How he even ended up in Siberia he even know. His memories of the entire incident were a blur. The only thing Lex had remembered was that Clark was an alien

That was the only thing that kept him alive. There was a burning obsession going through Lex that no matter what, if he was alive, the world could be saved. Time ticked by, and Lex gingerly lifted his head up to view what was before him. A flash of light appeared in the air.

A floating woman appeared, hovering over him, a cold and indifferent expression on her face. At first Lex thought that it was Clark's cousin. However, upon second look, she did look similar, but remotely different. Her hair was a bit shorter, cut to shoulder length. She seemed to carry herself as being a few years older. Finally, the girl seemed to be a bit more well-endowed which was quite a feat as Kara Kent was quite gifted as well.

The woman stood, her short blonde hair flapping in the breeze. The woman's blue eyes studied Lex, with thinly veiled contempt. Her rosy red lips were pursed into a bit of a frown. A red jacket was worn over her slender, yet still muscular arms. A tight white shirt wrapped nicely around her chest. A pair of blue jeans fit snugly around her hips and rear, and offered a hint of the gorgeous legs that rested underneath. She topped off the outfit with a pair of white boots.

"Where is it?" the blonde asked. There was no empathy for Lex's condition present in her voice, or her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lex managed in a strained voice.

The blonde picked up Lex off the ground by his throat, and lifted him off of the ground. Lex actually was glad to feel a sensation, even though it was pain.

"You know what I'm talking about, the Fortress, where is it?" she demanded, and suddenly her eyes started to glow. "Answer me, or I'll cremate you alive."

Lex felt a small amount of fear. This girl, whoever she was, would kill him if he did not think quickly.

"I don't know, it's somewhere in the Artic, I don't know where exactly," Lex managed. "Let me go."

The blonde obliged Lex by hurling him into the ground with a super human force. Lex landed hard, with his arms and legs folding off to the side at an awkward angle. He used his remaining strength over, trying to shut out the pain that he was feeling.

The girl turned around. The one thing she had been able to determine was that the world she had been sent to had been different than the world that she had been in. Anything was better than where she had been. For the past seven years of her life, she had been held captive by Lionel Luthor in her world, and forced to undergo all sorts of experiments. The experiments would have broken, or even killed anyone else. What did not kill you made you stronger, and that was something that Kara Zor-El of Earth 2 had made a mantra out of.

Kara did weep for her cousin, how he was corrupted and twisted, until his eventual demise. Lionel had been the one who found him. Kara's ship had got delayed, but eventually she found a way out. Clark had been a young man by that point, and had been firmly under the thumb of Lionel Luthor for years. She tried to save him. Lionel had her imprisoned, because she didn't fit into his plan for the traveler. The only reason why Lionel did not kill her was to torture her with the knowledge that she had failed in her plan to protect her cousin from harm, and the influence of those who would do so.

Lionel's other son was something that was far worse. Harrison Luthor had offered Kara her freedom several times, in exchange for being with him. However, Harrison repulsed Kara, mostly because of his attitude. He was rather easy on the eyes, and Kara imagined what someone like him could be capable of. It was not even the fact that he had multiple sexual partners that repulsed her. Kara was able to keep an open-mind on something that, even though humans might frown upon that.

The way he treated them, and others, that's what really turned Kara's stomach. Not to mention the fact that he killed her cousin, just to prove that he could. Still, that was beside the point. Kara was in a brand new world, and there would be a bold step for her to achieve her destiny. Her new destiny as one of Death's chosen, and given what she knew, there were two others that were in this world.

Kara would have to gather knowledge, but she would meet them. As the Herald of Death of Earth-2, she was looking forward to making a brand new start, and hopefully helping prevent some of the awful things from happening in her world from happening in this one.

At this moment, Kara had to keep moving. There was no one else around for miles. The Fortress was in the Artic, and this was a way away from there. The young blonde corked up in the air, and flew off like a bottle rocket into the night. There was nothing to be gained by staying around here. Once she found the Fortress, then it would be easy to seek out her two counterparts in this dimension, wherever they might be at.

Lex shivered. This was how it ended, dying alone in the snow, frozen to death. Taunted by the fact that he had finally found out the truth about Clark Kent in the twilight of his life. The wind bit his face.

* * *

Clark and Lana waited patiently inside the Shining Light Foundation. Harry concluded a few more detailed scans of them to make sure they were of complete health. It was magic beyond any of their comprehension, but Harry told them that he wanted to make sure there were no nasty surprises that had been left behind when Lily had exited the building. The two sat on edge of a bed, and Harry decided to give his assessment.

"The good news is, Lily has finally left the building," Harry concluded.

Although given how many false disappearing acts she pulled, Harry mentally added that he would always be looking over his shoulder.

"And the bad news is, she took the Fortress with her," Lana concluded with a sigh. "But the good news is that she seemed to download all of the knowledge in the Fortress into my brain. The bad news is, I can barely make any sense of almost all of it."

Chloe was the one who piped up next. "Well, it's there. Maybe Harry and Kara can take a peak in your mind, and maybe help you make sense of it."

Lana looked a bit apprehensive. She was not quite sure about people poking inside her head.

"It's up to you naturally," Kara amended. "We don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. But if you understand what you learned, it will help you help Clark help the world."

"I just need some time to think about it," Lana said.

Harry waved off her statement. "Take all the time you need. Right now, rest is the best medicine. There should be a slight scar, even magic can't remove it now. It could fade in time."

"Looks like Lex left me something to remember him by," Clark commented. There was a moment where Clark sat. Lana's arms were wrapped around him. "So, is there a chance…"

"He's out there," Lana said shortly, with conviction in her voice. There was no question in her mind that Lex was still out there. It would be foolish to assume that he died.

"Harry and Kara searched the Artic up and down," Chloe offered. "Do you really think he would have escaped in his condition?"

Lana just offered her opinion on the situation. "How many times has Lex survived certain death? Just because we assume that something killed him, does not mean that anything killed him. He is highly adaptable if nothing else."

Lana did not like Lex by any means. However, one did not need to like someone to understand what they were capable of, and there were a lot of things that Lex was capable of. Lana knew that she had not seen the last of him, and as long as he lived, Lex would cast a dark specter over the lives of everyone that knew him.

"There were times where I think that there was an internal struggle in him," Clark said. "A part of him…"

"Clark, you see the good in others, even when there is nothing really to see," Kara interrupted. She looked at her cousin, and a serious expression spread across her face. "Lex may have had some good buried deep down, but that good is buried by what he is capable of."

Kara smiled. Seeing the good in other people's might have been both Clark's greatest strength and weakness.

"And to think, if I didn't rescue him, none of this would have happened," Harry added.

Lana shook her head. "Who knows what might have happened? You said it wasn't Lex's time right now. Couldn't you use that Lifeline reader thing to find where he is?"

"It has to be in proximity, it's not a GPS," Harry informed Lana.

Lana looked flushed. "Oh too bad, that would be useful."

"Yeah, it would be," Kara agreed.

Clark had gotten up to his feet, and looked a bit restless. Everything that happened really did flow through him. In some ways, he thought today would be a milestone in the journey he took. With the Fortress gone, the rules of the game changed. If Lana did have the information in her mind, perhaps that could help him. Then again, Clark thought that the actual information was only one part of everything that was to come, but Jor-El had been cryptic about the subject, only talking about mysterious training.

"The two of you have a clean bill of health, providing nothing else happens tonight," Harry said. "And if you feel a bit off, call me immediately."

"We will," Lana replied.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want a relapse," Clark added.

Clark and Lana walked off to return to the Kent Farm. They would figure out where they would go from here in the morning, after a good night sleep. Kara stopped them from leaving.

"Take care, both of you, and I mean that," Kara said in a firm voice. "Today was just one test, and there will be many more to come. As far as you come, everything has just begun in many ways."

Lana had a shrewd feeling that Kara was addressing her as much as she was addressing Clark. The pair of them walked off, with Lana lightly scooping up Clark. Clark did not protest too much. Lana flew off the pair of them to the Kent Farm, for a night of relaxation. What they would do from there.

"It seems like I got some explaining to do," Chloe said. Harry and Kara looked at her. "I was in my hospital room minding my own business, and the next thing, I'm in the Artic. And I had the symbol on my hand. And then I'm getting these strange powers, like Clark's…"

"Actually like mine, and like Harry's too," Kara said.

"What's the difference?" Chloe asked.

"Oh, there is a big difference," Kara said. She really had no idea exactly what Chloe did, well no clear idea, but there were a few theories. "The powers could be a passing thing, or they could be permanent. We're going to have to all hash out it, and if it's permanent, the arrangement is."

It was that moment where Chloe got on her toes.

"What arrangement is that?" Chloe asked.

"We'll let you know when we're figure it out, and we'll help you get a handle on your powers," Kara told her.

Chloe nodded in acceptance.

"After we get back from our Honeymoon, just try and keep a low profile," Harry said. Chloe opened her mouth to protest, and Harry could see the protest was coming. "I know you're confused, and we don't have all of the answers, no matter how much we want to. I would advise you stay here, instead of going to a hospital or back home…"

"That's fine," Chloe interrupted, shaking her head.

Chloe had no idea what was happening. She trusted Harry and Kara to figure it out. This symbol on her hand indicated something, and the way Harry and Kara looked at her, she was not certain that she wanted to know, at least right away. Yet, despite that, everything was going to come out whether she wanted it too or not.

Kara showed Chloe to her temporary living quarters. Harry turned around.

"This could complicate things," Harry said to himself.

Kara returned, and nodded. They would have to make sure what was happening. Chloe was not the third Herald of Death. That being said, she had been blessed with some Herald of Death powers, and both of Harry and Kara's natural powers as well.

Chloe screamed. Kara looked around. Chloe had just inadvertently had gone invisible.

"You better talk her how to get through that," Harry said.

"Why couldn't you do it?" Kara asked.

"In case she becomes visible, and her clothes don't," Harry answered, trying to give his bride to be the message.

Kara responded without missing a beat. "Again, why couldn't you do that?"

"It would be awkward for Chloe," Harry said. The truth was he did not mind, but things would get awkward.

"Oh, that human modesty thing, I forgot," Kara said, and she shook her head. "We're going to have to work on that, if this arrangement is what we both think it might be."

Kara turned around, and moved off to walk Chloe through the process of becoming visible.

* * *

When a person's life flashed before them, it put everything in perspective. Lex had tried to yell out to get the attention of someone, anyone, to help him. However, all he accomplished was a sore throat. The cold wind bit into his skin. It seemed obvious that he was going to die in the winter wasteland, and he shuddered at the very thought. Lex's eye twitched. Everything that happened to him flashed before his eyes.

'_So this is it,' _Lex thought to himself. _'This is how it ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. And this time, there is no swooping voice of death to pull me out at the last brink. Someone will find me, days from now, maybe weeks or month. Find my decaying remains.'_

The whirling of a private helicopter filled Lex's ears from above. Lex shuddered in the cold. Someone had arrived. Would it be someone that could help him? Or would it be someone to help kick that final shovelful onto his grave? Lex had no idea. The fact he could not feel his limbs actually may have been a good thing. Any pain he would have felt would have been numbed.

Footsteps could be heard. Lex tensed up as much as he could. His heart thumped across his chest. It hurt to breath. Every single movement was like agony. Every possible moment of his life was torture.

The newest arrival approached Lex. Lex's vision was rather blurred at this point. Perhaps he had been hallucinating, given the level of frost bite and hypothermia he was likely suffering. A woman stood over Lex's downed form. The woman had curly red hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in a heavy black coat, pants, and boots. Gloves covered her hands. She stood over Lex, and surveyed his downed form.

"You look like you're having a bad day, Lex."

Lex could barely speak or breathe. He dragged himself over barely an inch, before the bald businessman collapsed down onto the ground. The heart had thumped against his chest, and he rocked back and forth on the snow drift.

"Tess, you need to…"

Words had failed Lex, his throat was completely raw.

"Help you?" Tess asked. An eyebrow raised, and she surveyed Lex. "I thought you didn't show weakness."

"Not weakness, survival," Lex breathed.

"I see," Tess said coolly. "Do you mind actually letting me in what you were doing out here in Siberia?"

"Don't remember," Lex mumbled.

"Convenient amnesia then," Tess answered lightly. "No one else knows you're here, and they wouldn't find your body for weeks."

Lex had known this game. Despite his weakened state, the game she was playing was obvious to him.

"You wouldn't let me die," Lex whispered.

"Would you have had our positions been reversed?" Tess countered.

Both remained silent. Each had their own take of the answer. There was no need for either to respond.

"Kal-El," Lex whispered, but he stopped suddenly.

Tess invited Lex to continue.

"The traveler," Lex managed once again. "Harry Potter…is the ultimate power…between life and death."

Lex blacked out at moment. Tess reached over, and pulled out a glowing orb that Lex had stuffed inside his coat. She quickly stowed it away. The woman turned around, towards her bodyguards who stood at the edge, waiting for orders.

"Get him on the helicopter," Tess ordered firmly to her men. "Make sure he gets a warm set of clothes and something to eat. I'll decide whether or not he goes to the hospital, based on how much information he gives."

Tess thought that if it even leaked out that Lex was in the hospital, whoever did this might finish the job they started.

She stood out in the snow, and reached into her pocket. Tess removed the piece of paper she had swiped out of Lex's desk drawer. The symbol was of interest. If she had to hazard a guess, it meant keys to great power. It meant something that could change the world.

Something Tess promised to learn more about, especially since she had a potential name to go off of now with Lex's statement. It might have seemed like a statement made out of delirium, but there had to be something to the madness.

**To Be Continued in "Relocation."**

_Harry Potter Girls Poll for the Ascension is still open until this weekend. Vote now. _


	36. Chapter 36: Relocation

_It's time for Chapter 36 out of 100 out of Herald of Death.  
_

**Chapter 36: Relocation. **

Chloe sat in one of the many guest rooms at the Shining Light Foundation. There were many strange things that happened to her, and she just took them in stride. This latest Herald of the Herald things had registered a twelve on the strange meter. Chloe looked up, and Kara appeared right in front of her. She relaxed when she realized it was only Kara.

"We need to talk," Kara said in a calm and collected voice.

Chloe had an idea that statement was going to leave to a life changing conversation. She folded her arms and sighed. "Yeah, I suppose we do need to talk about everything. I guess I have the tendency of putting my foot in my mouth. It's really getting to the point where my tongue should permanently taste like leather. But this is something completely new."

Kara looked at Chloe, studying her for several minutes.

"You like Harry," Kara said softly.

Chloe slid back, and tried to remain casual, calm, and collected. "Well, we're friends, so I would have to like him."

"That's not what I meant," Kara remarked, crisply. The blonde Kryptonian brushed her hand through her hair and sighed. "I saw some images in your mind when I was fixing everything with Harry. There were things that I was very interested in, curious."

"I know, and Harry and you are getting married, so it was very wrong for me to even think about such a thing," Chloe said, sliding back on the bed. Powers or not, Chloe had a clear idea that Kara could crush her if she wanted to. Crush her like an insect. That kind of thought made Chloe very apologetic.

Kara stood in the room, before she sat down next to Chloe. The blonde Kryptonian stared at Chloe for a moment. There was a long pause, before a smile crossed over her face.

"There are a lot of things I'm still learning about human culture, but there are a lot of things that I don't really understand. There are many things that I guess I'll never get. The fact is why humans think that there is just one choice or another regarding a relationship. Either one person or another, when going into a relationship, why does that have to be? If there are three people, or more, I guess, why can't they decide to compromise? If they are three people who trust each other, they can respect each other, and can have a healthy and loving relationship, why does one person have to be cast aside with hurt feelings?"

Chloe looked at Kara. She pondered that situation, and decided to enlighten Kara.

"There are certain things on Earth…"

Kara cut her off. "That is forbidden? That is taboo? Who is to say that these things are wrong? Someone had to say those things were wrong a long time ago, but it could have been perhaps they lacked an open-mind or perhaps were too limited to handle those things themselves. Being in a relationship with multiple partners is very common throughout other galaxies. It's not something that is considered wrong, or even demeaning. It is something that is considered to be a perfectly acceptable relationship. Love is love, why try and hurt one person at the expense of maintaining society's standards?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow. For some reason, she thought that Kara had a certain amount of logic, in a sense.

"If all parties are on board, and trust each other, there is no harm," Kara continued. Kara looked Chloe right in the eyes, and Chloe felt like the girl was staring into her very soul. "That is a universal truth. Denying what is true in the heart is not healthy. I saw it in your mind, you feel something deeper for Harry than friendship, and…you also feel similar things for me."

The blonde sat up startled. "Kara…I…don't…"

Kara placed her hand on Chloe's knee, and offered a smile. The touch had caused shivers to go down Chloe's spine.

"It's okay, Chloe. I don't mind. You're a very pretty woman, both physically and on the inside. You have a sharp mind, and would be an ideal partner for someone of equal stature. Harry would say the same thing; in fact I know he will. He just has a greater pull to me. However, something happened when he saved both of us on that day he arrived here."

Kara smiled at Chloe. Chloe slid back, her heart fluttered. This blue eyed blonde Kryptonian was inches away from her, and it was still causing chills to run down her spine.

"Kara, um don't take this the wrong way," Chloe said. She paused, and tried to convey her thoughts in a way that would not really cause problems. "Are you….bisexual?"

Confusion spread over Kara's face. She looked at Chloe, and decided to speak up.

"I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with that term."

Chloe could have slapped herself in the head. Of course, Kryptonian culture might not have had such a term, and the cultures were different. Chloe should have figured that out given all of what Kara had told her. There was a long pause before Chloe decided to enlighten the other blonde on the matter.

"Well that means that you like both men and women."

"I see," Kara said slowly. The blonde put a hand on her chin, and began to ponder. "I guess I would be classified as that then. Appreciating the beauty of both men and women is something that is more commonly accepted throughout the universe. Earth's culture is interesting in many ways, and so much backwards in other ways. Then again, compared to many planets in the universe, Earth is still young. It has plenty of room to grow, and to prosper, reshaping its views on established norms."

Chloe would have had to agree. Kara looked in her eyes for a moment.

"Just like our relationship with Harry," Kara added as an afterthought. "I can see you as someone who would keep a very open mind about many things. Given the friends that you have, that's just something that is elementary."

"Yeah, you got me pegged," Chloe answered, shrugging her shoulders.

Kara placed a hand on Chloe's cheek, and leaned closer, so their noses were nearly touching.

"You've come into brand new powers, and there are people here at the Shining Light Foundation that will help you master them," Kara continued. A smile spread across her face. "While Harry and I are gone on our honeymoon, I would like you to stay here, and practice all of your powers. There is a training room down here with plenty of room, so you don't hurt yourself or anyone else. If you need anything, ask for Megan, she's discreet, and able to keep secrets."

"Does she know about you and Harry?" Chloe asked.

"She knows some things," Kara admitted. "Don't worry about your job, you've been given paid vacation time. Harry and I can do that, with being majority shareholders at the Planet now. Granted, we're not the only people with power, but we can pull some strings."

Chloe should have known that those two had pulled a lot of control of the Planet out from underneath Lex. Harry would be the only one who would be so casual about it, and not really make all that big of a deal out it.

"And if you do well, I'm sure Harry and I will find ways to reward you," Kara said, and Chloe's mind went wild with thoughts that were very much not G-Rated.

Her eyes started to burn at the thoughts that she had. Kara reached over, and grabbed Chloe by the hair.

"It's okay Chloe, stay calm, keep your thoughts focused," Kara said, getting Chloe to focus, and not let her heat vision burn up the entire room.

"I've gained an entirely new appreciation on Clark, and how he keeps control of his powers," Chloe said. "And you too."

"It's not easy," Kara admitted to her. "I need to talk to my future husband about this potential arrangement. We kind of need to get his okay before we go all the way with this, even if I can sense there won't be many problems."

A smile crossed over Chloe's face. Harry's okay would kind of be important. From what Chloe could figure out, she was magically bonded to both Harry and Kara. Well, there was likely a more complicated and sophisticated term for it, but that was the general idea. Kara and Harry were bonded, which Chloe figured was just as good as married. They just wanted to get things on paper, which Chloe figured was good.

Chloe did wonder how powerful she was. First, she would worry about mastering her powers, then she would worry about that fact. Chloe had a shrewd idea that she was not quite on the level of Harry and Kara, but rather close. That meant that she was more powerful than Clark and Lana as well.

Explaining this new arrangement to Clark would be fun however. Chloe suspected that his delicate sensibilities would be offended. Although a lot of what Kara said about multiple-partners made sense, and the blonde Kryptonian had grown up in a different culture.

* * *

Harry sat in his office, atop his desk, arms folded, with his foot tapping off the floor. A soft pop echoed and Kara appeared next to him. Kara stepped forward, and Harry reached forward, pulling her onto the desk, and onto his lap. The blonde Kryptonian rested her head on Harry's chest, and smiled at him.

"I just had a discussion with Chloe about what's going on," Kara informed him.

"You seem to have a better idea what's going on than I do," Harry told Kara. Kara just responded with a smile.

"I know, but you do too deep down," Kara remarked. Harry stroked her hair as she rested against his chest. "Really, Chloe's little statement really sealed the deal. Back when you brought her back an inch from death all of those months ago, there was something that happened. Just like when you saved me from the ship. Who really knows what would have happened had you not taken those two actions."

Everything clicked with Harry.

"So, I'm bonded to both you and Chloe," Harry said, getting the full scope of the situation, and Kara responded with a nod. Harry took a moment to process this.

The silence was worrying to Kara. She pressed herself onto his chest, and gave him a cute little smile.

"Harry, that's not a bad thing," Kara said. She offered him a bright smile. "I have no problem, and I don't think Chloe has much of a problem with it either. It's just going to take her a while to come around. But I had a talk to her. I know that some cultures on Earth frown upon relationships that have more than two people in it, but…"

Harry cut off Kara with a kiss, to reassure her of something. The kiss had so much passion in it, that Kara felt shivers go down her spine. Kara allowed herself to melt into the kiss that Harry gave her. Chloe really had no idea what she was getting into. Then, Kara wondered what it would be like to kiss Chloe. That was something that she would have to find out in the future. Kara did not really want to overwhelm her too quickly, otherwise she would have seized the moment.

Kara stroked the back of Harry's neck, and her legs wrapped around him. Harry lowered her down on the desk, and continued to kiss her long and hard. Kara's heart beat against her chest, and she felt warmth between her legs. Harry pulled his kiss away from Kara, and a smile crossed his face. He decided it was now time to enlighten his fiancée with a few things about the world that he came from.

"Actually, in many ways, I don't have that much of a problem with it, if you're okay with it," Harry said. Kara's eyes locked onto Harry's, and the dark haired wizard decided to elaborate just a little bit more. "While multiple partners isn't something that was too common, it was not strictly forbidden. There were certain situations where it was allowed and encouraged."

"How so?" Kara asked.

"I was the last son of the ancient and noble house of Potter," Harry replied. Kara nodded in understanding. He was not done. "And through my godfather's death, I inherited the mantle of the head of the most ancient and noble house of Black. Given that I was the last member of both houses, I was allowed at least two wives with each house should I have chosen to do so."

Kara's gaze became questioning, and she looked at Harry. There was so much that was running through her mind right now. The girl could not explain it properly. A question lingered on the tip of her tongue, and Kara endeavored to ask it immediately.

"Why didn't you tell me this, Harry?" Kara asked. She gave him a searching and questioning look. "Didn't you think I would understand?"

Harry shook his head. "I figured that it wouldn't matter, given that world is dead."

"Even if both of our worlds are dead, the spirit of the best parts of them lives on within both of us," Kara replied, leaning closely towards him. Her beautiful legs remained wrapped around Harry. Kara looked up at Harry, and a caring expression lingered in them. "I know that you love me beyond all measure. But why would loving others diminish the love we have for each other? There is no conceivable reason why it should be that way."

Harry would have to agree, there isn't. Kara pushed her head up, and watched Harry, her gaze lingering. Blue eyes met green, and the two looked at each other, wrapped in their embrace.

"An open heart and an open mind is the key to a healthy relationship," Kara added to Harry, and Harry leaned down and kissed her on the lips, fully. Kara wrapped her arms around Harry's neck, and Harry laid on top of her. His kisses became more intense with each passing minute. Harry broke off the kiss. "Why should we be bound by anything that is considered proper for someone else's standards? Even if it is taboo to some, that just makes it that much more exciting."

Harry stroked her cheek, and smiled.

"I love you so very much," Harry whispered to her.

"I love you too," Kara said, her blue eyes meeting Harry's green, the passion in them could not be denied. She wrapped her hands around Harry's neck. They were here on the office, on Kara's desk. "Make love to me, please."

Harry cupped Kara's face, and gave her a kiss. He began to work the buttons of her blouse open.

"As you wish, honey," Harry told her.

**Smut/Lemon Begins.**

-PROFILE-

**Smut/Lemon Ends.**

Kara wrapped her arms around Harry, and pulled him into a long kiss. Her bright blue eyes stared into his green eyes.

"I love you," Kara said. "And I'll do anything to make you happy."

"I love you too, and I'll do anything to make you happy," Harry said to her.

The two lovers, and soon to be spouses cuddled on the desk. Kara thought that the sex was great, although she wanted to try some new things that were outside just standard sex. The blonde Kryptonian had plenty of ideas in her mind. What if she dressed up as a naughty schoolgirl who had to serve detention? Or what if she dressed up like a nurse who gave some tender loving care to a patient? Or what if she dressed up like a librarian who tried to negotiate a payment for an overdue book?

Kara's greatest desire was to play an alien slave girl that pleasured her master. She thought that her and Harry could get a lot out of that. There were many more devious ideas Kara had dabbling around in her mind. Some of them needed more than one girl, but Kara was working on that front.

At this point, Kara settled for cuddling on the desk with her lover, and soon to be husband. The two would get up in a few minutes, but as for right now they would enjoy their company. And perhaps have one more round before leaving their office. Kara could tell that Harry might be agreeable to that, and so would she.

The two of them would just need to relax, and perhaps restart in a little bit, once they had a chance to catch their breath.

* * *

There was never a dull moment in his life, or that was the conclusion that Clark had come through. He had crashed on the couch the previous night, watching television with Lana. Lana was down next to Clark. Both of them had recovered from their ordeal of the past day. It was a healing process that would needed to be done one step at a time.

"Morning," Lana said with a yawn. She shook her head, and shifted off of Clark. There was a moment before she regained her bearings and got a look at the clock. "Or good afternoon I guess. Everything really just got away from us."

Clark had to agree. He nodded his head, and tightened his arm around Lana's waist.

"I thought yesterday was a bad nightmare, but it happened," Clark said.

"We got out alive, and we'll survive," Lana replied, trying to keep a positive spin on things. She blinked immediately with everything that had been rattling around on the inside of her mind. Lana really did need a quiet place to reconcile all of these thoughts. "The real question is what is going to happen now that the Fortress is gone?"

"I don't know," Clark admitted.

That was an honest answer to that burning question. Clark really had no idea what he was going to do about the Fortress. The thoughts flashed through his mind. The truth was, he was not convinced that the Fortress was really on.

Lana worked Clark's shirt off of him. She took a look at the scar on his chest where Lex stabbed him.

"Faded a bit from yesterday, it looks like," Lana said, studying Clark intently.

Clark shifted a bit at this. "Maybe Harry was right, that it will heal in time."

"Are we talking about the physical scars or the emotional ones?" Lana questioned him. Clark had no idea how to respond to this question. Lana decided to elaborate. "After all that happened, Lex knew your secret, and we don't know what he might do about it."

Clark hated having these thoughts. He really hoped that Lex had perished in the Artic. There was a chance that somehow he got buried deeper than Clark and Lana were. They would never know. He knew one thing, and he was sure Lana agreed. Without a body, there was no guarantee that Lex was dead. And even with a body, they would both have their doubts.

"Lex knows how to leave his mark," Clark remarked, but the young man was deep in thought. "But, he does have some interesting points that I can't help, but wonder about."

Lana sensed that Clark doubted himself right now. "Clark, don't, Lex was just playing with your head. He is deluded."

"What if in all of his delusions, he might have been right about something?" Clark asked. "What would have happened if I would have come clean with him all of those years ago?"

No one seemed to be willing to answer that question.

"I don't know," Lana said, and that fact scared her. Actually, she wondered what would have happened if Clark had become clean to her years and years back. The world would never know. "It's hard to predict how Lex would have reacted, but…something tells me it wouldn't be good."

Clark had to relax at that point. He traced the scar on his chest. It was almost in the shape of an "S". It was a weird souvenir to be left behind for sure. A knock on the farm house door caused Clark and Lana to sit up straight.

"Lois," Lana said, seeing Lois in the distance.

Lana hastened to answer the door, and let Lois in.

"Since when did you start locking your door?" Lois asked in confusion.

"Since, people started letting themselves in," Clark replied to her, a small crossing his face.

"Oh, that's really funny, Smallville," Lois said. She placed her hands on her hips, just looking at Clark. She really wished he would put on a shirt on, it was kind of distracting her and throwing her off of her game. "So what's the deal with the scar?"

"Cut myself shaving," Clark replied, and Lana could have hit herself for the lame answer.

Lois could not bother to retort. "What, in the dark, and half drunk?"

"How are you holding up after what happened, Lois?" Lana asked, trying to deflect the subject away.

"There's something that happened, or so people said," Lois said. She tried to rack her brain. "It's almost like something wiped my memories. I just hoped I wasn't abducted by aliens and probed or something."

Clark shifted, he knew, but could not very well tell Lois. The entire timeline worth of memories had been shifted. It was a Friday, and this had been a long week. Tomorrow would be the wedding.

"Are you sure you couldn't remember anything, Lois?" Lana asked.

"For some reason, I remember a giant bat, but that can't be right," Lois said. She sighed. "Never mind, I've just swung by to see how you two were holding up. The new owner of the Daily Planet is evaluating everyone, and looking into hiring some fresh blood. I'm actually popping in to see if I can find a story that can rock his socks."

"Lois, I'm sure if you just keep up the hard work, you'll be able to do something that will keep your job," Clark said to her in a reassuring voice.

"I'm sure whoever is the new owner will appreciate your dedication," Lana chimed in.

"Even if your grammar skills are off," Clark added.

Lois folded her arms, and looked at Clark. There was a moment where Lois looked at Clark, and she had to shift her expression and sigh. "Yeah, but you've got a point, both of you, I guess. Just got to see what happens when the hammer drops."

"Well, I'm sure the hammer won't drop on you, Lois," Clark said, but then he remembered the news he had been holding onto. In all of the chaos, he had nearly forgotten it. "In fact, we might be seeing a bit more of each other starting on Monday."

Lois was caught off guard with this. Lana was not completely surprised as Lois was, she knew Clark was applying for something, and she pretty much put two and two together what was going on.

"I'm starting at the Planet on Monday," Clark informed her. "It's high time that I step out of the comfy confines of Smallville, into the big bad world out there."

"Wow, you're moving away from Smallville," Lois said, whistling at the news.

"It's not like we're leaving forever," Lana amended. She and Clark had discussed this potential arraignment a couple of times, not seriously, but really just figuring out their options. Lana thought that this would be for the best. "Clark can still commute back and forth, easily, if he wanted to."

"Yeah, with the gas prices these days, good luck," Lois retorted with a roll of her eyes. Lois looked up at Clark and Lana. "Wow, Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter, I never thought I would have seen the day."

"Neither did I, if truth be told," Clark agreed, shaking his head at the thought.

The fact of the matter was Clark thought that being in a key position at a major newspaper would allow him to keep an ear out for any problems that required his response. The journalism racket was going to be a tough one to deal with. Clark thought it was worth the risk, and Lana thought it would be as well. Lana wondered if Harry had a job opening at the Shining Light Foundation branch in Metropolis. Providing he would forgive the entire possessed stealing the orb thing. Even though it was not her fault, Lana felt guilty.

"It would kind of be a shame if you left forever," Lois said. She frowned, just thinking about it. "Smallville wouldn't be Smallville without you, Smallville."

There were sometimes that Clark did not get Lois at all. A smile crossed over Lana's face, and she nodded.

"No, it really wouldn't be, but things change, people grow up."

"I see that," Lois replied. She looked at Clark. "So, you two are still going strong?"

"We're hanging in there, despite everything," Lana said, looking back at Lois, wondering about her curiosity.

Lois's face contorted into a smile. "That's great for both of you. I'm happy for both of you. Really happy, did I mention how happy I was?"

"Yeah, I heard it the first time," Clark replied.

Lois turned around. There was sometimes where she got the impression that there was some really big secret that she had not been let in on. It was almost like some really big bit of gossip that everyone else knew, and thus no one else talked to it. They all knew everything knew, so there was no reason to say anything. Lois watched both of them.

"So, I just stopped by to see how you both were holding up," Lois said. "And to ask if you have any idea where Chloe is."

"She's at the Shining Light Foundation," Clark informed Lois.

Lois frowned at that moment. She looked to be deep in thought, and closed her eyes. "Chloe has been spending a lot of time there lately."

"Well, she is friends with Kara and Harry," Clark offered her.

"Yeah, one might think they would be more, almost like there is some steamy affair going on between the three of them," Lois said. She said this in a joking manner, mostly in an attempt to rile Clark up. Clark seemed to laugh it off after his eyes widened for a minute. The entire thought seemed so absurd. "Yeah, I know, that'd be the day."

Lois bid them a goodbye, and left Clark and Lana alone in the farm house. Lana noticed the subtle gaze that Lois gave Clark. A half frown, half thoughtful expression spread across her face. She decided to just figure things out as they happened, but she would be keeping a close eye on Lois Lane from now on. Clark dropped on the couch. Lana turned around, and looked at Clark.

"Now, where were we?" Lana asked.

"Why don't you tell me?" Clark asked.

Lana nudged Clark. "I should just show you, then."

With a swift motion, Lana pinned Clark down on the couch. Clark wondered what he got himself into this time.

* * *

The move of Lex Luthor was done overnight, and discreetly. There was no clear idea what his eventual fate was going to be. His future medical future did not look promising, and there was a change that Lex may lose all use of his body from the neck down. Tess pushed open the office door. The chain of succession had allowed her to take over as the acting CEO of Luthorcorp, although there would be many vultures trying to get their piece of the pie. She sank down on the chair on her desk , and made her next move.

Tess saw to it that Lex's location remained discreet. He had frostbite, hypothermia, and severe blunt force trauma. The bald young man had the fortune of living through all of this, or perhaps it was the misfortune given the situation. The red haired woman snapped open a file that was on the desk. It was everything that Lex collected on Harry Potter. Obsession did tend to be a game that he played more often than not.

She read through the file with only the slightest amount of interest. There was really nothing that indicated that Harry Potter was anything other than a young man with a past that seemed unremarkable. Given the notes Lex made, Tess noticed some level of frustration that Lex exhibited because of his lack of success. There were many trips made for Lex to try and gather information.

The only thing that was even more than a bit curious, A folded newspaper article was spread out on the desk. It detailed a bit of news from sixteen years ago, detailing a young girl who had been institutionalized. She claimed that she saw a flying car in the neighborhood, pick up a neighbor. Lex made a note that this was the same neighborhood where Harry Potter was reported to have grown up in as a child.

A few more notes, and no one seemed to remember Harry Potter even existed. Tess put away the file, and clicked to see if she could find anything further on the computer.

There was nothing. Tess once again pulled out the piece of paper she recovered earlier. This was a curious symbol, and something that showed the promise of true power. Tess shook her head off to the side, and placed the folded paper back into the top drawer of the desk. There were so many things that had to be done, and so many things that Lex left her behind. Not to mention a few lawsuits against the company that she had to deal with. Tess shook her head, and took a deep breath.

She took the telephone off the desk, and dialed up her contact.

"Make sure he gets the medical attention he needs. In a few days, I'll speak to him again. And make sure no one finds out where he is. And do not let him out of your sight. I know you say he's crippled from the neck down, but I'm not about to take any chances. Your job hinges on it."

There was a sound of understanding. Tess put down the phone. When she left him, Lex had been babbling about Harry Potter, Death, Kal-El, and Krypton. It was almost like his mind had shattered from spending what seemed to be eight hours in a frozen wasteland. There were more things that she would have to sort out regarding what Lex was working on. Most of the Luthorcorp employees had been on a need to know basis. If Lex had no use for them, then they didn't need to know. It was just that simple.

Tess walked off. She checked the note. There was a board meeting today. Lex was going to attend, and Tess had to as his proxy. There was one more piece of business Tess had to deal with, and then it was back off to the races.

There was an announcement about the wedding of Harry Potter and Kara Kent on her desk. Tess thought it would be best to send the happy couple her regards, and perhaps open the door for future business. She made arrangements to request a meeting with them at their earliest convenience after they had returned back from their honeymoon.

* * *

In a room inside the Shining Light Foundation, Kara and Harry looked over the stacks and stacks of gifts they had. Claire stood behind the two of them. Her young eyes widened, and a smile crossed her face, and looked over the gift.

"You guys got a lot of presents," Claire said with wide eyes. "Who are they are from?"

Kara responded with a smile. "Oh friends, well-wishers, and other general misfits."

Claire looked at them. A look of mischief spread over her young face. She turned to her parents.

"So, are you going to take a peak?"

"Claire, that would take the fun out of it," Harry told her. Despite this statement, there was a fond smile on his face. He put an arm around Claire, and steered her away from the gifts.

"Well, how will you know if it's lame or not?" Claire asked, in wide eyed innocence that only an eleven year old girl could have.

In a couple more years, she would be a teenager, and then the real fun of parenting would begin.

Kara folded her arms over her chest, and offered a smile to her daughter. "It doesn't really matter; it's the thought that counts."

"Besides, if they're lame, we can pawn them off," Harry told Claire, and Claire laughed at that statement.

Claire stepped forward, and looked around. She yawned. The girl tried to mask her feelings, but Kara scooped her into her arms.

"I think it's time to get you home, and to bed young lady," Kara said. She held Claire in her arms, and took a brief look at the clock. "It's getting later than we thought, for all of us, and we have a big day tomorrow."

Harry would have to agree. The truth was that he lost track of the time, and it had gotten away from him. Claire was carried off. There was a lot to do, but they had to wait. The Fortress was out there somewhere, and it could have been in any number of infinite dimensions. It would be Clark's job to try and figure out where he would go from here.

Harry and Kara had other things to worry about, and they got Claire set up for bed. The two of them walked off, to head off to bed.

**To Be Continued in the Next Chapter "Bonding."**


	37. Chapter 37: Bonding

_So yes, I just noticed that I forgot to update the pairing, after doing my final outline for this story. So now it is. _

**Chapter 37: Bonding. **

Despite all of the insanity, all of the near death, and missed deaths, the big day was almost upon Harry and Kara. Their wedding would be happening later that afternoon. As of now, the couple rested in bed in each other's arms. Just content in sleeping in for a few more minutes, and then cuddling with each other until they had to get ready and out of bed. The rays of sunshine came in through their bedroom window. Claire likely was already still in bed, or do something quiet in her room. Kara's blue eyes flickered open, and she shifted over. Kara's scantily dressed body sprawled over Harry's.

The blonde Kryptonian wore a thin see-through white nightdress that her nipples poked out from. Harry appreciated the gesture, especially given that was the first thing he woke up to. Kara smiled at Harry. The two lovers, and soon to be official spouses continued to cuddle in bed. The two enjoyed the moment of silence, before Harry broke it.

"Morning, beautiful," Harry told Kara. He leaned over on the bed, and his lips met Kara in a nice kiss. Kara rolled over, so she was on top of Harry. The blonde Kryptonian continued the kiss, deepening in it. Kara grinded across Harry's covered pelvis, getting him excited, and leaned down to whisper in his ear once she broke the kiss.

"You're looking rather delicious yourself this morning."

"You know, keep this up, and we…ah that feels so good. We won't make it to our own wedding, on the account of being preoccupied."

Kara cupped Harry's crotch from underneath the sheets, and smiled. "Well we can't have that, now can we?"

She teased Harry a little bit more, and straddled him. The kisses continued, and Harry ran his hands over Kara's body. Kara broke it off, and checked the time.

"It's about breakfast time already," Kara remarked, eyes focused on the clock. Kara turned away from Harry. "I guess after what happened, the two of us would be out like a light."

Harry nodded, and wrapped his arm around Kara. To be honest, he put every single other event that happened out of his mind. Everything regarding his mother, the disappearance of Lex, the disappearance of the Fortress, and everything else, Harry had just decided to forget about for the time being. There would be plenty of time to worry about that once they got back from the honeymoon. For once, Harry was going to let what happened be someone else's problem, at least for a week until they got back.

Kara floated over to the wardrobe and changed into a set of clothes. She wore a white t-shirt that stretched across her chest, and showcased her ample bust. The material stopped right before her stomach, and showed off her toned midriff. The blue jean skirt that she chose hugged around her hips, and did an excellent job in showcasing her legs. The girl chose not to wear shoes, and thus her mouth-watering feet were on display, and Harry appreciated that.

The blonde Kryptonian looked over at Harry, and enjoyed what she saw as well. He wore a black tank top, and black shorts. His cute messy hair was on full display, and Kara licked her lips thinking about what they were going to do after the wedding. She planned to go all night long with Harry. The two of them floated down the stairs for breakfast, where Claire just had got up out of her room. The redhead girl yawned, and looked at her parents, with a smile on her face.

"Morning Claire," Harry said brightly to his daughter.

"Morning, Dad, Mom," Claire said, and she looked at them, with a grin. "So today's the big day, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Kara answered. "You were right, it took long enough."

Claire just smiled. It would be a magical day. "I just hope nothing bad happens."

Kara just frowned. If anyone ruined her wedding, once she got ahold of them, they would die a most painful death. That much was for certain. Thoughts of how she could punishing anyone sabotaging the wedding had been filed away for the future.

As of now, Kara sat down and enjoyed some pancakes, eggs, and toast for breakfast, wonderfully prepared by Harry. This was one instance where Kara would forgive Harry's upbringing, given the fact that he learned how to cook. Her cooking skills tended to range from mediocre to disastrous depending on what she was preparing. Granted, it was not so bad that she could burn cereal, but still she had her share of kitchen failures.

Regardless, Kara dug into her meal, and enjoyed a hearty breakfast. Harry checked the newspaper. Claire saw her father flipping through it, and had to comment on how tedious it was.

"You know Dad, the Internet does exist, and most people do get their news from there," Claire teased. She wrinkled her nose, at the thought of how slow looking up things in the newspaper went.

"I know Claire, but considering I own a huge part of this newspaper now, I feel the need to support it when I can," Harry replied, and Kara offered a smile at that. Harry delved into the newspaper, and read up on the latest weather forecast. "That's some good news, the weather is going to be sunny and warm today."

"A perfect day for our perfect day," Kara responded. A bright smile spread across her beautiful face.

Harry smiled back at her. "Any day with you is perfect, my prodigal princess from the stars."

Kara leaned over the table, and wrapped her arms around Harry. She kissed him, long and deep. Their lips molded together, and tingled with power. The tongues of the couple clashed for dominance.

At her seat, Claire pulled a face. She loved her parents, and loved that they loved each other. That being said, did they really have to do that at the dinner table while she was eating? The two finished, and Claire decided to gulp down her orange juice. She belched, sending little sparks of fire.

"Claire," Kara said reproachfully, casting a stern look at her adopted daughter.

"Excuse me," Claire said, with a shifty little smirk on her face.

The Potter family ate breakfast together, and enjoyed the morning they had. The time seemed to crawl by. Kara and Harry both thought that the wedding could not come fast enough, but the after-party would also be great. The two had smirks on their face when they thought about what was to come.

Claire missed the significance of most of it, she was just glad that the two most important people in her life were getting married.

* * *

Above the Earth's atmosphere, practically in Space, Lana hovered, and pondered. Space was actually an interesting place to collect one's thoughts, without the distractions. At this point, Lana tried to focus her super hearing. Every single sound was faint at first, but there were more sounds that could be heard from high above her perch point, the more she focused and adjusted herself. Lana could see Clark standing outside of the Farm House. He was pacing back and forth, likely wondering where she was.

The day was going so far, so good. Lana could not see a cloud in the sky, or a hitch in the arrangement. She just hoped that Kara and Harry's day would be perfect, without any complications. Lana found herself amused at thinking that if someone ruined Kara's wedding, the blonde would torture them slowly and painfully before putting them out of their misery. Lana thought she got a bit more sadistic glee out of that thought then she likely should, but that was beside the point.

Her mind was mostly back together at the Fortress, although Lana did get some weird strangled thoughts in a language that she suspected was Kryptonian. If she focused long enough, Lana could pick out bits of it. One of the words translated into "mother", and then there was "back up", "failsafe." And the final word translated into "destroyer." Lana hoped that in time, she could piece together more, and had spent a couple hours every night before bed thinking about it all.

Lana decided that she made Clark wait long enough. Lana decided to burst down from space, flying. Kara had given her advice on how not burn up on reentry. Although, the only thing that would burn up would be her clothes. Which Lana remembered had not been invulnerable. Then again, they really did not make clothes like they used to, regardless of the situation.

Clark paced around. It was getting close, and Lana was gone. Clark was worried that something happened, but suddenly that fear was put to rest. Lana shot out from the sky like a cork, and wrapped her arms around the waist of Clark, before wrestling him to the ground. Clark was caught completely off guard.

"Lana, I was wondering where you were," Clark said, and Lana let him get up to his feet. There was no need to get their clothes dirty after all.

"Up in space, the view's interesting," Lana remarked, and a grin crossed her face.

Clark put up a hand and his cell phone rang. He answered it.

"Hey, Clark, just a reminder, your cousin's wedding is today," Chloe said from the other end. "And you know, Kara, she will throw you into the Phantom Zone if you miss it."

"We're on our way there," Clark answered in an abrupt voice. He had no idea how true that was. Lana scooped up Clark into her arms, and took flight.

There were times like this where Clark really wished he could fly. Perhaps it would come someday to him, randomly, all of his other powers did. He was being held back by something. Clark had really no time to think about that when Lana landed him behind Lois and Chloe. Lois turned around with a start, but relaxed when she saw it was only Clark and Lana..

"When did you get here, Smallville?" Lois asked.

"Just about ten seconds ago," Clark replied, and Lois looked at him strangely.

"Yeah, I guess you were a bit closer than I thought," Chloe said, in a knowing voice. "That was me jumping the gun again."

"You tend to do that a lot," Clark answered, and Chloe just lightly punched him on the shoulder, which did hurt a lot more thanks to her strength.

"Well, I'm just glad I got an invite," Lois said, looking up. "I almost expected some kind of catch, and sure enough, I was almost given a body-cavity search on my way here. It's almost like people don't trust anyone anymore."

"Given all of the weirdness that has happened, you can't be too careful," Clark said, eyebrows raised.

Lana knew that better than anyone. She walked with Clark into the wedding. They saw Claire standing there, with Megan from the Shining Light Foundation. Lana smiled at Claire, who waved. They had to go to their seats, Lois walked up to talk to Claire.

"It's been a while since I've talked to you, Claire," Lois said in a bright voice. "And I was wondering when were we going to have that rematch in video games. You know, I let you win, right?"

Claire snorted. "Yeah right, that's what all adults say, to hide the fact that they lost badly"

"Now, Claire, that is unfair," Clark said. He then paused, and added. "I mean, why would you even classify Lois as an adult?"

"Hey!" Lois yelled, in mock outrage.

"Well, there are times where you tend to act a little bit immature, Lois," Chloe said, unable to resist chiming in her two cents.

Lois turned around, and pouted at this.

"Case in point," Chloe replied with a grin.

"What is this, pick up Lois day?" Lois asked.

"Well, I haven't checked the calendar yet," Clark answered.

"It could be," Lana chimed in.

Lois could hardly believe that Lana and Clark were double teaming her in such a matter. And not in the good way either. She shook her head, and looked off.

Chloe just guided Lois away. Today was a big day for Harry and Kara. Chloe had thought about what Kara had said on that day. She would be lying if she was not interested in what the possibilities were with that. As for right now, Chloe resolved to master her newly found powers the best that she could. Then she would work from there, and whatever happened, happened. Chloe decided to keep it a secret from Lana and Clark, at least for now. She decided to let them in on the secret much later in the most amusing way.

Several guests at the wedding talked, and for good reason. Bruce Wayne had showed up at this moment, flanked by his butler, and a young boy at the age of twelve. His butler was named Alfred, and he showed up as well.

The boy was named Dick Grayson. A few months ago, Dick's life had been turned upside down when his parents had fell from the Circus high wire before his very eyes. Dick had been taken in by Bruce, while the police had searched for his parent's killer. So far, there had been no solid leads. Dick wanted to go out, and look for the criminal himself.

Bruce's night life had been an enigma, and one Dick was puzzled by. He was seldom around, and when Dick asked Alfred where he went, Alfred had remarked that he was at a business meeting. The young boy folded his arms as he thought about that. That excuse seemed to be a bit too much to swallow.

"I don't even know why you dragged me here," Dick said, and he looked around to punctuate his point. "I don't even know half of these people. Actually most of them to be honest, so what's the point?"

"Master Bruce figured it would do you some good to get out into the fresh air," Alfred responded in his usual dry and no nonsense manner.

Dick sighed, and shook his head. "Well you seem to have more of an idea what Bruce thinks than what he tells me."

Alfred just offered a sympathetic smile to Dick. Keeping Master Bruce's secrets was always the most frustrating part of his job. He did tell Bruce that Dick would find out eventually, if the living arrangement became more permanent. With the lack of progress on the killer, Alfred thought that was an obvious thing.

Clark noticed Bruce, and walked up to greet him. "I didn't expect you to be here. You haven't been attacked by any muggers lately, have you?"

"No more so than usual," Bruce answered in a crisp tone, like he was not bothered by the fact.

"How do you know Harry and Kara?" Chloe wondered.

"We've done business," Bruce said in a swift voice. He led his young charge over away, before Chloe could ask any more questions.

Megan stood in the background, watching, and smiling. She had worked with Harry and Kara over the past few months, and had watched them grow closer. Kara really had a noble heart, and Megan could have given an earful to the other survivor of her planet for thinking that Kara was trouble because of who her father was. Kara could not be further from Zor-El, if she tried.

Of course, that had been smoothed over. Megan smiled at the thought, and watched everyone move over, as the wedding drew closer. There were most certainly two things Martians enjoyed, no matter what color they were. That was Oreos and Earth Television. They tended to be addicted to both.

She could really stop at both at any time.

Megan ate the Oreo she had, and went for another one, and grumbled because her stash was low. She had an entire package when she left too.

* * *

Despite all that he had been through, Harry was a bit nervous as he waited for his bride to come down the aisle on this day. He almost expected something bad to happen, true to form. That was just the story of his life. Any moment, someone would be showing up, perhaps some long dead enemy or a new one. Harry tapped his foot, and waited, his arms folded.

So far so good, as Harry saw Kara walked down the aisle. Harry could not take his eyes of her. She looked positively stunning. The garb she had on both was modest, and respectful, but at the same time showcased her beauty. Kara's bright face had a smile on it. Harry could sense her impatience, and need to just sprint down the aisle to get this over with, so they would be married. Unfortunately, due to the public venue, Kara would have to wait, and could not showcase her powers. The girl moved down the aisle, and Harry gazed upon her radiant beauty.

Kara stood in front of Harry, as the priest prepared to read the specially created wedding vows that had been agreed to prior to the wedding from both Harry and Kara.

"We are gathered here today to mark the joining of these two souls, who have found each other, despite the hardships that are present in life. Today, this young man, Harry Potter, will be joining this young lady, Kara Kent, in holy matrimony, bound together for as long as they shall live and beyond."

Kara and Harry could barely hide their smirks. The two of them knew that as long as they shall live and beyond, would be for a long time. A pair of dazzling green eyes locked onto a pair of bright blue eyes. The two of them smiled at each other, and they both placed the wedding rings on each other's hands. They were only barely listening to what the priest had said. Mentally, they had counted down to what was going to happen. The moment the two would be joined together officially, for the rest of the world.

It would only strengthen the bonds that both of them felt in their heart. Harry and Kara smiled at each other.

"Do you, Harry Potter, agree to these vows with your wife? Do you agree that you will protect each other, cherish each other, to treat each other like equals, and tie the best elements of your lives together through your union?"

Harry mentally vowed these things there. His hand met with Kara's, and he could feel the bond between the two of them get stronger with the next couple words he spoke. "I do."

There was a smile on Kara's face, and impatience washed over the girl. She did not have to wait for that long, and the priest decided to speak on the next part of the vows.

"Do you, Kara Kent, agree to these vows with your husband? Do you agree that you will protect each other, cherish each other, to treat each other like equals, and tie the best elements of your lives together through union?"

"Damn right I do," Kara replied with a grin, and that caused a few laughs from some who had heard her.

"If anyone has just cause that declares these two should not be bound together, speak now or forever hold your peace," the priest stated.

'_Under penalty of heat vision,' _Kara thought to herself, and Harry picked up the thought. He knew Kara would go through with it. If anyone objected, friend or foe, the girl would fry them with the heat vision, and then roast marshmallows off of their remains.

No one had responded. Kara felt rather pleased with this. She waited for the priest to make things official.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest said, slowly turning to address the new couple. "You may now….kiss the bride."

The priest's voice trailed out for Harry and Kara had already begun to kiss before that sentence concluded. It was a rather passionate kiss, with the two of them wrapping their arms around each other, and Kara had her legs tightly around Harry, nearly pushing him back, with their tongues dancing together. They only scarcely remembered that there were people watching them. The entire world had stopped, as they felt a warm glow surround them to strengthen their bond after officially being married. Everyone else felt the glow, even if they did not understand the significance about everything.

Kara broke off. She was now officially in all ways Kara Potter. It took every bit of self-control not to fly off with Harry, and to consummate their union. She figured it would be prudent to stick around, and enjoy the wedding reception for just a little bit.

* * *

All and all, the entire wedding had gone on without a hitch, and the reception was shaping up to be something that was going to go on without a hitch as well. That fact was something that placed a smile on the faces of both the bride and the groom. Both Harry and Kara sat outside, as everyone chattered around them. They were happy that everything was official, and no force on in the universe could break the bonds they shared.

"Is this wedding everything you ever dreamed of?" Harry asked her.

A grin crossed over Kara's face, and she wrapped her arms tightly around her husband. "You're everything that I've ever dreamed on. Anything that happens with this wedding is just a bonus. But you did a great job."

Harry surveyed the situation, and gave his two cents on the matter. "Really, you think so? I thought things could have been a little bit better…."

Kara picked up a piece of cake, and slammed it into Harry's mouth to shut him up before he was too critical of himself. Harry looked at his wife, and thought that turnabout was in fact fair play. With another motion, Harry picked up the piece of cake, and shoved it into Kara's face. Kara laughed, and scrapped the frosting off of her fingers. She slowly licked the frosting off, teasing Harry. Her tongue slowly tailed down her fingers. Harry felt himself tingle with the excitement of what he was seeing.

Clark stood in the background watching. He had walked off to get Lana some punch. This gave Lana a chance to talk to Lois and Chloe. Clark stepped over, and saw a very familiar face standing there.

"Mom? I didn't know that you were here."

Martha Kent looked at her son with a smile. "Harry and Kara both invited me. This is the first time that I met them in person, even if we have both talked on the phone and exchanged letters a few times. Kara talks about you all of the time. I must say, I was shocked to see that you had a cousin…."

"You and me both, Mom," Clark replied, pleased to see his mother. With her role as Senator, she was not around that much anymore.

"And a bit suspicious, I hate to say," Martha whispered to him. "Given some of the other survivors of Krypton, and what happened the last time a girl named Kara from Krypton had come to visit you. But this is different."

"Thankfully this is completely different," Clark replied, and he was glad. It took him a while to really get used to the idea that he had blood family, and there were times where he kept a close watch on Kara and Harry as well to a lesser extent.

"So, how are you and Lana doing?" Martha asked.

"Despite it all, we're hanging in there," Clark said, figuring that was the best way to describe what was going on.

Martha just nodded. Clark and Lana had their ups and downs. Perhaps it would all work out after all for them in the end, perhaps not. That was up to Clark and Lana to decide, and Martha just sat back. Martha moved over to offer her regards to the happy couple.

"Congratulations you two," Martha said with a bright smile towards Harry and Kara.

"Thanks, Mrs. Kent," Kara responded, giving the woman that raised her cousin a smile.

"Dear, I told you to call me Martha, I mean you're practically family," Martha said.

Kara smiled, and added to Martha in a whisper. "Right, Martha, and again, thank you for taking care of my cousin for all of those years. I know Clark must have been a handful. If the House of El is known for one thing, it is stubbornness."

Martha laughed, before she spoke.

"Jonathan and I did our best," Martha responded. "I'm just proud that Clark turned out to be the way he did."

Kara looked at how Clark turned out. He was not perfect by any means, but at the same time, he turned out alright.

"I am too," Kara said for a smile.

"And thanks again for helping us get everything in order with the adoption," Harry told Martha.

"It wasn't a problem," Martha said to Harry, waving off his thanks. She understood where Harry was coming from, and was happy to help. "It does take a lot of heart to take in a child that isn't yours into your home."

"I think you would know better than anyone else," Harry replied. At this statement, Martha nodded, and smiled.

"Yes, most people wouldn't have done what Jonathan and I did," Martha said, and that was a sad statement.

"I would have," Harry said, and Kara smiled at what Harry said.

"I know," Martha replied, seeing that easily. "You two enjoy yourselves; I'm going to go catch up a bit more with my son. I have a feeling I've missed a lot."

Kara and Harry exchanged a covert expression. If that was not the understatement of understatements, they did not know what was. The music started up, and Harry looked at his beautiful wife.

"So, my I have this dance, my lady?" Harry asked Kara.

"I'll be delighted," Kara replied, and the two stepped towards each other.

Harry placed his hands on her hips, and locked arms. The two of them enjoyed their first dance together as a married couple. While the two of them tended to be more graceful flying through the air, then they were on the dance floor, they thought that had done alright. They were together, and the sun shined brightly on them. A gentle spring breeze blew outside, and they danced outdoors, oblivious to the rest of the world around them. It was rather nice, to be together.

Chloe watched the couple, a smile on her face. Lois had watched them as well. The brunette nudged her cousin.

"They do look good together," Lois admitted grudgingly.

"Yes they do," Chloe agreed. She found herself looking at the two of them, just studying the way they moved. Tonight was their night, and she turned her attention away from them.

At the table, Claire had gone for a piece of cake, but Dick had swiped it out from underneath her nose. A scowl of discontent spread across the face of the young pryokinetic. Thankfully she learned control, and did not flash fry the boy who took her cake.

"Hey, that was my piece of cake, you know!" Claire yelled hotly.

"There's plenty more, just cut yourself off another slice," Dick said, holding his hands up in a defensive motion.

Claire shook her head, and bit her lip. She could have cut herself off of another slice, but that was not the point. It was the sheer principal of the manner. She watched Dick eat that slice of cake, her slice of cake, and the scowl deepened on the young girl's face. Dick seemed to also make a production out of eating her cake. He put the plate over.

"That was some good cake," Dick commented.

Claire turned over, and backed off. She seethed, and glared at Dick.

"Make a new friend, Claire?" Lois asked.

"Him, no he's no friend, he's annoying," Claire said. She then added. "He's a twerp."

"Ah, I think you might like him," Lois teased her. "You're getting close to that age where you're getting feelings for boys."

"I don't like Dick!" Claire said hotly.

Chloe and Lois looked at each other. There was a moment of silence, before Lois was the one that spoke.

"Are you going to touch that one?" Lois asked swiftly.

"No," Chloe said shortly.

"Good, because I'm not either," Lois responded, and she slowly backed away at that point.

Claire wondered what they were talking about. Sometimes, adults said things she could not even begin to understand. At least she would be getting this piece of cake, even if it was not as good as the piece of cake that had been swiped for her. Claire silently plotted to pay that boy back for stealing her cake. On this day, a vendetta was established.

Harry and Kara spent some time dancing, about an hour or so more. They had some light conversation about the various guests. The fireworks that had gone off for their wedding served as a handy distraction. The two of them had snuck off, invisible, and into the sky. They would stay at the hotel suite tonight, and then fly off to Greece for their honeymoon tomorrow. It would be their first outing as a married couple, and a rare chance to let their hair down.

* * *

The wedding and subsequent reception had many guests that had been invited. There were all sorts of people there, some of them mundane, and some of the colorful. One person was not invited to the wedding. That particular individual sat perched in the air, invisible for all to see. Even X-Ray vision could not pick her out.

The reason why she had not been invited to the wedding was that the happy couple had not known that she existed. The blonde Kryptonian floated in the air, placed a hand to her chin, and pondered what to do next. The fact of the matter was that there were so many things that she had to take care of before revealing herself to the rest of the world, and more importantly to her two fellow Heralds of Death.

She still searched for the Fortress, even though it had been lost, buried, and seemingly in another dimension. There could be an infinite number of pocket dimensions where it could have been sent to. There were not only pocket dimensions, but pocket dimensions within pocket dimensions. This fact led the girl to an exercise of supreme frustration. The fact of the matter was that the search could take months and months, even for her. Even the small hint she picked up had been just a misdirection.

Being locked in solitary confinement and experimented on had given her plenty time to think. There was a certain kind of bitter feeling that she felt towards all of humanity, based off of the actions of Lionel Luthor. There where she wondered if her father was right. The young woman wondered if he was correct in his assumption that these people were barbarians that deserved to be taken over, for their own good.

She wondered, with all the hatred, all of the war, all of the just callous disregard for anything different from themselves that some humans exhibited. Then again, Kryptonians were the same way, being torn apart over generations. Kara Zor-El of Earth 2 vowed not to allow that to happen on this planet. Then there was her cousin's counterpart on this world, and the role he had to play.

Kara had observed Kal-El or Clark Kent as he was called here. It was only for the past couple of days, and there would need to be more observation as time went on. However, at this moment, she found herself quite underwhelmed by him. There was a great enemy coming, and if Clark did not learn how to step up and learn how to kill, the destroyer would destroy him.

A part of her wondered if she could track down this monster, and slay his mortal shell before his full potential was realized. He was one of the undesirables, but there was an asterisk by his name. It was a trial that Clark would have to overwhelm and win, or the consequences would be dire.

Kara saw her counterpart in this world, and her husband fly off. There was something strikingly familiar about this Kara's bonded that she could not shake the feeling. She shook her head. If the young woman wanted to, she could touch them. Little did they know they were right next to the Third Herald of Death, but did not know it, because she was invisible, and cloaked herself from any sense they had.

The girl checked the papers that she had, the cover where she would run. The Galatea Foundation was already set up for her, and her alias of Karen Starr. Apparently, she had been figured in.

The girl prepared to figure out her next move. With all of the grace and precision of someone of her abilities, Kara Zor-El of Earth 2 vanished with a pop. She remembered all she observed, seeing people that had died in her world, like Lana and Chloe. Lana had been killed by Lionel Luthor as a way to control Clark. Chloe disappeared as well, and was presumed dead as well. She vowed to keep a close watch over them, and make sure it did not happen again.

Kal-El would mandate further observation, and perhaps assistance. In one universe, he was too extreme and immoral prior to his murder, and in this universe, he was too much like a glorified boy scout. Kara nearly rolled her eyes at this fact. That would be something to deal with at a later date. As of now, the blonde Kryptonian needed to collect more information about this world, and what she was up against.

Kara allowed herself one more thought at the happy married couple. She longed for the day where someone like that could take her in his arms and tell her that he loved her. Emotions she suppressed threatened to come back.

She shook her head. Those thoughts were selfish and stupid to have, and just led to nothing, but hurt and false hope.

Kara had all of the attributes of a healthy female Kryptonian in her physical prime. Her confidence had been rattled, unfortunately, by what had transpired at the hands of Lionel Luthor and her imprisonment.

* * *

Winds blew throughout the cold and desolate Artic. No one had noticed that something was off as of yet, and even if someone did notice, the mysteries of what transpired would stay with those who had been down there. The Fortress was once there, yet above ground there was nothing, but a big blank stretch of nothing. There was a miniature hole in the ground. From within this hole, a light shined, offering as a potential beacon for something. What was that beacon? Was in a sign for hope, or a sign for trouble?

Deep beneath the group, several microscopic crystal fragments glittered. They could not be seen by the naked eye, and could be scarcely seen by the enhanced Kryptonian vision. The crystal fragments glittered; it was all that remained of the Fortress. A small light had kicked out in the Fortress, once again only scarcely visible to the eye.

A small amount of residual power had been activated within the area where the Fortress had once stood. Like any great structure there would be backups, and fail safes in case the worst possible event occurred. One of those backups had kicked into place at that moment, and it was one that was not created by Jor-El. The backup was unknown by Jor-El, and was not even part of his plans. Yet, it was there, only to be activated in the case where Jor-El's programming had been destroyed, or grossly compromised.

Even Lily Potter did not discover this aspect of the Fortress, it was buried so deep within it. It was subtle in its design, and very calculating with how it was developed. Jor-El was not the only person who had taken steps to make sure Kal-El had guidance as he reached his destiny.

The essence of the mother program had flicked back to life. The consciousness of Lara had awoken from a long slumber. She was very weak, and unable to do much. All she could do was begin to siphon what residual energy was left within this area, where the Fortress was, and the caves that were connected. Then she could send a message to her son, so she could better assist him.

This process would take several weeks, maybe even a month or more. Lara was secure in the knowledge that her niece should be able to help out Kal-El in the meantime, if he needed any guidance. Both of them, as she had sensed, Kara's counterpart from an alternate world had arrived. Lara could not articulate a message to her at the time when this version of Kara visited the area around where the Fortress once was. Regardless, Lara trusted Kara, both of them, one hundred percent with the life of Kal-El. Jor-El's coldness towards her would be something that Lara would be having words with that man about, should his consciousness return to the Fortress.

Lara did love Jor-El, and knew him to be a kind and noble man. His logic had gotten in the way of reason, and he had allowed his son to know some kind of heartless monster, this AI that he created. The AI was efficient, and methodical, but there were certain parts to someone's destiny that needed emotion to be properly cultivated. Jor-El had many faults, and he programmed every single one of them into that AI of his. As a result, her son no doubt thought his father was a cold, and uncaring man, when the truth could have not been further.

Lara would need to have a discussion with Kal-El about other matters, including the matter of his mates.

Depending on what values her son was raised with, she might be fighting an uphill battle to get him to realize this part of his destiny. Lara sensed something, threads connected to Clark. One of them was blackened, indicating that Clark had once lost someone extremely close to him, who he had connected with on some level. Whoever she was, she had died, but Lara could not find out much more.

Lily Potter had drained most of the power when she took the Fortress wherever upon being banished. However, Lara began to tap into every reserve she could. There was no force in the universe that was stronger than a mother's determination to assist her son.

**To Be Continued in "Honeymoon."**


	38. Chapter 38: Honeymoon

_So I came up with a bunch of new fan fiction ideas that I all will be writing, eventually, but do go to my profile, and vote for your favorite in the poll. And I'm beginning to post pictures for my visual representations of the girls in the Ascension, so check that out if you're interested in that story._

**Chapter 38: Honeymoon. **

The night was still young, and beautiful, at least that was the thought that went through the heads of the newlyweds when they had sailed from their wedding to the hotel suite that had been booked. Flying was the only way to travel for the two of them, and they got a great deal of enjoyment from it. Both Harry and Kara could agree with that, with the feeling of the wind blowing through their faces. The two stopped in at the front desk to check in officially. Harry scooped Kara into his arms. Kara giggled when she was in Harry's arms.

"And how much did you have to drink at the wedding?" Harry teased her, cradling his new wife close to him.

Kara just fired back a grin. "You know, the two of us really can't be affected unless it's the really hard stuff. Now the sooner we get up to this bedroom, the sooner we can get down to the real fun."

Harry would have to agree with that. The dark haired Herald of Death continued to sprint his wife up the stairs, and to their suite. The door blew open, and Kara wrapped her arms around Harry. Her lips met with his in a deep kiss. Kara was wrapped around Harry, her arms around his neck, and her legs wrapped around his waist. The two of them were finally in every way married, and the body that they had strengthened in every single way whatsoever. Kara walked Harry over, and pushed him back onto the bed. She pulled open Harry's shirt, and rubbed her hands onto his bare chest.

"I can't wait," Kara responded, a wide grin spreading across her face.

She had recited it over and over in her mind. She was now Kara Potter, and the link she felt for Harry was absolutely stronger than ever. Kara could feel other strands linked to Harry's soul, but hers was the strongest for now. The blonde Kryptonian vowed to keep it that way, and she planted a series of kisses on Harry's collarbone.

"I love you, so much, my wife" Harry told her, and he cupped her backside for emphasis. Kara gave an expression of desire, and continued to stroke Harry's chest and abs, giving them kisses, and licking them.

"I love you too, my husband," Kara told Harry, and her hands moved down Harry's body, before reaching for his belt, and removing it.

Kara pulled back from Harry, and grabbed her wedding dress. She gave Harry a little show, swaying her hips, and pulling the dress down from her body. Harry got a good look at her mouth watering body, dressed in nothing, but a lacy white bra, a white thong with the material barely covering what needed to be covered, and white stockings. Kara had somehow lost her shoes in the battle.

Harry grabbed her by the hips, and pulled her scantily clad body onto his. Kara sighed deeply into the kiss, and Harry ran his hands over her body. He rolled Kara over onto the bed, and continued to deepen the kiss. The fun could begin on that point, and Harry looked down at her. Kara looked up at Harry with a very unmistakable "fuck me" expression in her eyes.

Harry was not one to disappoint his new wife.

**Smut/Lemon Begins. **

-PROFILE-

**Smut/Lemon Ends.**

Kara and Harry rested on the bed. The blonde Kryptonian placed her head on Harry's shoulder, and sighed. Harry wrapped his arm around her body. The two lover's naked bodies snuggled against each other. Kara smiled at Harry, and continued to kiss him deeply. Harry was about ready to go once again, and Kara was ready to oblige him.

The dance of desire continued between the two lovers all through the night, although given the time expansion charms, they made love to each other for much longer, for nearly a day, perhaps even more. And they would have gone much longer, if they could find some way to expand the charms. The newest strengthening of the bond allowed them to need more fuel for it.

Kara and Harry felt absolutely content, and no matter what new dynamics their relationship took, the two would always have a very special place in each other's hearts.

* * *

For the first time in a long time, Harry and Kara allowed themselves to sit back, and relax, and not think about anything that happened the rest of the world. It was actually an interesting change of pace, and Harry felt relax. It could be because his beautiful wife was rubbing suntan lotion onto his shoulders. The point that neither of them could burn under the yellow sun was far from the point. It was just an excuse to feel each other up, and have some fun. Not that they needed an excuse, but that was beside the point.

Harry was dressed in nothing, but a pair of tight boxer shorts. The muscles he accumulated through training and hard ship were on display. His dark hair stood up on end, and his green eyes were covered by a pair of sunglasses. Harry had come a long way since being a scrawny midget in glasses, which was a fact that Kara appreciated. And Harry appreciated Kara's hands running over his shoulders, and his back. Kara playfully pinched his ass, and a smile appeared on Harry's face. He sighed in pleasure, at what his wife was doing to him.

Kara hovered over Harry, and rubbed the suntan lotion into his back. She massaged each one of his muscles, and made circular motions around on his back. Kara continued to rub up and down his back. She passed down, and massaged his legs completely.

"So relaxing," Harry breathed to himself.

"We do need to relax," Kara agreed, feeling her body calm down and relishing the chance to let her hair down. There was an unwritten rule that was made before they left on their honeymoon. Nothing that happened between them relating to their Herald of Death responsibilities was going to be discussed. Anything that happened, it could wait. They were taking a week off to themselves, and if something happened, well Clark and Lana would have to handle it. "And what better time to relax than on our honeymoon."

Harry nodded in agreement. Kara's talented hands continued to massage his back, and work over every single one of his muscles. She worked the tension spots out, both in Harry's muscles, and in Harry in general. From all of the teasing, she could tell that the blood was rushing from Harry's head, to the other parts of body.

"My turn," Kara said in a sweet voice.

Harry grabbed Kara around the waist, and got a good look at his wife. The red bikini she wore was a vision of beauty. The bikini top stretched across her ample chest, and showcased cleavage that made Harry's mouth water and his groin stir. His eyes traveled down her curvy body. Her stomach was rather flat, and Harry found himself attracted to it. The stomach muscles were taut, and her belly button was cute. Harry continued to drink in his wife's body, to her long legs that stretched down. They were toned, and lovely, and smooth and sexy, and Harry really could not come up with enough adjectives to describe her.

Kara flipped over on her front. The blonde bombshell rested on her chest. She shifted her hips upwards, and Harry stared at her cute rear end. The red bikini bottom fabric stretched around her ass, showcasing it. Harry reached over, and cupped the suntan lotion bottle in his hand, and poured it into his hand. The dark haired Herald of Death rubbed the suntan lotion into her back muscles. Kara hummed happily, and felt her husband's hands work into her shoulder muscles.

Harry rubbed the lotion into Kara's back and shoulders. He felt every single inch of her soft, and lovely skin underneath his hands. She was a vision of absolute perfection beneath him. The sun shined brightly onto both of them, and Harry rubbed her lower back, and brushed his thumb against her ass. Kara moaned at this happily.

The attention Harry was paying to her ass was not something that had gone unnoticed by Kara. The blonde Kryptonian's smile spread across her face. Humans engaged in an activity called anal sex, and Kara was quite curious to experience this activity, but she wondered if Harry would agree. Given the fact his eyes continued to linger on her ass, Kara would have to breach the subject before too long.

Harry looked at Kara, and smiled. She rolled over, and Harry lathered the sun lotion onto her front. The blond Kryptonian sighed in glee, and Harry knew that she enjoyed the motions. His hands lingered on her abs, and then moved to rub suntan lotion on the valley between her breasts. Harry worked into her nice and long, giving her nice strokes. Kara shifted, feeling Harry's hands massage and work her over.

"I think we're all done," Harry told Kara.

"Ah, already," Kara said with a pout.

Harry wrapped his arm around Kara, and pulled the blonde Kryptonian into him. Her head rested on his shoulder, and there was a bright smile on her face. The two sat on the beach, and really enjoyed sitting underneath the sun. The two had a radio out with them, and listened to the music. They would spend today on the beach, just relaxing.

Kara smiled at the thought of being with Harry when their lives were not in peril by something. This was going to be the best week in both of their lives, and Kara would be sad when it was back to business as usual. The two of them sat, and pulled out the packed lunch they had. The two of them would eat together, and listen to the music blaring together.

"So good," Kara said, in between bites of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich Harry had made. She took a few bites of it, and enjoyed just everything.

Today was the perfect day for both of them. Kara dropped back, and rested her head on Harry's lap. Harry stroked his fingers through Kara's hair, and smiled. This would be the beginning of their perfect week. The duties they had as Heralds of Death were pushed as far back in their mind. Kara and Harry both smiled, their lives were great, at least for right now.

Despite what happened, as long as they had each other, life was not so bad.

* * *

Chloe took some time to ponder the events of the past couple of days. Of course, there was only a small amount of time to think, compared to what her real mission. Chloe would be both a liar and deluded if she did not admit that she had at least thought about the possibilities that having Kryptonian powers would have. She had thought about it more than a few times.

Thinking about something, and doing something were two extremely different things; something Chloe found out throughout her attempts to train the powers. The good news is that she got the powers to the point where it would not cause any fatalities for herself, and for other people. The bad news was that Chloe was frustrated that nothing was perfect. The super speed was down mostly, even if she had problems with the sudden stops.

Chloe sped halfway across the room in the Shining Light Foundation, and just missed the marker.

"Okay, let's try that again," Chloe remarked to herself, taking a deep breath, and bracing herself.

Chloe backed up, and once again attempted to super speed towards the marker. She was far closer with her stopping this time.

"Chloe, just calm down, and remember that you're trying to master powers that aren't technically natural to you," Megan said, casually munching on a Oreo, which calmed her nerves. The girl watched, and observed Chloe. To be honest, her progress was a bit beyond what Harry and Kara expected.

"No, I can do this, I really can do this," Chloe said, persistent and determined, not to mention just a tiny bit of stubborn.

Once again, she had backed up, and tried to hit the marker once more. And once again, Chloe just missed the target. She was getting closer.

"Chloe, just take a deep breath and calm down, you can do it, I know you can," Claire remarked, sitting with Megan, and eating Oreos with her, as they watched Chloe's progress.

"Okay, I can really do this," Chloe said to herself once again.

She visualized what she wanted to do. Clark had been doing it as simply as breathing. Lana picked it up well enough. Chloe could do this, she really could do this. Another deep breath, and Chloe took another step back, and once again shot forward at super speed.

This time Chloe managed to stop in time, and hit the marker immediately. The woman took a deep breath, and felt absolutely relaxed. This was the easiest thing in the world. There was no question about it. Claire applauded Chloe from her perch point, and continued munch on her Oreos.

Chloe backed off, and hit the marker again, and again, spot on. She finally got the hang of that, there could be more challenging things. Although some of the things used to train her powers were weird. Learning how to fly by going through an infinite number of rings, for instance, was something that Chloe felt was a little strange. Then again, that was just how powers had been trained.

Chloe turned around, and managed to carve a symbol on the stone wall with her heat vision. She had to keep it carefully aligned properly.

Megan continued to take the notes that Harry and Kara requested of her. The truth of the matter was that Chloe's speed was impressive. As her powers grew, she would surpass Clark in speed, and also Lana as well. Then again, given what Megan knew, Clark really had a lot of untapped potential. She spent a lot of time studying about the potential of Kryptonian powers underneath a yellow sun, and found the entire study to be rather fascinating.

Then again, there were some theories that Megan felt a bit outlandish. For instance, she was pretty sure that it would be absurd to turn back time by flying around the Earth backwards. Some people did have strange ideas. Perhaps it could work under certain circumstances, but it was more likely to hurl everything off of the side of the planet.

She did hope that Harry and Kara were enjoying themselves on their honeymoon. If anything needed a vacation, it was those two. There was some times where Megan thought that the two of them worked themselves too hard. In fact, she heard Claire complaining about that, and Megan would have to agree.

Megan's cell phone rang, and she excused herself to take the message.

"Hello, this is the Shining Light Foundation, how can I help you?" Megan asked, in a brisk and business like tone. "No, they're not here right now…you want to talk to them about business, what kind of business? I see, no I really don't know what you're talking about, no I don't, so they'll know if I mention it. Alright, whatever, they'll be back next Tuesday, if you want to stop by, you'll be able to make an appointment. Two is fine, but call to confirm on Monday, yes, thank you. Will there be anything else? No, I'm sure they'll be interested in what you have to say to them."

Chloe had heard a few bits of that conversation, and Megan had put away the phone.

"So what was that all about?" Chloe asked.

"Oh, just someone wanting to discuss something with Harry and Kara, they'd know what it is when I told them apparently," Megan replied with a sigh.

It was not like she could read minds, well technically she could, but that was beside the point. She most certainly could not do it over the phone. Megan checked the clipboard with the students, both old and new coming in to the Shining Light Foundation. Some students fit in well, while others were problematic.

Harry had a policy that any parent could pull out their children at any time, as he did not want anyone to feel like they were a prisoner.

"Who was it?" Chloe asked.

"Oh, some guy named Queen," Megan said in a nonchalant voice.

Chloe wondered what Oliver wanted to possibly talk to Harry and Kara about. In fact, last she heard, Oliver had been overseas, doing God only knows what. Then again, given that Supergirl and Arcane had been making a few waves as super heroes, Chloe managed to put two and two together.

Right now, since her training was done, Chloe had taken a step out to get some fresh air. Perhaps, she would pop in to visit Lana. At this point, Chloe was not quite ready to show Clark or Lana her powers, but that time would come soon, in a couple days. She was mastering them rather well, even if there were a few bugs to work out.

* * *

The past week had been like something out of a dream for the newly wedded couple. The honeymoon was winding down to its final days, but Harry and Kara thought that they had some memories that would last a lifetime. They made sure to enjoy themselves, even if in the back of their minds, they wondered if they would have paid for what happened. The moment they got back, they would be able to focus on the many things that they had to get done. The two of them really wondered when their third counterpart would show up.

Harry and Kara actually checked the lifeline scan, but it is reading inconclusive for it. This little quirk was strange as over a week ago, there was a distinct hint that there was no third Herald there. Now it was like the lifeline was not sure what happened. Harry and Kara both pondered the matter, and wondered about something. They wondered if the third Herald was there, but if she was hiding her presence. Harry and Kara wondered how she had found out, and if she had been confused that there were two other Heralds here.

There was a sense that there was someone nearby, but before the two of them could check too much, that sense had vanished into the night. That left Harry and Kara more confused, and bewildered than they had ever been in their lives. Right now, the couple enjoyed some of the more historical monuments. Harry had actually gone deeper, given his knowledge of magic, and had discovered some historical landmarks that had been sealed away from private eyes. They had been of a magical nature.

It did seem that no matter how hard they tried, the entire Heralds of Death business followed them around. A frown spread over Kara's face, and the blonde Kryptonian studied one particular painting on the wall. Harry noticed what she was looking at. The fact of the matter was that it was very fine, and could not be seen by the naked eye. However, with Kara's enhanced vision the small symbols of Death could be seen.

"Well, there's another place that popped it popped up," Kara whispered to Harry.

Harry closed his eyes, and placed his hands on the wall. Kara did likewise, and both Potters could feel the residual magic flowing between the both of them. It caused their hands to tingle, and they floated up into the air. They could a sense of the essence flowing from within the temple, and both of their eyes glowing. Every single magical structure told a story, and Harry and Kara got a sense of the structure.

After the magic flowed through their veins, the two of them dropped down to the ground. Harry and Kara shook their heads, and took a deep breath, before they regained their bearings. After that was done, it was Harry who was the first person who had spoken up.

"It was a temple belonging to one of the Heralds of Death, about twelve hundred years ago," Harry explained, reading the inscription. "Apparently he went mad with power."

"Wasn't that the case with all of them?" Kara asked.

"He actually held the post for the longest, over a hundred years, and it was a burden that he bared alone," Harry said. Kara stepped towards Harry, and the dark haired wizard wrapped his arms around his blonde wife. "He actually managed to banish more undesirables than ever before. And he….invented the process of making a Horcrux."

Kara had remembered Harry's memories, the twisted and disturbing process in creating a Horcrux. Kara could hardly believe that someone would do such a thing, but they would have to be rather desperate.

"He invented it, so he could never lose another person," Kara whispered. "His wife, apparently, he did not want her to die."

Harry had recalled the information that had been imparted into his memory. "However, the process turned her twisted and evil. Death stripped him of his powers, and his wife, the one woman he saved from Death, had killed this Herald. The next Herald of Death had to clean up the mess, as several people found the man's notes. Unfortunately, that fire was never snuffed out."

"The practice of making Horcruxes hopefully died with Voldemort," Kara inputted.

Harry nodded, and closed his eyes. "I certainly hope it did, and the one good thing I'll say about my old world is that it tried to get that type of magic censored. It didn't do much good in the end."

Kara leaned in closer to Harry, and her eyes fluttered shut. The blonde Kryptonian thought about everything. It was lucky the two of them had found each other, and had offered comfort. The story remained the same with the few references to other Heralds of Death that they had looked up. They did well for a while, but the labor had gotten to them. Without a support network to lean on, they all withered and were eventually branded pariahs. That was the main reason why Death had stopped the process.

Harry and Kara took a few more minutes to enjoy the sights around Greece. They amused themselves in a legend regarding an island of warrior women who had been sealed away from the rest of the world. Harry found these sorts of things to be kind of entertaining, but at the same time they were very far-fetched.

Then again, given all of the things that Harry had to deal with throughout his life, something being far-fetched might not have been something that he could discount. The two walked from the temple, and Kara turned to Harry, with a smile on her face. After what they learned, both of them needed something fun to do.

"Race you around the world!" Kara called at him, a playful expression on her face.

Without warning, Kara jumped up into the air, and took flight.

"Hey, no fair, you got a head start!" Harry yelled playfully, and he took into the sky, and chased his wife in the air.

Kara laughed, when Harry had given chase to her. She looked over her shoulder, with Harry flying behind, trailing further away, and she playfully blew him a kiss. Harry gained speed, and Kara flew faster. The two of them could see glimpses of the world as they flew around at hyper speed. Harry gained momentum, and Kara flew back towards him, like a blonde blur in the air.

Harry eventually caught up to Kara, and wrapped his arms around her, catching his wife in mid air. Kara laughed, and Harry pulled Kara in close to him.

"Looks like I caught you," Harry told Kara with a grin.

"You did," Kara agreed. "So what are you going to do with me?"

Harry pulled Kara in tightly for an embrace in mid-air, and pressed his lips against hers. Kara returned the favor, with the two kissing in mid-air. Harry's hands had begun to work their way underneath Kara's shirt, and feel her up. Kara did likewise, grinding against Harry in mid-air. They caused a bit of a breeze with their actions.

The two of them were content, and kind of a bit sad that they had to return back to the old grind. Even if they did miss several people after being gone for the week, but alas the honeymoon could not last forever.

* * *

Kara Zor-El of Earth Two continued her surveillance on the Kent Farm, and circled around it. She wanted to observe this Clark in this natural environment, for better or for worse. The blonde Kryptonian hovered in the skies, invisible, crossing her arms. The girl continued to look down at the farm, and a frown crossed her face. There were many thoughts that echoed through her mind. It was hard to get a hold of all of them, but the fact of the matter was she had a mission.

Until Kara had all of the facts, she would not interact with anyone around her. She would only interfere if anyone was in mortal peril. The girl flew around the air, and floated over Clark and Lana. Kara's eyes watched the couple. She observed everything that happened to the two of them, although she turned around at some of the more intimate bits. Just because she would not mind an audience, Kara thought that others would not share her spirit.

So far Clark seemed to be of rather average power. He was slowly coming into his powers, but there was so much room for improvement. Kara wondered if his training had even begun. Mentally, he did not appear to be ready for what was coming. His upbringing was both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it allowed him a nice and comfortable life, with family and friends that loved in. On the other hand, it made him too soft, too human, and it seemed to make him believe that he was actually human, and stunted his growth.

Clark had simply refused to embrace his Kryptonian heritage, and Kara Zor-El of Earth Two felt frustrated at that.

Kara wondered if her counterpart on this planet had similar thoughts. Clark had walked out with Lana, thinking about something. Lana had been gifted Kryptonian powers, likely to help assist Clark until he got into his full maturity. When would that happen? Would it happen in months, years, or even decades? The one good thing for Clark would be that he had plenty of time to grow into his powers.

The bad thing is that the world around him might not wait for him to rise as its protector. There was any number of dark forces brewing in the background. They would plot to stop Clark before his journey even started.

She tapped into one of her powers, and managed to get a nice view of what had happened so far with Clark's life. To be honest, she thought that Clark was extremely fortunate not to get killed countless times over. He lacked discipline, and often times, common sense. And Kara could have just shook her head at what Jor-El was doing with his guidance of this Clark. She was sure he had his reasons, even if the blonde Kryptonian did not agree with them.

One day, the world would need a hero, and Kal-El, Clark, whatever he was called, could rise above. This was dependent on whether or not he survived the next few years. Nothing was set in stone.

'_There's something extremely strange going on with Clark's lifeline reading,' _Kara thought to herself. _'I wonder if the other two Heralds have noticed it. His dot is gold as it should be, but there are times where it flickers to black, briefly for second. It is as if reality cannot determine how to figure Clark in."_

Kara focused her hearing, and floated higher into the air. Her chest inhaled and exhaled, when the girl took a deeper breath.

"Clark, we better hurry, we're going to be late, well you're going to be late," Lana told Clark.

Clark fired back on the ground. "I don't think I can be late, unless I leave just a second before we're supposed to. I can super speed there in a flash."

Lana put her hands on Clark, and Clark looked at her. The calculating, and rather devious expression in her eyes was not missed by Clark, and he braced himself for what was going to happen.

"Or, I can fly you there," Lana replied.

"Lana, it's fine, really," Clark said, but he knew what was coming next.

Lana was not about to take no for an answer, and she scooped up Clark in her arms. Clark sighed, resigned to his fate. One day, he would fly, or so he had been told. Yet, it did not come to him. It was one of the greatest mysteries of life.

Kara continued to watch, with Lana scooping up Clark in her arms, and flying off into the sky. The blonde Kryptonian frowned at this action, and tapped her fingers on the briefcase she held. Clark really had no pride whatsoever, since he allowed Lana to scoop him up in her arms repeatedly, and taxi him off like he was some petulant child. While Kara had no problems with Lana, she did kind of have a problem with the fact that Clark allowed himself to be demeaned like that.

Clark's powers were natural, hers was gifted. Lana should be thanking whoever gave them to her every single day, upon a bended knee. At least she seemed to have a decent hold on them, although Kara wondered if she needed more guidance on them. Both of them only scratched the surface on what their powers were capable for. If Kara had made a solemn vow not to directly interfere, she would have stepped in.

She did observe that Clark and Lana did seem to have their ups and downs in their relationships. That might have been an understatement, but that was just what she observed in their body language, and the way they carried themselves. A lot can be learned from the body language of others, at the first possible opportunity.

'_Got a lot to do, without babysitting those two,' _ Kara thought to herself. _'One day, I'll meet up with my two fellow Heralds of Death, but now's not the time. I'll do it on my own terms. I'll need their help to open up the crypt, because it needs all three of us to get the artifact within."_

Kara resolved to tackle that particular situation when she personally felt the time was right. As of right now, there were other matters that she would need to deal with. At the tips of her fingers was information that she needed to understand this world. Of course, Kara learned from a very young age not to trust the words of others, but rather trust what she saw and observed with her own eyes.

Kara followed the couple all the way to Metropolis, and dropped down to the ground. She allowed them to go off, unwatched. There would be plenty more time for observation later, as of now Kara Zor-El of Earth Two had business to do, and she had a civilian identity to establish. Actually having a secret identity was a process that she found loathsome, and troublesome. However, it was something that the higher ups had mandated, by the way she was figured into this world.

The girl looked at the papers, and tried to get into character. She had to remind herself of one simple fact. In this world, her identity was Karen Starr, the owner of the Galatea Foundation. The Galatea Foundation's mission was to help girls who had been mentally and physically battered get a second chance in life. Kara's face contorted into a scowl, Death did love her little ironies.

She also had a partnership with the new CEO of Luthorcorp that was brewing. The fact she had to do business with Luthorcorp in any way, no matter who was behind it, caused her a great deal of distaste, and made her want to throw up in her mouth a little bit. No matter who was behind it, a Luthor was a Luthor, and they all were trouble. Of course, Kara sensed this could be an opportunity to gather information on the inside for her mission, and sabotage the company so it was not a threat towards Kal-El's future mission.

Kara also had to get used to the idea she was now called Karen Starr, because there was already a Kara Zor-El in this world, well now technically Kara Potter. She pushed open the doors to her building. Knowing her luck, she would be saddled with a bunch of idiot employees, and would need to exercise every bit of self-control not to strangle the lot of them.

**To Be Continued in Recruitment Part One. **


	39. Chapter 39: Recruitment Part One

_Some live action counterparts in Herald of Death for characters who did not appear in Smallville, the Dark Knight Trilogy (unless otherwise indicated), and the Harry Potter Series. (Unless otherwise indicated). Of course two of these characters are dead, at least of this present chapter. _

_Claire Selton/Claire Potter… Annalise Basso._

_Megan Morse/M'gann M'orzz…Emma Stone. _

_Morgaine le Faye….Katie McGrath. _

_Lily Potter…Isla Fisher. _

_Rosalina Sinclair/Rose Evans…Alyson Hannigan. _

**Chapter 39: Recruitment Part One. **

Gotham City was a city that never had a moment's rest from the criminal element. There were a number of gangs who stood around, and waited for a moment to strike. There was no question about it, those who were in Gotham City had grown desensitized to the attacks throughout the city, from a variety of colored criminals. Mob warfare ran ragged on the street, although there was a dark force running everyone ragged.

Batman sat perched on the catwalk, watching a group of figures dressed in black. They were members of the League of Shadows, a group who had been given Batman recurring problems. He had been able to gain a bit of information on their operations, but there was a higher power operating them from beyond Gotham City. It had been a global operation, and it was hard to determine why Gotham City was chosen for their latest base of operations.

Batman had stepped in, and realized that the League of Shadows had kidnapped several high ranking politicians in Gotham City. The Dark Knight scoped out the situation, and recognized a few of the faces. They were corrupt, and dishonest, likely funneling taxpayers dollars to fund their own lifestyles, but nevertheless, they were just another set of lives that Batman had to protect from a far more dangerous voice.

"That's all I know, I swear," one of the politicians stated in a raspy voice.

The League of Shadows assassins surrounded them, several swords raised. The politician swallowed the lump in his throat. His fellow politicians feared for their lives. They had been snatched out of their offices, or homes, these assassins had gotten past the security that they paid a great deal of their ill-gotten gains for. There was no question about it, this League of Shadows was dangerous enemies, and they were not secure.

Batman had seen all that he needed to see, and he dropped down to the ground, swift and ready to pounce. The detective was on the attack the moment he dropped the ground. He took a few steps forward, and a couple of smoke bombs had been thrown down to the ground. The League of Shadows stumbled around, coughing on the smoke. Batman rushed around in the smoke. One punch after another knocked out the ninjas. The leader of this particular group rushed forward, and tried to stab Batman, but Batman dodged the sword.

The next thing the leader knew, he was suspended upside down from the rafters. His fellow League of Shadows members had been rendered unconscious, and the politicians could not scramble out of the doors fast enough.

"I'm not going to ask you twice," Batman growled. "Who are you working for?"

"Forget it, I shall not betray my master," the leader said, and he bit down in his mouth. It released poison from a filling in his mouth, and he swallowed it. The leader went stiff, and the poison did its work.

Batman could not formulate an antidote quickly enough to save him, with the unfortunate realization hitting him; it was another dead end. The League of Shadows had been something that had bedeviled Batman on and off for months. He had heard rumors that a couple of their agents had been lurking around Smallville as well, searching for something. It might be time for Batman to pay someone another visit, and let him know what was going on.

They were not the only problem that bedeviled Batman, a crime wave was also occurred compliments of one of his most persistent foes in his eighteen months under the cowl, the Joker. Batman found that ironic in many ways, because he found the crimes this man committed to be anything, but funny. What was worse that the Joker seemed to kidnap a doctor, Harleen Quinzel, from Arkham, and seemed to be using her as a hostage.

One problem at a time.

With a swift movement, Batman made his way to the Batmobile, and drove off towards his cave. He had gathered some evidence, but it was not enough. The mission was never ending, against the criminal elements that had threatened to pollute the city. The Dark Knight checked the police scanner, to try and find any crime, but had not been able to track anything down.

Batman arrived at the Batcave, and exited the car. He took a step back, and saw Supergirl and Arcane casually lounging in his cave, like it was no big deal that they had bypassed all of his security. The two just had entered the cave, and just made themselves at home. Batman just grimaced at the thought, but did not allow himself to be bothered by them.

Kara could barely keep a straight face at the look of shock underneath Batman's face. "I was wondering when you'd get back, Bats."

"So how are you doing?" Harry asked, casually and calmly.

Batman took a moment to really digest what was happening, and he asked one calm question.

"How did you get here? How did you find this place?"

"We have our ways," Harry replied, a smile crossing his face.

"That doesn't tell me anything," Batman told them, and he took a step back. He realized that he would have to take some steps into upgrading security. "Is there any particular reason why you're here, or did you just decide to come into my cave to prove you can?"

"Well, partially we did that for that reason," Kara said in amusement, hovering in the air, mischief dancing in her eyes. "We didn't tell a soul where this place is, not even Clark, even if we did know it for months. Plus, I think you have an idea who we are, right, Bruce?"

Kara used his real name, to indicate that she was not going to be intimidated by this man, grumpy bastard that he might be, and her and Harry were the ones who were in control of this meeting.

Batman stood and looked at the two young heroes. The two of them were brash and bold, and he knew when he had his back against the wall, and they held all of the cards.

"We understand that you've been keeping tabs on Clark," Harry told Batman, and Batman nodded slowly. "And you've also been dealing with a group here that has been causing you problems."

"They call themselves the League of Shadows, and word is a pair of their agents has been sulking around Smallville as well," Batman told them. Kara and Harry nodded, and invited for the Dark Knight to continue. "It is a good thing that Clark has relocated mostly to Metropolis, or should we say, the Blur?"

Kara and Harry were caught off guard, and both of them looked at each other. They were not sure what to say. The name "the Blur" seemed to be rather new to both of them, so Batman decided to elaborate.

"That's what they're calling him now," Batman added.

If Kara had not been so sure that Batman had his sense of humor surgically removed from birth, she would have thought he was joking. Batman reached over, and handed Kara the newspaper detailing the Blur's latest exploits.

"Well if you know, it isn't difficult to put two and two together," Harry told Kara.

Kara mouthed the words "the Blur" over and over again, looking at the paper, unable to believe it. She just let it set in. As Clark's cousin, it was her sworn duty to give him a hard time over this moniker, as much as she could.

"And furthermore…"

Batman had noticed that Arcane and Supergirl had left the cave at that moment. He watched, someone had pulled the sudden disappearance act on him for a change.

"Well played," Batman said, impressed, and he turned to his computer to log his latest mission, and see if he could uncover any more information on the mysterious League of Shadows.

He reached over, and picked up the arrow with a note attached to it that he uncovered three nights before. It offered Batman an invitation to join a group of heroes. Batman felt he worked best alone, but it would be prudent to give this group his answer in person.

* * *

Lana sat and pondered, ever since the incident in the Fortress, she had given the matter of what she had learned about thought. Most frustratingly, she had only been able to piece together about ten to fifteen percent of what was given to her inside the Fortress. There were more bits and pieces that had been coming to her, but it was a rather slow and ponderous process. Lana thought the assumption that she would figure it out on her own would be false.

Clark seemed to be a bit reluctant to do anything about the Fortress, for some reason. Then again, given what happened, and the fact that even if they were able to find the Fortress, there might still be some residual nastiness from Lily. Given what Harry and Kara said, the Fortress could have been anywhere. Lana had thought that there was a possibility that it could have been broken up, and scattered throughout several universes.

It would be foolish to think that Harry and Kara had not even thought about something like that. At that moment, Clark and Lana were adjusting to life in Metropolis, even if they could still fly back to Smallville when it struck their fancy.

Everything had calmed down a lot ever since that night at the Fortress. Lex's disappearance had hit the news, and there was people suspecting foul play. His last known whereabouts had yet to be determined, and a part of Lana just knew that there would be some kind of calm before the storm.

Clark walked over, past Lana in the Daily Planet. The moment that they arrived there, they saw Lois on the warpath already. She barely even said two words to either of them.

"Well, at least she's up bright and early," Lana told Clark, nudging him and pointing it out.

Clark just smiled at Lana. "Yeah, she really is, but so what are you going to do today?"

"Keep an eye on everything in the city," Lana informed him, standing with a smile. "I'll be back to visit you before lunch, but I need to go flying and clear my head. Do you think you can keep out of trouble for a few hours?"

"I'm sure I'll be fine, unless the coffee machine attacks me," Clark answered, trying to keep the mood light.

Lana just offered a nod, and leaned forward for a kiss. She kissed Clark goodbye, and the couple parted ways. It did seem like they were going through a tense time in both of their lives. Lana had the sense that Clark still had doubts about where his destiny truly lied. He needed some time to piece it together, and to a lesser extent, Lana did as well. The only thing that gave her clarity was the fact that Clark was not attacked by anyone.

Clark walked inside, and Lois nearly bumped into him.

"Can't talk right now, I've got a Blur sighting that I want to follow up on," Lois said, speaking faster than a speaking bullet.

"Oh, well I'm sure he's gone by now," Clark told her, and Lois looked at him. "He saved an entire group of school children from careening off an unfinished bridge. The brakes failed."

"Or they were cut," Lois offered, deciding to take the more pragmatic approach to the situation.

"Why would someone want to cut the breaks?" Clark asked.

"There are some sick, sick people out there, Smallville, nothing surprises me anymore," Lois offered, with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "I wonder when Chloe is getting back from her sabbatical. I talked to her the other day, and she seems fine, but I can't help and think there is something that she's not sharing with us. Then again, I get that sense that there are a lot of secrets that I'm being left out on for some reason."

"Are you sure that you're not looking for a story that's not there?" Clark asked, but he would be lying if he was curious.

Lois just shrugged. The latest business maneuverings around this city was only secondary to the new hero of Metropolis. The funny thing was that regarding the Blur, there were conflicting reports on whether it was male or female. Some of them reported a female that could fly, and others had reported a man on the ground, who ran at super speed. Being the reporter she was, Lois was determined to get to the bottom of the business, and uncover the secrets.

'_Could be some kind of co-opt act,' _Lois thought to herself, trying to ponder the situation.

The dark haired reporter took a step forward, and ran into Harry and Kara Potter, who stood on the elevator.

"Fancy meeting you here," Lois told them, offering them a cordial nod, but she was not going to be denied her story.

"Hello, Lois, nice to see you too," Harry replied to her.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Lois asked.

Kara was the one that answered. "Oh this and that, we do like to kind of check up on our employees when we need to, and make sure everyone's working hard."

Lois stood up straight, and looked at both of them. It was a few seconds before the statement that they had said clicked in her head.

"So, wait, you're the new mystery investors?" Lois asked, trying to keep her voice neutral, and racked her brain, thinking about anything she could have done recently to Harry and Kara that might offend them, and put her out on the streets, and out of a job.

A smile crossed over Harry's face. "Well, really not that much of a mystery now, is it? Yeah, we've invested in the Planet, but it's more of a hands off thing. We wanted a paper that was free of corporate interest, and told the people what they needed to do. Like the latest rumor about the…Blur, I believe he is called."

"Yeah, you've been away on your honeymoon, so you wouldn't know," Lois replied. "Sir…"

"Lois, call me sir one more time, and you'll be fired," Harry told her cheerfully, cutting her off.

"Right," Lois answered, regaining her bearings and she nodded, feeling a bit more at ease with the entire situation. Lois took a deep breath, and walked over. "Anyway, I figure that the Blur might be two different people. The rumors for the sightings vary about who is behind it."

"Well, I'm sure a persistent reporter will uncover the truth," Harry remarked, with a casual shrug.

"And I've also been looking into the change of ownership on Luthorcorp, and their newest partnership, seems like someone's trying to take your shine," Lois told him, and she handed Harry the story that she completed. "It's still a little rough around the edges, but…"

"That's what editing is for," Harry replied to Lois, and Lois nodded. "Do you have anything else that you can show me?"

Lois nodded, and Harry turned to Kara.

"Go and visit your cousin, see how he's doing," Harry suggested to his wife.

Kara nodded, and walked over, to see Clark. Clark was busy with his work. Kara stepped in front of his desk, and tapped on it, causing Clark to look up.

"Kara, you're back," Clark said to Kara, just noticing her.

"Yeah, Harry and I just flew back in from our honeymoon," Kara answered, and sitting down on the chair in front of Clark's desk. "It's a shame that it didn't last for longer, but all good things must come to an end."

Clark nodded, and Kara continued to sit, allowing Clark a moment to work. She performed a handy little charm that would block the conversation between her and Clark out, from any third parties who might want to listen in, but found themselves unable to.

"So, I understand that you've stepped up your efforts," Kara remarked to Clark in a casual voice. "Still, the Blur, Clark, really?"

Clark looked at Kara, and threw his hands into the air defensively. "It wasn't really my choice. That name was given to me."

"And it stuck," Kara remarked to Clark. She placed her hands on her hips, and leaned back in the chair. "I wondered when you would go public, well not necessarily public. It could have been worse, I guess. I would have thought that the name Superboy would have stuck, or something."

"Superboy?" Clark asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm Supergirl, you're Superboy, and you can be my sidekick," Kara remarked to Clark in a cheerful voice.

Clark opened his mouth wide, and Kara laughed at him. Her cousin was so uptight sometimes that he was so easy to wind up. Kara's arms crossed, and a smile appeared on her face.

"So any luck with finding the Fortress?" Kara asked.

"No," Clark answered shortly.

"Well, if I were you, I would get on that as soon as you can," Kara told him. "Harry and I can help you, but only to a certain extent. Your destiny is your own to master, and there is a choice that you and Lana must make about where to go next. And did you tell her the truth about everything?"

"What are you talking about?" Clark asked, nearly dropping his papers, and caught completely off guard.

"You know what I'm talking about, Kal-El," Kara fired back at him. Clark realized that she was trying to convey something serious to him, given that she had used his given Kryptonian name. "We both know that you told Lana that she died. You left a part of your story out, didn't you?"

Clark had no idea how is cousin knew.

"What did you leave out, Clark?" Kara asked him.

"I asked Lana to marry me," Clark muttered, trying not deny this fact to himself.

"And did she accept?" Kara asked him quietly.

There was a moment of pause, before Clark answered.

"Yes, but then she died," Clark replied.

Kara sighed, and looked at Clark for a very long moment.

"So, you now have a crippling fear of commitment because of one doomed timeline," Kara told him. "What you do is your business, Clark, but you and I both know that Lana might figure out that there's something else you're keeping from her."

"If something happened to Lana…"

"What if something happened to you?" Kara countered, and she gazed her cousin dead on in the eye. "And you both missed an opportunity. Life is fleeting. Either of you might be dead tomorrow, even with your great powers. And there will be an entire boatload of missed opportunities. Seize the moment today, Clark, Carpe Diem, all that good stuff. "

Clark conceded that she had a point, and had a lot to ponder upon, about everything. Kara turned around, and saw Harry exit the basement. No doubt he had uncovered some information that the two of them needed to discuss.

"I've got work to do, and I'm sure you do too," Kara concluded. "I'll talk to you later, and take care."

Kara walked off, and left Clark to ponder every single word she said. Deep down, Clark had this nightmarish fear that history might repeat itself, and that's why he kept certain secrets from Lana.

* * *

Chloe took a deep breath and reflected., over the past week; she had been practicing her new found powers. Perhaps it might have sounded arrogant, but Chloe thought that she was getting kind of decent after mastering her powers.

At the very least, she was not flying into walls, or running into them.

The heat vision was mostly good, she managed to get used to her new super senses, and not break every single door knob she touched, well anymore. Granted, the Shining Light Foundation had self-repairing spells built into it, so it did not cause too much damage. The blonde stood, and tried to focus her heat vision on the target.

"Not, bad, but you might want to focus about a tenth of an inch to the right."

Chloe did as she was told, before she realized who had spoken to her. She turned around, to see Harry smiling at her. Kara stood by the side of him, with a smile on her face as well. Chloe's eyes widened.

"Oh yeah, you guys were supposed to be back today," Chloe replied. She had to slap herself, then again she had been so focused on her powers, that she had lost track of the time.

Harry and Kara smiled, and stepped over to greet Chloe, to see how she was doing.

"We've actually been back a bit longer, and have been reading the progress reports on you," Kara replied, offering a smile.

"You've been doing really well, Chloe," Harry added to her. He took a step forward, and looked the blonde in the eyes. "I might have to reward you on your progress."

Kara just smiled knowingly, and Chloe just looked at Harry. She took another step towards him.

"What do you have in mind?" Chloe asked to him.

"Your powers aren't quite as potent as ours, but they need a certain means of stability," Harry told her. This was going to be a fun conversation to have, but Kara and Harry braced themselves for what was going to happen. "And there are certain activities…"

"Harry, no need to really just dance around what you're saying, I know what needs to be done, I figured it out," Chloe answered, and she took a step forward, and looked into Harry's eyes. "For my powers not to drive me…well a bit off, you and I need to have sex, at least once a day."

Chloe said this in such a nonchalant and shameless way, that Harry could not help, but smile.

"Yes, at least once," Harry replied to her with a grin, and Harry reached forward, and placed his hands on Chloe's waist, and looked her in the eyes. "I wanted you to get control of certain abilities, before you take the next step in your training."

"Training, huh?" Chloe asked. "Is that what they're calling it now?"

Harry just replied with a slight grin, and looked at Chloe, his eyes meeting hers. "Well, call it whatever you want it, but it's something that has to be done."

"No, not something that has to be done," Chloe replied, and she took a step closer, so her and Harry were practically nose to nose. "It's something that we had to do."

Chloe thought that with increased powers meant an increased libido and she could hardly keep herself at bay.

"You know, I never thought that I'd be needing to do this with a married man," Chloe remarked in an off handed manner. It did seem so wrong. "Especially when his wife is standing on the other side on the other side of the room, and is okay with everything that has been going on."

Kara offered Chloe a smile. "Well to be fair, said wife will be watching and sometimes joining in. Just remember that I always get first dibs on Harry, and don't forget that."

"Um, yeah," Chloe said, a bit intimidated of the blonde Kryptonian. That was a new experience for her, but she tried not to back down.

"We won't pressure you into anything, unless you're ready," Harry answered to her.

"I didn't say I minded, I was just caught off guard," Chloe replied, shaking her head, but she looked into Harry's bright eyes. These eyes showed so much, and captivated her. Her heart beat against her chest. "So, we're really going to do this, and we're all okay with this."

Harry and Kara both smiled at her, reassuring her.

"You know the suspense is killing me," Chloe said, and she put her hands on her hips, looking at Harry. "Are you going to kiss me or not?"

Chloe offered this in almost a teasing manner, expecting the rug get pulled out from under her, and this be one big April Fool's Day gag. Harry leaned forward, and pulled Chloe into a long kiss. Chloe wondered if Harry was going to take the plunge, or she would have to take drastic action.

The moment Harry's lips were on hers, she felt new sensations that she had never experienced. Harry's hand was placed on the small of her back, and Harry tilted her back, pushing her against the wall. Chloe wrapped her legs around Harry, getting into the moment. Harry kissed the breath out of her, and Chloe returned fire, the two of them getting into the moment.

Harry released her, and Chloe looked at him, driven completely breathless by his actions.

"He does have that effect on women," Kara commented, knowing that she had a responsibility of unlocking these doors on Harry.

Chloe remained in Harry's arms, and looked in his eyes. Words had failed her, that kiss had driven her speechless, and caused her spine to tingle. If that was just a kiss, she could hardly wait to do anything else with Harry.

"Wow," Chloe whispered.

"Yes, wow," Harry agreed. "Just wait until tonight."

"Why wait?" Chloe asked him.

Kara just snickered.

"See that's the problem, you give them one taste and they want more," Kara replied to Harry, offering an impish grin towards Chloe.

"Okay, fine, I guess I can wait, it will be worth it," Chloe answered to Harry.

"Trust me, it will," Kara added to her.

A frown crossed Chloe's face. "Okay, now you're just teasing me, and it's unfair."

"Good things come to those who wait," Kara replied in a calm voice. "So did you tell Clark?"

Chloe blinked at that moment.

"Tell Clark about our new arrangement, or about the power thing," Chloe replied. "If you're talking about the power thing, well I didn't tell him yet. I was waiting for the right time to tell him, or rather show him."

"Just don't give him a heart attack, whatever you do," Harry told Chloe.

"Well there are a few things I wanted to do to him if I ever had his powers," Chloe answered, and she looked at Harry, amusement crossing her face. "I have a few things that I want to um…pay him back for shall we say."

Chloe paused, and mischief danced in her eyes.

"Let's just say Clark has a bad habit of popping by unexpected, and knocking everything around, like a tornado came through. I wondered how he would react if the shoe was on the other foot."

Kara and Harry had both been highly amused by that fact, and hoped that they would be there to see it.

"The flight is the hardest part, but once I got it down, it was easy," Chloe added.

"That's good to here, and there will be other powers that you'll have, but we'll work you through those," Harry told her, and Chloe nodded. "We just wanted to run you through the essentials."

"Fair enough," Chloe agreed, and she folded her arms, and waited.

"We have a lot of interesting news to share," Harry added, and Chloe invited Harry to continue. "Apparently your cousin was doing some digging, and she discovered another new foundation that had rolled into town. With a woman with a vaguely mysterious past, who had been traveling the world."

Chloe put a hand to her chin, and shook her head.

"So do we might have our mysterious Third Herald of Death," Chloe remarked casually.

It was at that point, Harry and Kara looked at each other.

"It's a potential, but I wouldn't count on my chickens before they hatched," Harry said. "The woman's name is Karen Starr, and she's never been photographed by anyone. She's really cold and distant. Which is why this partnership with Luthorcorp is quite baffling. She doesn't seem to be the business type if this little information we were able to uncover was correct."

"Are you doubting the validity of that?" Chloe asked.

"Well, kind of, her past seems too clean and too nice, and people might start to ask questions," Harry said. "The fact of the matter is, I know that there's a third Herald who entered this dimension, but the fact of the matter is that she doesn't want us to find her, at least not yet."

Chloe put a hand to her chin, and slowly pondered, before she spoke slowly.

"Maybe you should get an appointment with this Karen Starr, and see what her game is," Chloe suggested.

Kara was the one who chimed in. "We're going to find out all we can about her first, and then we'll force a meeting. If she is the third Herald of Death, then there's a chance that she might seek us out. Providing she hasn't already. She may have the power to turn invisible, and be watching us, and thus we won't even know."

Chloe suddenly shivered. The thought of someone being invisible and watching over her was a bit alarming. Granted Chloe could do that with her powers. She sank back on the chair.

"Our newcomer to Luthorcorp, and our acting CEO is also a potential problem," Harry added. "I'm looking into her, but she wants a meeting with us apparently."

"Did you ever figure out what happened to Lex?" Chloe asked, curious suddenly.

"No," Kara said. Lex had just vanished; perhaps he had been sucked wherever with the Fortress. Of course, they still could not find whatever backdoor Lily had sent the Fortress.

"We're going to set up a meeting with this Tess Mercer," Harry informed Chloe, and Chloe nodded. "If she's Lex's hand-picked successor, maybe she has an idea where some of the skeletons at Luthorcorp are buried."

"And maybe she'll have a clue about what Lex might be up to," Chloe offered Harry, and Harry shrugged at that instinct. "There have been rumors about her and Lex…"

"They'll be rumors about any woman who had risen to that level of power, regardless of the circumstances," Harry responded, just waving off everything, and not really putting much stock into what the media said about anyone, knowing what happened to him at first. "Controversy creates cash, and that's one lesson the media has embraced. People eat that up with a spoon."

"We're getting off the subject, are you going to tell Clark?" Kara asked.

"Yes, about my powers, I'll let him know," Chloe responded. Chloe then paused. "About the relationship….I'm not sure how I'm going to break that one to him."

"Are you ashamed of the arrangement?" Harry asked. "Because if you are…"

"No!" Chloe yelled firmly. "It's just…well Clark's the most morality minded person that I have ever met. Nuns might laugh behind his back about how many morals he exercises. And the polygamous relationship, that might offend his delicate sensibilities. So I got to break it to him, gently."

Kara just frowned, and thought it might be time to enlighten her cousin on the facts of life, and how it was perfectly acceptable on Krypton for a man to have multiple spouses or lovers. In fact, at one point, Krypton had about thirty percent men, and seventy percent women, due to war, so it was rather encouraged.

"Clark will understand, eventually," Kara replied, and she cracked her knuckles, for adding. "And if not…well I'll find a way to make him understand."

Chloe nodded, and hoped that Kara was right. Kara looked off with a smile, and a knock on the door had indicated that someone was there. Harry walked over, and saw Megan outside, waiting.

"Mr. Potter, Oliver Queen is here to briefly meet with you, but he says he can't stay for more than fifteen minutes," Megan responded to him.

"Right, thanks Megan, and you'll get a substantial bonus for all the work you did helping Chloe, I really appreciate it," Harry remarked.

"It wasn't anything, I'm here to help out, and that was helping out," Megan responded, but she blushed slightly at the praise from Harry.

"Tell Claire I'll be back after dinner to visit her, unless a life and death emergency comes up," Harry remarked, and Megan nodded.

"Right," Megan said with a smile.

Harry turned briefly to Chloe and Kara.

"Chloe, why don't you give Kara a demonstration of your powers, and I'm sure she'll be able to help give you some pointers on anything that you're not quite right on."

"Will do," Chloe responded, firm and ready for the battle.

Harry turned around, and walked down the hallway, walking far enough to spot a young man with blond hair dressed in a suit.

"Mr. Queen, I presume," Harry remarked casually.

"Mr. Potter," Oliver said in a crisp voice. "Please call me Oliver."

"Then, call me Harry," Harry said, as he shook hands with the man. "I understand that you wanted a meeting with me, about matters for the Shining Light Foundation."

"Actually, no, Harry, that's not what I wanted to meet with you for," Oliver replied. "There are other matters that I wanted to meet with you. Regarding any other identities that you and your wife might be keeping from the general public."

Oliver was surprised to find out that Clark Kent not only had a cousin, but she was married to Harry Potter. He had heard of Harry, briefly. Oliver had known a girl named Daphne in his childhood, and they had corresponded a few times. They had dated briefly as well, really technically twice, but that was longer than most of his relationships. It was a highly political scene with the people in that circle.

"Oh, you mean your little club of heroes," Harry responded, and Oliver was surprised. "Yes, I know about everything that you've been doing, from your efforts to disable Luthor's 33.1 facilities. You missed a couple, but don't worry, I took care of that."

"Right, um thanks" Oliver said, happy to get to the point. "You know why I'm here then."

"Yes, Oliver, I do," Harry responded. "You want to me join your little team."

"Both you and Supergirl," Oliver corrected. There was a third person he recruited as well, and there were several other heroes that he had his eye on. "Don't answer now, and just think it over. Talk it over with your wife, and come to this address tomorrow night, and the rest of the team will be there."

"I'm not making any promises that I'll join," Harry told him. He had a lot on his plate after all.

"I just ask for a courtesy of a meeting," Oliver responded. "Just think it over, think about all of the good you can do for the world by being a part of this, and I'll be in touch..

Harry watched the archer leave. The truth was Harry and Kara had found out every single bit of information they could about everyone who hung out in that particular group, and knew that since they went public as Arcane and Supergirl, there would come a time where that league of heroes would come knocking at their door.

Still, it was an interesting proposition, and Harry wanted to see firsthand what kind of operation Oliver was running, and he knew Kara would agree.

* * *

Lana and Clark sat outside of the Kent Farm. It was a quiet night, and both of them had plenty of time to sit back, and ponder. The two of them sat next to each other. Clark had thought about what Kara had told him, even if he was not quite ready to spit out everything. He was just waiting for the right moment.

Clark had thought about all of the people that with his powers that he could never save just in time, Alicia, Raya, his father, just to name a few, and despite the fact that Lana was empowered, he still worried about and always would be worried about something happened to her, even if they should ever split apart.

The only thing for sure about life was that nothing was for sure, and that was one of the most painful lessons Clark learned.

At this moment, Lana had tried to piece together everything that had happened to her. She decided that she might need a tiny bit of help to reconcile what happened in the Fortress. The fifteen percent of the information she deciphered might have been decent, but there was still eighty five percent of the information that she was unable to decipher.

What if in the eighty five percent of that information, she had some crucial bit of information that would help Clark, and be the difference between life and death? Like for instance, the secret about why he was unable to fly. Lana thought and pondered that matter.

"It's a nice night," Lana, remarked breaking the silence.

"Yeah, it is," Clark responded.

Clark had a mixture of emotions, and really had nothing else to say. He had been hiding who he was for so long, that it sometimes was hard to be completely honest. The fact that he never really intended to tell Lana that he went back, and had reversed time to save her life, it was more than he really intended to say. Given what Clark lost on that day, he was unwilling to relive that day any more than he had to.

On that day, Clark asked Lana to marry him. On that day, Lana said yes.

And on that day, she died.

What if Clark asked her again? What if she said yes?

What if something happened to kill her again?

Or worse, what if she turned down the proposal?

There were so many questions, and doubt racked the mind of Clark Kent. His hand was on Lana's. There were a million questions in his mind about everything. Harry and Kara had no doubts, were completely honest with each over from the beginning. Kara really did not seem comfortable with hiding who she was, rather she embraced it, and accepted everything that went along with it, accepted all sides of her.

Even with the great power Lana had been gifted, even if in some ways she protected him, Clark still felt a certain amount of responsibility to make sure she remained safe. Lana could be a thousand times more powerful than he was, and Clark would still feel that responsibility. Clark could have no powers, and still feel that responsibility. That was just the type of person that Clark Kent was.

"I get the feeling that you want to tell me something," Lana responded, and she looked at Clark. "Just by the look in your eyes."

"It's nothing," Clark told her quietly.

Lana wondered sometimes. She got flashes of a memory, and the strangest dreams, that Clark proposed to her on that day, the day she got killed. Yet, she wondered if she should tell him. Sometimes a dream was just that, a dream. The scatterbrained delusions of someone who was delusional, and Lana was content for what she had, for now.

"I really hope that I'm not interrupting anything."

Clark and Lana spun around, and saw Chloe standing there with a smile on her face.

"Chloe, you're back," Lana said, in a happy voice. "I'm guessing you have a clean bill of health."

"That's one way to put things," Chloe offered, a slight smile tugging on her lips when she spoke.

"I'm glad to see you're going to be okay after everything that happened," Clark added.

Chloe offered a smile. "Clark, after all we've been through, do you really think you're going to get rid of me that easily?"

Clark had to laugh; he never thought that, not even for a moment.

"I've got something to show you, both of you," Chloe told them, and Lana and Clark looked puzzled.

Clark suddenly found himself pulled off of the ground, and Chloe shot off of the ground, flying into the air. Lana looked rather surprised, and then amused.

That was before Chloe had pulled Lana off of the ground as well, and had flown around Smallville with both of them held like they were feathers, circling the city several times in a short amount of time.

It took a moment for both Clark and Lana to register what happened, when Chloe deposited them on the ground.

"Wait, since when…what happened….it's…" Clark stammered, unable to string together a coherent sentence.

Lana decided to take pity on Clark, and ask the question that he was trying to ask. "So, how did you get those powers Chloe?"

Chloe thought about giving a flippant answer, something along the lines of "Kara and I were having a hot make out session, when we got struck by lightning", but she figured that Clark would get a brain aneurism at even the very thought of something like that. Even if it could have happened, but it did not, so Chloe opted for a version of the truth.

"When Brainiac infected me, Harry and Kara had to go in and save me, you do remember that," Chloe said, and Clark nodded, offering her to continue. "The only way they could save my life was to give me Kryptonian powers."

Clark just put his hand to his chin, and nodded. There was something that he had to state.

"So, does that me everyone can fly before me?"

"I'm pretty sure Lois is still grounded," Chloe offered, and she took a moment to step back, and envision Lois with super powers. She was resourceful enough without them. "As far as I know anyway, but that's beside the point. I spent the last week practicing these powers, while Harry and Kara were on their Honeymoon. And they thought that I did a good job."

"You mastered them in a week?" Lana asked, a twinge of jealousy filling her, despite herself.

"Well, I wouldn't say mastered, but I got about a ninety percent hold of them, a few flaws, but Kara is giving me advice on how to best use them," Chloe remarked, shrugging her shoulders.

Lana shook her head, it took her a lot longer to master her powers, and there were times where when her emotions got the better of her, her powers did not work as they should have.

"Don't worry, Lana, everyone learns at their own pace," Chloe replied, getting a sense at what Lana was thinking.

"No, I'm not worried, just surprised," Lana said, waving off Chloe's words.

Clark paused suddenly, and just remembered something.

"Lana, there's something I got to do tonight, do you want to…"

"I trust you to go off on your own Clark," Lana said waving her hand. "Chloe and I need to talk about stuff, catching up."

Clark nodded, Oliver had called him just earlier today about the meeting, and it was a bit short notice, but Clark agreed to come. With speed, Clark rushed off into the night. Lana slowly turned to Chloe, and a questioning expression appeared in her eyes.

"There's something going on with how you've got those powers," Lana said to Chloe, giving her a searching look. "It wasn't just gifted to you like you said."

Chloe opened her mouth to say something, but Lana cut her off.

"There's something going on between you three, isn't there?"

Chloe looked at Lana at that moment, and she slowly nodded.

"So, you're the third Herald?" Lana asked.

"Not exactly," Chloe told her. "It's complicated."

"How is it complicated?" Lana asked.

Chloe bit her lip nervously, and took a long and deep breath.

"Well, to give you the cliff notes version, Harry saved my life more than a few times. I decided to tell him how much I owed him my life, both he and Kara after the latest ordeal with Brainiac. Suddenly, I got bound to both of them."

Lana took that in, calmly and carefully. She could see why Chloe might be a bit tentative to say anything to Clark.

"So, you three…"

"Lana, I know it's unconventional," Chloe told her.

"Actually, on Krypton it isn't, males have had multiple mates for generations there, given the wide gap between male and female population after an alien invasion which wiped out most of the population, and a subsequent civil war," Lana recited. "That's one of the things that the Fortress told me and….never mind."

"What is it Lana?" Chloe asked.

"Just never mind," Lana repeated to Chloe. "If it was anyone other than Harry, I would be freaking out about this a lot more than I am. Of course Clark…"

"Might have a problem with that on sheer principle," Chloe agreed. "Harry is very faithful to Kara, and won't do anything unless they mutually agree on it."

"Is Kara…"

"Yes, she is," Chloe offered, before Lana could even ask her question.

"You didn't even let me finish," Lana argued.

"Didn't need to, Kara plays for both sides," Chloe answered.

"Do you?" Lana asked.

Chloe just offered a shrug. "I don't really know. This is very new to me, I'm just going to go with the flow and see what happens."

"I'll deal with Clark if he puts up too much of a fuss," Lana told Chloe. Chloe looked grateful. "You are going to tell him."

"When the time is right," Chloe offered.

"He's going to find out, and it would be better off if the three of you came clean," Lana warned her. Chloe offered her a pleading expression not to say anything, and Lana's expression softened. "But my lips are sealed."

"They better be," Chloe said. "Because I can now wipe memories, and I'd hate to do that to you, Lana."

Lana looked a bit intimidated, but Chloe laughed.

"You actually thought I was being serious, weren't you? But if something happens, we kind of have to wipe memories."

"There's no need," Lana answered. "I swear…not a word to Clark, even if I think you should."

Chloe shifted, and nodded. The truth was that she was glad this arrangement was offered by Kara. It saved all three parties a lot of heartbreak. Although with the third Herald looming, Chloe felt that Kara was already used to the idea of sharing Harry with someone else. Perhaps that little declaration she had was a blessing in disguise.

"So, you want to go flying?" Chloe asked. "Maybe you can give me a few pointers."

"Given how well you've mastered your powers, I figure it's you who should be giving me pointers," Lana offered.

Chloe just smiled, and they took off. Maybe they'd bust a few heads along the way if there was any crime to be found.

"Try and keep up, Lana!"

Lana just smiled, and Chloe was having a bit too much fun with her new powers, acting like a kid on Christmas morning.

* * *

The two Heralds of Death stopped at a makeshift headquarters for the foremost group of heroes. The two of them looked around. The set up was halfway decent all things considered, although both Harry and Kara had thought that they would do many things different.

The entire group of heroes thing was one that Harry thought personally would have been bound to have headaches at best, and been bound for failure at worst. Just the fact that so many colorful personalities were together, and they clashed, it could be trouble. Then again, Harry had no idea how they ran, so he could have been jumping the gun.

"Please to see you two showed up, and I hope you stick around."

Oliver stood to address Harry and Kara. The entire group seemed to move around, and looked up at the two newest arrivals.

"Supergirl and Arcane this is…."

"Impulse, or Bart Allen," Harry said, pointing out the young man standing in the background.

"Dude, are you psychic or something?" Bart asked.

"Actually we do something called research," Kara told him, with a smile crossing her face.

Bart looked at them, and nodded, feeling gobsmacked.

"Right, that makes sense too."

"Arthur Curry, or Aquaman," Harry said, turning to the larger swimmer beside Bart.

"Please, call me AC," Aquaman said, with a bright smile, and an outrageous heroic pose.

"Victor Stone, or Cyborg," Harry added, turning to the black youth that stood in the background, and offered a crisp nod. He turned to the woman dressed in a black coat and fishnets, before he responded. "And Dinah Lance, or Black Canary. Together you're…what are you calling yourselves again?"

That was one piece of information that Harry did not know, and would not be getting an answer, for Clark had just sped in.

"And the Blur," Harry replied, barely concealing his grin.

"The Blur," Bart said with a chuckle. "Seriously, Clark, amigo, the Boy Scout fit you a lot better."

"Neither of those were my choice," Clark said shaking his head. "You said that you wanted to meet me."

"We have trouble, there have been three magical artifacts that have been stolen from museums, I'm trying to get…"

"The eye of the dragon, the horn of the Unicorn, and the fang of the Basilisk," Harry recited in a bored voice.

"Next time I need to do hours of research, I'll just ask you," Oliver said in a dead pan voice, and Harry just smiled a slight smile. "What do they do?"

"Separately, nothing," Harry told them all, and they looked forward.

"Then, what do we have to worry about?" Bart asked.

"Yet, together, they do something far worse," Harry said. "Don't worry, they need power, multiple human sacrifices, at least seventeen."

Black Canary was the next one to speak up, in a trembling voice "The dried out husks that we found…they were those sacrifices."

"Then this situation has gotten far worse," Kara added in a solemn tone of voice, and they looked at Harry. "The three artifacts can bring back what once lived, at the expense of sacrificing the lives of many."

"And they kept these things in a museum," Clark said shaking his head.

"It would have made sense to destroy them," Harry agreed, closing his eyes.

Destroy them was what the two of them planned on doing once they had gotten their hands on the artifacts. Harry and Kara sensed that whoever had stolen the artifacts were going to be a problem. Victor had looked up, and had ushered them over.

"I managed to hack into the security, before it went nuclear," Victor said. "There was a lot of static, but I managed to isolate a few scarce images."

"It's a start."

The heads of the team mates had snapped around, and they were graced by the presence of the one and only Batman. Bart nearly ran backwards, caught completely off guard.

"Dude, that just took ten years off of my life," Bart said, and Batman just dropped down.

"No need for introductions, it seems like you're up your necks in a problem," Batman replied. "An old colleague of mind clued me on this theft, and the culprit behind it."

"Don't leave us in suspense, then," Oliver remarked.

"Morgaine le Faye," Batman said dryly.

Harry and Kara's attention was immediately grabbed. Le Faye was among the undesirables on their list, both her and her son, who had been alive since the days of Camelot. The sorceress had remained hidden for years, but the time was ripe for her to take over.

"So, you're here to help us?" Clark asked.

Batman just offered him a stoic look. "I'm here to tell you that I decline the offer for membership in person. I work alone."

Clark turned, and stared down Batman.

"I thought that at one point, but it doesn't hurt to have any backup," Clark replied.

"You know, you are the last person that should be giving me any advice on anything," Batman replied, in a stern voice. "Does anyone have a plan beyond stumble around in the dark, and hope for the best, while causing mass property damage?"

The assembled group remained silent, waiting for someone to speak up, but Harry stepped forward.

"I got an idea," Harry told them. "You're all going to have to follow my lead for this to work…"

"I've got what we should do," Oliver replied. And Harry opened his mouth, but Oliver cut him off. "No offense, but…"

"Fine, you've got your idea, just let's hope it doesn't blow up in your face," Harry replied, his voice dripping with warning.

Harry and Kara had an idea that whatever plan Oliver had, it would not end up for the best. The rest of this group seemed to defer to him, but both Clark and Batman had their doubts. Then again, this group only seemed to really sabotage Luthor's 33.1 facilities, at least so far. They had potential for more.

"Just a fair warning, le Faye is not your average thug, she's a powerful sorceress with hundreds of years of magical experience," Harry added.

Oliver took this into consideration, but he had a feeling that this woman who claimed to be le Faye could be someone hopped up on meteor rocks, and driven insane with mad delusions.

"Are we ready to do this, then?"

There were nods all around. Batman had slipped off already, into the night, and so did Harry and Kara. Clark had remained behind, and readied himself.

**To Be Continued in "Recruitment Part Two."**


	40. Chapter 40: Recruitment Part Two

**Chapter 40: Recruitment Part Two. **

A tall and imposing woman with dark hair, dressed in black robes glided down the hallway of a large office complex. A golden mask fit over her face. The woman's name was Morgaine le Faye, and she had three magical artifacts within her grasp.

The fools who had obtained them had no real idea what they were holding in their hands. Some would argue that these would only serve as mere trinkets to be ogled. Le Faye had a different idea in mind, and she would use these trinkets to bring forth Camelot.

And all it would take would be the sacrifice of this Metropolis. Much like all cities, it was dirty, and full of obnoxious individuals without the least amount of class. It did not have the sophistication of the days of Camelot, and Morgaine vowed to correct that immediately. The glowing trinket that she held in her hand indicated she needed at least six more life force transfusions before she could enact the charm.

It would not be just any life force transfusions, but it would those with certain energy signatures, and auras. Le Faye stepped into the hallway, disabling their primitive security alarms.

"Fools, trusting their modern convenience, and not their eyes and ears, this is why the world has decayed. No matter, it shall be to my advantage, and soon the world will bend down to me."

There was a pair of security guards standing at the end of the large hallway. Immediately, the sorceress turned around, and two blasts of light knocked them back. The two security guards turned into stone, and the woman admired her handiwork. Then immediately, she blasted the stone security guards backwards down the stairs.

With a huge crash, they landed at the bottom of the stairs. Their hardened bodies shattered into pieces. Le Faye looked down the stairs, uncaring, and uninterested. Neither of them satisfied the parameters for her enchantment, so they were useless. She continued to search throughout this building.

Her monitoring spells had indicated that someone was coming. Someone had decided to be a foolish hero, and jump in to attacker her. The fools had no idea what she could do to them. The woman waited in the shadows, perhaps these heroes would be suitable candidates for the life force transfusions. All the woman had to do is wait, and watch.

Their efforts were sloppy, and amateurish, but the sorceress thought that made them all that much easier for the taking. Le Faye planned, and plotted, the ageless sorceress was ready to take down another group of would be heroes.

* * *

The group of heroes crept in through the shadows, carefully making their move towards their destination. Clark scanned through the door, but suddenly he was repelled back from some strange energy source. He felt dizzy and nearly collapses to the ground. Bart rushed over, to say something to Clark.

"Our radios are done, so I'm playing courier," Bart told them, seriously.

"Something's interfering with my powers," Clark said, rubbing his temples. "Tell Oliver that there is some weird energy signature around here."

Bart zoomed off to the other end, and Clark waited patiently. Time ticked by, and Bart returned in the blink of eye. He turned to Clark, eyebrow raised, and began to speak.

"Arrow said that everything is screwing up with his equipment, and Arcane and Supergirl told him that there's a high concentration of magical energy in the air, and to be on our guard. Canary and Cyborg are heading inside to take a closer look around, and so am I."

"Be careful, Impulse," Clark warned him.

Bart offered a look of mock sorrow.

"Hey, careful is my middle name," Bart told him, and Clark just waited, as Bart zoomed inside, and took a look around, before he zoomed back, and stuck his head outside to look at Clark. "The coast is clear."

"Coast is clear, got it," Clark told and he took a step forward. He could barely focus his X-Ray vision, yet he had to try. The fate of everything hinged on his ability to get things together. Clark saw Oliver, Dinah, Arthur, and Victor move in. In the shadows, Batman crept, and he no doubt had his own way to get inside.

"It's quiet," Dinah whispered.

"Almost too quiet," Bart chimed in.

Victor turned to Bart at this moment; eyes widened "Are you trying to get us killed?"

The young hero staggered suddenly, and felt something messing with his circuits.

'_You better get Cyborg out of here, the magic in the air could cause him serious damage,' _Harry projected to them all mentally. They had a little help from their Martian uplink network to keep in contact with the team, so they could focus normally.

The entire team was confused, at that moment. Bart decided to bring up the glaring elephant in the room, and turned to address the rest of the day.

"Did he just speak with us in our heads?"

"I think he did," Clark offered, slowly. Bart walked over to help Victor, and the two sped out of there. Bart returned a moment later in a cloud of dust.

"Best we can do," Oliver said, and he gritted his teeth, and prepared to fire.

'_Don't worry, we're not going to go too deep into your minds,' _Kara informed them.

'_Where are you?" _Clark thought, and he once again felt weakened. It must have been strong to have this kind of effect on him. He took a step forward, and winced. He nearly had a limp, and took a deep breath. Each and every moment along the way he felt weaker and weaker. It was sapping his energy.

'_Don't worry about that, Boy Scout, just stay focused.'_

Before anything else could be said or done, a regal and quite pompous voice cut through the air.

"So this is what passes for heroes in this century. A ragtag group of misfits in outlandish costumes, led by some archer that would make the village idiot look dignified."

The heroes turned around, and they saw Morgaine le Faye stand before them in all of her glory. Her eyes glowed, and stepped forward. Le Faye surveyed them with disinterest, and suddenly, her hand was pointed at Arthur. He fell to the ground.

"I believe we have a fish out of water," Morgaine remarked in a voice dripping in arrogance, and Clark suddenly blasted a ray of heat vision up. It caused a fire, which set off the sprinkler system, and had restored Arthur to health.

"Thanks, bro, I owe you one," Arthur told him in a grateful voice, and then Morgaine just gazed at the entire league of heroes.

"Perhaps I had underestimated you, but no matter, you can't hope to…"

Bart had interrupted this attempt by trying to catch Morgaine off guard with super speed. It was quite unfortunate that magic was a lot faster than the fastest man alive. Bart found himself slowed down to a crawl, before immediately his form shifted to stone, to the horror of everyone around them. Bart stood there, immobilized, and Morgaine just waved her hand.

Pigeons appeared in the air, and landed on the statue of Impulse, preparing to do what pigeons did to statues.

"Okay, lady, let's see if a magic can beat an arrow," Oliver said, and he took aim carefully.

Before he could even shoot one arrow out, his arrow was transfigured into a harmless rose, and then he was blasted backwards into the wall, before several thick vines wrapped around him.

"Archer, run your mind more, and your mouth less," the sorceress said with a taunting expression in her eyes.

Black Canary turned and closed her eyes, before she let out one canary cry at full volume at the sorceress. This staggered her for a moment, before a gag appeared around Black Canary's mouth, and she was also shifted into stone, like Bart.

"Pathetic, as usual," Morgaine replied, sounding bored like she was reading a phone book, and not fighting a group of super powered heroes. "Perhaps, I'm doing the world a favor in letting it out of its misery, and bringing forth the glory days of Camelot once more, where my son shall rule…"

Arthur and Oliver also shifted to statues, and Clark was the only one on the ground who was still facing Morgaine. The woman turned and hoisted Clark in the air. A blast of heat vision knocked the woman back a few steps. It did not burn her, due to the shield spells and Clark was flung around.

Morgaine jumped down, and grabbed Clark. She saw that he had traces of what she needed to cast the spell. Immediately, Morgaine prepared to drain Clark. She felt ultimate power radiating off of him. Clark's knees buckled, and he tried to fight her off.

An explosive knocked Morgaine back, and Clark felt like he sustained a heavy dose of the flu.

"You are one with a great deal of power child, but no concept of how to use it," Morgaine taunted the Kryptonian, and several more explosive devices bounced off the floor, knocking Le Faye back.

"Careful, you'll hurt them," Clark said, looking nervously at the statues of his team mates that had been turned to stone.

Clark turned around, and watched Batman dive down, dodge the spell. Moving in from the other end, Clark tried to get his hands on Morgaine. Morgaine deflected his attack.

"Once I dispense of this flying rodent, I shall have your power," Morgaine replied in a dry voice.

"You're going to have to catch me first," Clark told her, zipping away from her attacks the best he could at super speed.

'_Any ideas,' _Clark thought to Harry and Kara.

'_We can reverse the petrification spell and stop what she's doing, just give us five more minutes,' _Harry mentally projected through the temporary psychic link that had been set up between all of them.

Batman and Clark exchanged nods, and then the Dark Knight turned to the Kryptonian hero.

"Follow my lead," Batman said, eyes fixed on Clark. "And keep up."

Clark did as he was told. Batman seemed to know what he was doing, and his actions were causing the sorceress to have a fit. The stones on the floor rattled, and serpents burst through the floor.

"Heat vision, seventy five degrees to the right," Batman ordered, and Clark did as he was told. "Duck, roll, jump, and punch."

Clark was taken off guard by the impromptu training that Batman had given.

"Remember to master your surroundings," Batman advised Clark.

This game continued, and Clark kept things up, ducking and dodging, pivoting, and preparing. The moments ticked by, and they both hoped that Harry and Kara would have some type of plan.

The stone statues were illuminated by magic, and le Faye was taken off guard.

"NO!" the woman yelled, realizing that her well placed spell work had been undone, and Clark knocked le Faye into the wall. The woman put the brakes on, and shot an attack at Clark. "You dare touch me!"

* * *

Kara and Harry hovered in the air high above, and prepared to move in for the battle.

'_So, Oliver's plan didn't work after all,' _Kara thought to him.

'_Well I suppose it could have, but it didn't,' _Harry thought back to her through the link, shaking his head.

The two Heralds of Death used their spells to help keep the statues safe from harm. The statues were innocent and regular human beings that could be destroyed with one wrong move. It was petrification at the most advanced degree. The two of them understood that, and thankfully they had an advanced level of magic to delve into and analyze everything. The two scanned the building.

'_Just tweak the variables, and slowly release them from the state of petrification, so they don't go into shock.'_

That was much easier said than done, and the two Heralds continued to slowly release them from the charms. Batman and Clark dodged every single attack. Kara thought that there were few better people who might be able to train Clark in defending himself without his powers than Batman, but he could get a little fanatical. Suddenly, Kara and Harry felt warmth. The type of spells they utilized was extremely draining, and they had to distribute the work between the two of them.

The two of them floated to the ground immediately, and held each other. Sure enough, everyone was back to normal, and there was not a scratch on any of them. Harry and Kara closed their eyes, and popped inside, just in time to see le Faye nail Clark with a blow. Clark was at her mercy, and Kara sprang into the air.

Kara knocked le Faye back into the wall. The woman was pinned back, and immediately the sorceress understood who she was fighting.

Her hand was waved, and several suits of armor came to life, and engaged the League.

"So, you are the two latest lapdogs who have been sent to me, to collect my mortal soul," Morgaine told both of them, boredom in her voice. "I have outrun your kind throughout my entire life, and I'm going to keep outrunning…"

Kara sent a blast of heat vision to cut off her grand monologue, and le Faye dodged it. The two Heralds of Death swooped in, in an attempt to box this sorceress in. They were getting closer and closer to getting her into the battle. The heroes were dealing with the woman's guardians.

"You cannot hope that you will bring about my demise," le Faye told both of them, and her eyes glowed with absolute malice and power. The woman blasted them hard, and Kara and Harry used their shields to block it.

Harry saw the three artifacts. The spell would always be in progress, unless he cancelled it. It was a shame that he had to destroy such sacred artifacts, but it had to be done. He blasted the artifacts with a high intensity blast of magic. The artifacts crumbled to nothingness, and le Faye's eyes widened with absolute fury.

"NO!" le Faye yelled, and she got knocked back.

She refused to get dragged to beyond without a fight. The woman dodged each and every attack, and deflected them. Shot after shot, spell after spell, the battle intensified, and increased with each attack.

"Just hang on, we'll be here in a minute!" Clark called, pushing his way through the battle.

Le Faye was sent flying head over heels, and then she landed right on her feet. Suddenly, Harry and Kara had her boxed in. The woman was not going to go down without a fight. She stood on her feet, ready for the attack. The witch gritted her teeth.

Suddenly, a bright light engulfed everyone, and nearly blinded them. A figure swooped in from behind, and sent le Faye flying. The form of the sorceress burst into dust before their very eyes. Harry and Kara looked into the blinding light, and they saw a floating woman, for a brief instance.

They never really got that close of a glimpse of her, and were sure that the rest of the group did not get her.

The magical enchantments faded from around them, and Harry and Kara dropped to their knees briefly. That was not easy, and they had averted the crisis. The two of them checked the Lifeline Reading, and discovered that le Faye had been sent on.

Despite the mysterious woman who had shown up, they had one thing to think about. There was one less immortal to destroy. They would be going over their memories later, and trying to solve the mystery. It was going to bother them until the moment they figured everything out.

Right now, the team was ready to clear off into the night. It did really hit them hard that they were very close to suffering a humiliating defeat, and perhaps a rather painful death. Batman followed the team, away from them, discreetly in the shadows. Harry and Kara hovered in the air, and while they saw some potential, they knew what they needed to do.

* * *

The aftermath of the battle with le Faye had given the various heroes more than their share of bumps and bruises. Harry and Kara were both mostly fine, although what was on their mind was far different than any actual consequence for the battle. The fact of the matter was that they were about to break through le Faye's defenses, but something happened. There was some invention that took out the sorceress before they even could think about it.

Harry braced himself for what is to come, and Oliver approached him. He looked battered and bruised from the battle, and looked at Harry.

"I believe I owe you an apology about doubting you," Oliver replied, looking at the two of them. "If it wasn't for you, we'd be a park monument somewhere."

"Just imagine the pigeons," Bart added with a shudder.

The team did imagine the pigeons, and they shuddered as well. Batman could not resist breaking up the light hearted mood. He had been quiet to that point, in the shadows, just plotting and planning every single little moment of time. The Dark Knight surveyed the entire group.

"Pigeons would have been the least of your worries," Batman told them, and the heroes just looked up. "Did you see what happened to those security guards? Turned to stone and pushed down a flight of stairs. I'm not certain if we've seen the last of le Faye."

"She was blown into smithereens," Bart argued, but he was the recipient of one patented Batman look.

"All of us were lucky that we didn't…well that it didn't turn out worse," Dinah said in a calm voice.

Clark nodded, and stood in the background. He had very nearly been used as a power battery, but he shook his head.

"Everything did turn out okay, in a sense," Clark offered them.

"Okay is acceptable, most of the time," Kara told her cousin. The blonde stood on her feet and looked at him. "This team got extremely lucky. If Harry and I weren't here, and if Batman and you hadn't distracted le Faye when they did…"

The team had no need for Kara to say anything more. She had given her fair assessment. They really did have a long way to go for coherency. Harry decided to put the most positive spin on the situation that he could, and decided to give his honest assessment of the situation.

"I won't say this team lacks potential. There is a lot of untapped potential with a lot of the members of this team, and that's something that you can work on. However, the entire hero team thing, I don't know about Kara, it's not for me."

"It's not for me either," Kara agreed, and immediately the entire group looked at her. Clark looked at her.

"Kara I thought you might have…"

"You could think, but you would be wrong," Kara interrupted, and she looked at Clark. "I've never been much of a team player, and the only person I've ever really clicked with, that I could really work together with, is Harry. A team can't be a rag tag group of misfits. It does need strong leadership, and it needs more structure. This team really has potential, and perhaps it can grow from here."

The team had looked at each other, every single one of them pondering what had been told. In reality, Harry did have some good points. Oliver just looked at Harry, and surveyed him carefully.

"For some reason, I think you just implied that I wasn't a good leader," Oliver answered, trying to look at Harry.

"Leaders can grow, which makes them able," Harry told him in a cryptic tone of voice. "Of course, the commitment is all or nothing. And eventually good leaders can grow from absolutely nothing. We all make mistakes, it's just a matter of endeavoring to find ways to correct those mistakes that makes us what we are."

"You do learn more from a million failures, than from one success," Kara added. "That is part of the growing process."

"Deep," Bart commented, nodding his head.

"They do both have a point," Arthur remarked, and it had given the entire team something to think about. Beyond the fact that they had just gotten spanked by le Faye, and could have been swept up the next morning by the janitor had it not been for the timely intervention of Harry and Kara.

"Yes, we do have a lot of work to do," Dinah agreed.

The heroes pondered, and Harry and Kara just turned around. Harry paused, and allowed himself a moment to put his thoughts together. There was a moment for everyone to allow everything to sink in completely. Then Harry decided to add something.

"We'll be around, and even if we're not officially part of this, there may come a day where we'll need your help and you'll need ours."

"Likely the latter," Oliver replied. He then turned to Batman, who stood in the shadows, and his face was framed. His expression would have been unreadable even if he did not have the cowl on his face. "So, how about you? Did you give joining the team any matter?"

Batman paused before he gave his assessment.

"This team lacks structure, and you were very lucky not to get yourselves killed out there today, a group of college frat boys has more structure and dignity," Batman replied in a flat voice, not pulling any punches with what he thought. "I will remind you that I work alone, and Gotham City is the first priority to me."

The team members nodded, given what they heard about Gotham, they understood that Batman would spend a great deal of his time protecting that city from all of the colorful personalities that resided in it. Batman stood in the background, not saying one word. There was really not much else for him to say, yet he said one thing.

"Despite the lack of structure I've seen from this team, I will not deny that potential would be had, if everyone is willing to commit beyond more than a casual alliance. When committing to the mission, it is either all or nothing. And should you need my help, and you will, I will assist you."

The team members murmured in agreement, and Kara and Harry just took this attempt to take their leave. Out of the corner of their eye, they saw a shadow which could have been Batman making one of his grand exists. They did see a bit of how it was done, and it was amazing how quick Batman could be, even without super powers. He truly mastered his surroundings.

Right now, the two of them had to go over the battle in their mind. In many ways, it was something that they needed to process, but there were also other reasons to go over this battle. There was someone else with them tonight, and that someone was extremely powerful. Once they went over the memories, it would allow them to be closer, and closer to what the identity of this person was. As for right now, it was a mystery, and all they had were theories that had little backup.

Clark stood, tonight had been an interesting night, and he decided that since everything was wrapped up nicely, it would be best to return home. At super speed, Clark made his way back from the Kent Farm, and knew that Lana would be back.

* * *

Lana stood at the edge of the farm, just watching the stars above her, and deep in thought. She knew that Clark would return safely, given that she had briefly seen him on her fly by. Sure enough, Lana had heard Clark come in at super speed from miles and miles away. She mentally counted down the seconds until Clark stopped right on front of Lana. Lana embraced him, when Clark stopped.

"I was wondering when you would show up," Lana remarked, looking at Clark.

Clark looked into her eyes, and nodded. "Sorry, I got tied up…"

"Please tell me you were figurative, and not literal," Lana told Clark, and Clark just looked at her. He prepared himself to tell Lana what happened.

After a pause, Clark decided to enlighten Lana on what occurred.

"Actually, that was about the only thing that didn't happen to me tonight. And I had all sorts of spells thrown at me."

"I can't leave you alone for five minutes," Lana said, shaking her head, but there was a bit of a relieved smile on her face.

A cross expression spread across Clark's face, and he looked Lana right in the eye. "I said I got spells thrown at me, it wasn't like any of them hit me at all."

"Sure they didn't, Clark," Lana remarked, but a smile appeared across her face. She looked rather pleased that Clark had gotten through mostly in one place.

"Well for the most part maybe," Clark replied, and he pulled Lana in. "I have learned that ducking is one of the most important skills to have in a power."

Lana would have to agree. There were times where she got the sense that powers could only get someone so far. Sometimes, there was many survivor instincts that one could build in, and Lana had thought that she had these survivor instincts built in. Those were only slightly more useful than the powers that she had, which she got a hang on. Despite the fact she had a tighter grip on her powers, there was always room for improvement.

"So, Clark, when are you going to introduce me to that group of Superfriends of yours?"

Clark just blinked, and looked at Lana. Lana crossed her arms, and just smiled.

"Why, do you want to join?" Clark asked.

Now it was Lana's turn to be put on the spot with a question. There was a moment she paused, and then her gaze focused on Clark immediately. "Well, that's a good question, but I don't really know. We'll just have to see how things go. I think that we should make an attempt to figure out what happened to the Fortress."

"Do you think there might be any hints through what was downloaded into your brain?" Clark asked.

Lana stroked her chin, and pondered about that. The truth was she was sorting out her memories.

"No, but I guess I need a little help in sorting out these memories," Lana said. "Kara offered to help translate them for me, so I guess it's time for me to allow her in my mind."

"I'm sure she won't hold anything against you," Clark said.

Lana certainly hoped not. Memories were something that she clung onto, and as she thought about her life, there were a few chapters in it that she was not very proud of. She turned, and looked at Clark. The two of them just stood outside, underneath the stars, waiting and watching, enjoying this moment of downtime that the two had. There was a pretty good likelihood that they would not have many, so it was prudent to enjoy what they had.

All and all, tonight could have turned out much worse, and Clark was grateful to get out of that battle in one piece, and he was certain Lana would be grateful. Although Clark did embrace this adventure as a means to expand his mind, and hopefully learn a lesson from the future, and he knew that others would as well.

"Something on your mind, Clark?" Lana asked.

"Just thinking about how great it is to be out here with you," Clark replied.

"Then we're in like minds," Lana said.

They had come a long way, but there was still a long way ago. Each moment in life was after all just a tiny step towards a greater goal. The two of them understood this more now than ever before throughout all of the trials and tribulations they went through.

* * *

"You felt that didn't you, Chloe?"

Chloe nodded, understanding and absorbing the memory that Harry and Kara shared with her at that moment. It was the battle that night. Chloe had spent a lot of time with Lana, just catching up on various things, before returning back. Of course, they were not lucky enough to run into any kind of problems. The two of them appeared to be looking the wrong place, and at the wrong time. A smile crossed Chloe's face, when she shifted and crossed her legs.

"It seems like for every answer you uncover, there's just two or three more questions," Chloe commented.

Harry just looked at her, with a dry expression on his face. "Welcome to my life."

"So, do we got the third Herald in our cross hairs, or something else?" Chloe asked to them.

It was Kara who chimed in with an answer.

"I believe that the third Herald is right close to use, but for whatever reason, she isn't revealing herself. Whether or not her, and the mysterious Karen Starr are one and the same, we can't be one hundred percent sure. There has to be a good reason why she isn't showing herself."

"Perhaps she doesn't know that you are the fellow Heralds," Chloe replied.

Harry just looked at Chloe at this point, and responded with a smile.

"Trust me, she'd know, if she was right by us. We got a small hint of her presence when she was actively using her powers. If it was a passive power, like invisibility, then we wouldn't have seen her at all. Since it was an active power, like reaping, we ran across her."

Kara and Harry exchanged a thoughtful expression, communicating without words just seemed to be something that had come naturally to them. Both had gotten a sense of what to say, and what to think about. And the fact of the matter was that they were completely stumped about where to go next. They both had a feeling that there was something very important that they were missing, yet neither had any idea what that might have been.

"She could be watching us, at any time, watching over all of us," Chloe told them.

Kara would have to agree, and a calculating expression spread across her face. "Sooner or later, we're going to have to find her, and we'll have a talk. I just hope it will be a talk that will be nice, and we can come to some kind of common ground."

Harry and Kara had both discussed the matter a few times. They had come to the unfortunate conclusion that there was a big chance that the final Herald of Death could be someone who would be twisted for whatever reason. Whether it would be because of their own choice, or otherwise, Harry and Kara both had no idea.

"We're reconfiguring the Shining Light Foundation computers to try and find any large and unusual spikes of powers," Harry said, stroking his chin at the thought.

"And you'll track her down that way?" Chloe asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kara piped in for an answer. "Well, in theory it should work. And in theory we should find her. We've went over the memory a few times in our head, and the only thing we've figured as that there's a chance that she's more powerful than both of us."

"Alone or put together?" Chloe inquired.

Harry blinked, and then answered. "Likely alone, and potentially both of us put together. The funny thing about power levels is that there is no real way to measure them. We're just going to have to kick back, and hope for the best."

"I'll continue to search," Kara replied. "I believe that the two of you have some bonding to do."

Kara's focus was on Harry and Chloe at that point. Chloe put her hands on Harry's wrists, and looked him in the eye.

"Don't think I forgot about our arrangement," Chloe said in a low voice.

"I wouldn't think you would have," Harry fired back with a smile.

Chloe smiled, and Harry wrapped his arms around Chloe's waist. Kara decided to allow Chloe to have some alone time with Harry tonight. She could experience everything through the Herald link like a third party.

Kara pulled off her skirt, and shirt. She was wearing nothing but a very skimpy pair of red panties, and a barely there red bra, with her cape wrapped around her shoulders as well. She smiled, and kicked back on the chair, closing her eyes to enjoy the show.

The next thing Chloe knew, she was in Harry's room, and Harry looked at her. Chloe had been pushed onto Harry and Kara's bed. Harry bent down, but Chloe grabbed Harry and rolled him over, onto his back. Harry allowed her to pin him down.

Chloe pressed her lips down onto Harry's with a kiss, and grinded her body up and down on his. Harry pulled her into an embrace, and returned the favor. The two of them were getting hot and heavy, and the fun began.

**Smut Lemon Begins.**

-PROFILE

**Smut Lemon Ends.**

Chloe's eyes were widened, and she breathed heavily. Her arms wrapped around Harry, and cuddled into his chest. Harry lovingly stroked her body, and Chloe felt a feeling of contentment.

"I can see why Kara's always in such a good mood around you," Chloe whispered to him, and she ran her hands through Harry's hair, a wide smile on her face.

"He is amazing, isn't he?" Kara asked, and she popped back up, naked, and laid herself on the other side of Harry. The two girls cuddled on either side of him, running their hands over his body.

Harry thought that if they kept his up, it would cause him to be ready to go another round. Then again, perhaps that was the point. Two beautiful and smart girls next to him, was quite the feeling.

"It will be the three of us next time," Kara whispered.

Chloe was both excited, and nervous about this possibility. Then again, she was determined not to let Kara show her up in bed. Chloe was competitive in that way, and vowed to give Kara a run for her money in the giving Harry pleasure department.

Why did she think that real winner of this competition would be Harry?

**To Be Continued in the Next Arc "Girl Like Me."**


	41. Chapter 41: Girl Like Me Part One

**Chapter 41: Girl Like Me Part One. **

Tess remained calm, cool, and collected, and tried not to let anything that was going to happen today, rattle her psyche. Even though she was about ready to step a few moves into what appeared to be the unknown, and could be pushed into losing the control that she enjoyed. Tess tapped her hand on the side of the desk, and waited.

Time seemed to stand still for her, and a buzz on the intercom had brought her out of her thoughts. Leaning forward, careful not to do anything too soon, or not soon enough, Tess had answered the intercom.

"The two owners of the Shining Light Foundation are here to see you, Miss Mercer."

Tess just tapped her fingers on the side of the desk, and waited. She would show no mercy to anyone. Lex made the calculated error of letting his guard down at the worst possible time, and landed him in the fix that he was in. Immediately, Tess answered the voice on the intercom, with calm and self-assured expression on her face.

"Send them right in, I'm prepared to see them," the woman replied, a firm expression set upon her face.

Tess was prepared, more than prepared. The door opened and she saw the two of them for the first time outside of pictures.

Harry Potter wore his dark hair straight down; it was not messed up in any way whatsoever. He wore a red jacket that had stripes on the side, a travesty of a tie, and a rather wrinkled dress short. He also was attired in dress pants that looked to be very much outdated, and shoes.

Tess thought that this appearance could be a way to lure potential adversaries into a false sense of security, as someone who was harmless and bumbling, so she resolved to remain on her guard.

Kara Potter, nee Kent, had her hair clipped back in a bun, with a pair of glasses on her face. She wore conservative business attire, buttoned up completely, with a skirt that reached down past her knees. It did offer the hint of something more, but her eyes told the true story. The woman could be dangerous if she was pushed.

Observation was the key to business, along with diplomacy. Tess leaned over the desk, and extended her hand to shake.

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter," Tess replied in a crisp and cordial voice.

Harry took off his glasses at the moment, allowing Tess to get a look at his eyes for the first time. She resolved to stay on business, but she summarized they were the type of eyes that captivated most women who had seen them. They radiated of power, and allowed for some kind of air of charisma. They were, for lack of a better term, bewitching.

Not that Tess would be taken in by such things; she was just merely stating an obvious fact.

It was a moment of tense silence, before Kara seized the floor, and began to speak. "We do apologize for not meeting with you much sooner, but business tends to keep us busy."

"Yes, I do understand, and this is a time where us meeting would become beneficial both parties," Tess agreed, preparing to take full advantage of the work she did to prepare for this meeting. "I understand the previous management of Luthorcorp and the Shining Light Foundation had talks that had gone south, and I am willing to open up the possibility of future talks between the two sides."

Harry pounced on the opportunity Tess had given him.

"I heard a rumor about Lex, and I was hoping that I was not overstepping my bounds," Harry told Tess, eyes trying not to show curiosity

"No, not at all," Tess told him, waving and motioning for him to continue. Perhaps this would give her a hint of where Harry's stake in this entire game was. It would allow her to stay in control.

Harry thought that he had some kind of in to figure out the mystery of what happened to Lex Luthor.

"I heard that he has been reported as missing."

"You have heard this rumor correctly," Tess responded, and she just remained calm, not offering any hint with her body language of what she was really thinking. "I had personally followed up on a lead, but our former owner is not where he was supposed to be."

Harry and Kara sat, mentally comparing notes. They knew for a fact that some Luthorcorp interference had been ran, but the question was how this was done and where Lex was. It seemed clear that Tess was only telling them a version of the truth. Harry decided to make a calculated risk in an attempt to find out more.

"I'm interesting in hearing about this proposition you got on the table," Harry told Tess, looking leaning forward, and peering into her eyes. Kara did likewise over her glasses.

Tess took a deep breath. "I believe making such an arrangement will have benefits to all three of us."

"So, it is an arrangement that the three of us will find mutually beneficial?" Kara asked, and Tess just smiled, leaning forward to look at the couple.

"It could potentially rock the business world, and shake everything up," Tess replied to the both of them, placing her hands into her desk, and pulling out a folder, with material for the both of them to read. "Many would frown upon the three of us getting in bed for this arrangement, but they lack the imagination for the possibilities that something like this contains."

"Many often do," Kara replied, with a knowing smile, and she reached forward, to grab the papers, and passed Harry's copy to him, so the two of them could read it, and get a full view of all of the benefits that such a deal would have.

"It's all about taking risks, all about breaking norms," Tess remarked, more to herself than to Harry and Kara. "Wouldn't the two of you agreed?"

"What is life without a few risks?" Harry asked a smile crossing over his face.

Tess responded with a knowing smirk, and a nod, appreciating the intensity in his bright green eyes. She shook her head, and got her mind back on business. The two of them sat, they were the pure definition of what one would call a power couple. Anyone who stood in their way would find it hard to stand for much longer.

She appreciated that, and the two of them continued to look at the papers, for the proposal that Tess had given them.

"The Shining Light Foundation is mostly non-profit," Harry told Tess, making sure she understood that this was one point that he was not going to concede on.

Tess just brushed her hair from her eyes. "Believe me, I have no intention of changing your foundation, but I'm thinking of a bigger picture and the ways that you can broaden your scope to so much more."

'_Believe me, I think of that as well,' _Harry thought to himself.

Kara nodded by his side in agreement, getting an idea of what he thought about. Tess just looked at the paper.

"People foolishly throw aside that they are going to change the world, but that's what I intend to do, and save it from itself," Tess added, to the pair of them.

There was something different about them, about both of them, and also there was something different about the Traveler. Tess had studied about them, but she needed to find out even more.

"You have helped those children, and have made visits to Belle Reve, to try and assist the patients there, but the Shining Light Foundation could offer much more, and offer them a much greater purpose," Tess offered to them. "Luthorcorp is willing to assist, and perhaps also offer you a piece of this company, and anything else you may need to make this a reality. Anything you want."

"We'll have to consider what you said, and we'll get back to you in due time," Harry replied, to break the brief second of silence.

Tess just nodded, they should have taken all of the time that they needed. The truth was, Tess needed to have both of them on board, for her goals to work. And if she needed to assist them on their goals, whatever they might have been, so be it. Their assistance was something that was needed for her control, and the plans that she had cooking up.

"We have a lunch meeting that we need to get back to," Harry told her in an apologetic voice.

"Business calls me as well shortly," Tess said, and she offered him a dry smile. "Never a dull moment, whatsoever."

She sat, not backing down, and the two walked off. Tess watched them go, and when she was sure they vacated the premises, the woman reached into the side of the desk. The crumped up piece of paper Lex had studied obsessively was in her hands. The key to some answer was in her hands.

A dangerous road to obsession was also at her fingertips.

Tess also grimaced, about the latest report about her mysterious corporate saboteur. So far, he or she was not caught on camera, and this person had utterly destroyed threw Luthorcorp facilities, without any pattern, rhyme, or reason. Tess would find out who this person was, and bring whoever it was to justice.

Harry and Kara both left as well, and Kara turned towards Harry, but it was the dark haired Herald of Death who spoke first.

"So what do you think?" Harry asked.

"I'm both intrigued and suspicious," Kara replied, after a moment's thought.

Harry just thought these thoughts mirrored his. Yet it would get them ever so closer to Lex, and solving something that had dogged them for the past number of weeks.

* * *

Sabotage was a very nasty word for what Kara Zor-El of Earth Two was doing right now, and one she refused to even think of as it pertained to defining her actions. There were certain actions that could be considered to be justifiable, and in many ways, one would call her a noble crusader. The only cause that Kara Zor-El, or Karen Starr as she reminded herself she was called, served was the mantle of the Herald of Death. That had been gifted to her, and she had two counterparts that she would meet.

Yet there were several things that she had to do, before Karen officially joined up with them. The name Luthor hung out in her mind, like some sort of corrosive acid that threatened to eat away at everything that was good and just in the world. Karen recalled all of what the name Luthor did to her cousin, her version's universe of Kal-El. She certainly hoped that he was in a better place, for all that happened, and that she regretted each and every day that Kal-El could not be saved in time.

It would not be enough to murder the Luthors, that was not Karen's game, and it was too clean, too simple for them. She wanted to utterly decimate them, to make sure the name Luthor was not fit to be written, or even spoken. They would be known for two things. Humiliation being one of those things, and failure being the other thing, failure would be the big thing in fact.

'_Security is primitive as always,' _Karen thought to herself, whilst she dismantled it. _'Now if I was a super powered suit, where would I hide?" _

Being in a business relationship with the owner of this company allowed Karen certain access. She was adept enough in covering her tracks, and making sure that nothing could be traced back to her. Once people started tracing things back to her, that was one things got potentially problematic.

Security stood standing around, keeping a vigilante eye out for any enemies, and they acted as if anything they did mattered. They were nothing, but puppets, rabble that Karen could easily take out with one finger. She did, and flicked them back onto the ground.

Karen could have ripped the doors open with brute strength. The blonde Kryptonian preferred the sweet sophistication of science, and she hacked into the computers, getting whatever data she had. The truth was that hindsight being what it was; she wished she had finished Lex off in the Siberia when she had the chance.

It was a missed opportunity, but life tended to be full of those.

Karen was preoccupied by the fact that the Fortress needed to be found. Yet, it was not found, it was somewhere, in an infinite number of dimensions. It was hard to count every single dimension in the vast multiverse, because there were so many. They were all out there, and all of them taunted her, tormented her. It would take a lot of time and power, to navigate through them all, but Karen was getting closer and closer with each passing day to pinpointing it.

The natives were not friendly in many of them, and often times had ripped people apart on general principle. They were far from friendly, and Karen scanned for energy plans. This facility stock piled the meteor rocks of all types.

Green rocks, red rocks, blue rocks, and even a few black, gold, and pink rocks, but they would all need to be destroyed. Karen had seen the full power of meteor rocks up close, and what Lionel intended to do with them in the end.

The meteor rocks did not affect her, thanks to her Herald of Death powers, and they would not harm another person ever again, human or Kryptonian, once she had destroyed them. The blonde heard a foot step off into the distance.

A hapless scientist got knocked into the wall. There were no bones about it, Karen wanted to make sure that no one had followed her, no matter what, and there were no witnesses to what she did.

A grin crossed her face, and the blonde Kryptonian hovered and swayed high above the floor. She was closer to uncovering just what Lex was up to. The security cameras blew up when she flew by. Not that they could catch her, she was a blur, and could not be picked up by any technology known to Earth. It would take an act of magic to catch her.

Karen missed the monitoring spells that had been planted in this particular Luthorcorp facility. Had she not been on a timetable, she would have noticed that the charms had dinged her when she went across the hallway.

'_Luthor, what's your game?' _Karen thought to herself.

There was no answer, for this was a rhetorical question. Karen circled around the lab, gathering all the valuable technology as the spoils of conquest. She had earned the right to loot whatever she could. Taking pity on the humans, she deposited them outside of the lab.

Then Karen flew up into the sky, and prepared to detonate an explosion device. The device was positively primitive compared to its Kryptonian counterparts, but Karen managed to figure out a way to create it. She watched, arms folded against each other, hovered in the air, and another Luthorcorp facility got vaporized, leaving no traces.

This one offered very few clues where to go next, but Karen was able to adapt rather well. That might as well have been one of her powers. Karen dropped down, and took care of one more piece of business. The blonde Kryptonian used a crystal to mind wipe the last three hours from the minds of the staff and security she had rescued.

No one would be able to track anything back to the source. Like a cork, Karen shot off in the sky. The busty blonde watched, her hair framing her beautiful face, and knew that there would be an investigation, but no evidence could tie the sabotage back to her.

Karen flew back, and listened for radio traffic in the ear piece. They thought it was a group of eco-terrorists who had been attacking Luthorcorp for their past business practices. If they only knew, but a smug smile crossed the face of the young woman as she continued to fly.

They would never know what she had done. Karen had gotten away with the perfect crime, and just in time too, given the people who were hovering around. Soon the name Luthorcorp would be lower than mud, and Karen would feel justified.

* * *

Lana hovered, and watched Clark go about his daily duties, at the Daily Planet. It would be at least ten minutes before he would get off, which allowed Lana to fly above the ground, and collect her thoughts.

There were a couple of moments where Lana kept an Eagle eye view for any potential crimes she could foil, but there was nothing to be seen. Not even a pickpocket and Lana resigned herself to just going around the sky of Metropolis, taking a casual flight to clear her mind.

She wondered what this accursed ringing in her ear was. Lana had felt it on and off, and there was a beacon of some sort.

Lana had stopped in the air, and pivoted, when something like this happened, automatically she was likely to have smelled a rat of some sort. That rat could potentially have been named Lily Potter.

Lana was not too sure she was gone, and was forever was looking over her shoulder for. Lana tapped her foot, and flew even higher, to orbit in space, to get a better bird's eye view, and potentially clear her head. Lana folded her arms.

The dream happened again last night. Clark had taken her to the Fortress, and proposed to her. Lana had said yes. Then the dream turned into a nightmare. Clark had been swooped down by some monster who had stalked him, and had been ripped away from her.

The more Lana tried to fight him, the more the monster just crushed Clark. Lana kept getting pulled further and further away, until she was in an endless void of nothing. She fought, was helpless, feeling Clark get dragged away. The blood dripped from him, and the breath faded from his body.

Then Lana stood over Clark's grave, and that's when she woke up. The dream had been so vivid Lana thought it was real, and it scared the ever living hell out of her.

It was a sign that she needed to double, no triple, her efforts protect Clark against all that caused him harm, but at the same time, Lana felt that Clark did need a certain amount of space, as not to stifle him.

It was a no win situation for sure. Lana tried to close her eyes, to figure out what to do. The knowledge from the Fortress was partially translated, and tomorrow was when she would begin her sessions with Kara at the Shining Light Foundation, where they would decipher and translate the information. Kara warned Lana that this might take a bit of time to do so, but Lana was patient. Any shred of information to help her help Clark help the world was more than appreciated.

At the same time, Lana had a sense that someone was up there, watching over her as well. It was uncanny, and made the hair on her neck stand up. Every time Lana focused her X-Ray vision towards the person that she thought was there, that person was not there. When Lana's grip slipped in a rare lapse, someone had held her readjust long enough to save that entire bus full of people.

Lana wondered if this was the sign of some greater power, returning back to Earth, just in time to catch Clark. She looked up at the news broadcast, stating that Lex Luthor had gone on a sabbatical, and Lana just took these broadcasts with the grain of salt that they deserved. It did confirm Lex was not dead and still out there, planning and still a menace.

Clark stepped out, and Lana moved up to greet him, but then suddenly, Clark rubbed his ear. Lana paused, and looked at Clark, noticing that gesture.

"You hear it too?" Lana whispered to him, in a voice that only a Kryptonian with super hearing could pick up.

"Yes, it's been happening on and off all day, and it's saying, come to the Artic, Kal-El," Clark replied, but he clutched his papers.

"I don't like it, Lily might have survived," Lana told Clark, and Clark shifted.

"Harry destroyed her," Clark told Lana, and Lana just shrugged.

"Lily could have made a backup that even Harry couldn't have found out about ," Lana suggested, not wanting to discount that possibility. Harry was only human, even with his great powers.

Lana and Clark stepped forward, into the hustle and bustle of Metropolis at rush hour. Once they got to a safe location, they would fly off. Well technically it would be Lana flying, with Clark in her arms, but the thought was there. The two heard the humming, and the message growing more and more frantic.

"We'll get Harry to check this out later," Clark told Lana, and he rubbed his ear.

"I'm at the Shining Light Foundation tomorrow, I'll talk to him then," Lana said, and sure enough, Clark was in her arms, and the couple took flight into the air.

Clark was getting more used to this, and Lana was getting more confident regarding her powers. Both had hoped that the mental block would fade over time, but there were some parts of himself that Clark still had not come completely to terms with.

* * *

Chloe sat at the Shining Light Foundation, having waited for Harry and Kara's return from their activities. The last couple of weeks had been exciting to say the very least for her, and a smile just was put on Chloe's face. She had a great relationship with a great man, and if she had to share him with another woman, then so be it.

From what Harry had said, given the type of bond that they shared, they were technically for all intents and purposes married. Much like Harry and Kara were technically for all intents and purposes married before they actually got married-married. Chloe did not claim to be an expert on magic, even if Harry was teaching her a little bit about it. Harry was a very good and able teacher, and Chloe found that her eyes remained on him at all times.

Some people would sell Harry short, but he was rather brilliant, caring, and brave. Harry did admit to himself that he had never been the best in school, but Chloe thought that he was rather intelligent in other ways. He really supported her, and what she did, in all of its insanity.

Plus there was the mind blowing sex, which Chloe thought was more of cherry on top than anything. Chloe leaned back on her chair. She wore a tight black skirt, and a cleavage baring white top, along with boots. Perhaps it was not the most professional thing in the world, but Harry had taught her a nifty little charm to change that if someone came by for a meeting. Or at least give the illusion that she had changed.

To be honest, magic was a fascinating thing, and Chloe found herself more and more endeared with it the more that Harry taught her about it.

The doors opened, and Chloe bounced up, to see Harry and Kara walk inside. Both of them looked a bit worn out, but rather pleased despite the situation.

"So, how did your meeting go?" Chloe asked.

"I thought it went well," Harry remarked, looking at Chloe. Harry sat down on the chair and turned around to check the monitoring charms that he had snuck inside Luthorcorp. If there was any hint of Lex, he would know.

Kara hovered over, and sat herself down on Harry's lap on the chair. Chloe moved over, with a grin, and sat on his other side on the chair. It was a rather tight fit, but the three of them had snuggled together nicely on the chair.

Harry kept clicking away at the computer, trying to find out what he needed to, but his mind drifted to the two beautiful women, who were on either side of him.

One of the most serious pieces of advice that Sirius had given him was that Potters would find always find a woman who could be defined by three adjectives. Those three adjectives were, smart, sexy, and strong.

Harry looked up, and both Chloe and Kara cuddled on either side of him. The fact of the matter was that he did not just find one woman who had these qualities, rather he found two, and that was something that he could take to the bank all day long.

The door opened suddenly, and Chloe and Kara suddenly stiffened, with the compromising position that they were in. Harry was a bit slow to react, and Claire walked into the room, in a cheerful expression.

"Hey, Dad, have you seen my bag?" Claire asked.

"Did you check the last class you were in?" Harry asked Claire at that point, and Claire just shrugged.

She could have smacked herself.

"Yeah, I must have left it in there, I don't know why," Claire replied, but suddenly she looked at Harry, Chloe, and Kara. "Um, why are you three sitting on the same chair?"

"Because the other one was busted," Kara replied quickly.

"Don't you have magic?" Claire asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically. "Can't you fix it?"

Claire suddenly looked at the two of them, and saw her father's hand slowly slip off the small of Chloe's back, and it was wrapped around Kara's as well. The eleven year old girl looked, nodded, blinked, with widened eyes, and just turned around and walked off.

Harry really had no way to read the reaction on her face. Chloe leaned forward.

"Did you explain to your daughter about the situation, Harry?" Chloe asked him, voice nonchalant and calm.

It was this point where Harry shifted in the chair. Chloe and Kara both got up to their feet, and Harry did as well, to took a step forward.

"How do you explain something like this to an eleven year old?" Harry asked them.

Chloe just gave a shrug. "How do you explain something like this to Clark?"

"I thought you were going to tell him today," Kara told Chloe, and Chloe gave a rather prolonged sigh.

"It must have slipped my mind," Chloe replied, and she bit her lip nervously before she spoke again. "We better tell him soon, because Lana's already figured it out."

Harry thought that was about right. The truth was he could imagine Clark freaking out just a tiny bit about this, not that it was his business. They were all consenting adults. Chloe stood immediately, and watched, carefully, and quickly.

"You must be distracted, you didn't even kiss me when you walked in the door," Chloe remarked to Harry, placing her hands on her hips, and looking at him.

A devilish grin crossed over Kara's face, and she hovered in the air, before grabbing Chloe around the waist. Chloe gave a surprised noise, and Kara pressed her lips onto Chloe's in a searing kiss. Harry watched the gesture, eyes widened. He was not about to make a noise, rather he stared there, transfixed.

Kara just pulled away from Chloe at that moment. Chloe watched Kara, absolutely shocked, and numbed. A look of mischief crossed the face of the blonde Kryptonian at that moment. "Oh, you meant Harry, didn't you?"

"Yeah, yeah, I did," Chloe breathed, but a shit eating grin was plastered upon her face. "The gesture is appreciated though, thank you very much."

Harry stepped forward, and wrapped his arms around Chloe. Chloe peered into his eyes, and Harry pulled her into a long kiss. Chloe melted into his embrace, feeling her spine tingling with his efforts, and Harry ran his hands down her back, teasing more potentially coming.

An alarm went off, and Harry had found what he was looking for. The monitoring spell had struck pay dirt, and Harry stepped forward. Chloe and Kara both stepped forward, and watched what Harry had brought up. There was a moment, before Harry responded.

"Are you two girls seeing what I'm seeing?" Harry asked both of them.

Chloe and Kara offered a nod, and numbly peered to the screen.

"I think we've found our third Herald of Death," Chloe replied, and Kara just watched her. "Looks like you, looks a lot like you. Only shorter hair and she's….a bit more mature."

"What do you mean mature?" Kara asked, without missing a beat.

"Well, she's had more time to grow," Chloe offered, and Kara just looked at her, but then her eyes fell on the cleavage window on the girl's outfit.

"Oh, I see," Kara replied, but she looked at it. This girl moved with speed and rabid fury. It seemed like whoever this girl was, she was Kryptonian, and had embraced her heritage even more than Kara did, perhaps too much to the other extreme, on the other end of the spectrum from Clark.

"So, either someone cloned you, or you have an evil twin from another dimension," Chloe remarked.

"No one is saying she's evil," Harry said, eyes narrowed sternly.

Chloe just shrugged, and the three of them kept looking at the screen, over and over again, in an attempt to uncover some kind of clue. Harry suddenly marked down a list of the Luthorcorp facilities that had been hit.

The problem was there was no pattern.

"So, Kara, if you were going to attack another Luthorcorp facility, where would you go?" Harry asked Kara.

Kara pondered for a moment, before it struck her.

* * *

A car crash had occurred in Metropolis and it lead to a three car pileup. One person was down on the ground clutching their neck. In some weird twist of fate, it happened so fast that the mysterious blur could not save the day. Several paramedics had been dispatched on the scene.

One of them was Davis Bloome, a young and charismatic paramedic. He was unassuming and casual to the naked eye, but like many people, there was a darkness that lurked inside of him. Also, little did he know he was in the cross-hairs of someone who wanted to do him harm.

Karen floated in mid-air, hovering with her arms folded over her chest. Her eyes narrowed, and looked at the person below. She could sense him. The crisis she had manufactured to draw him out of hiding worked like a charm. Now it was time for her to finish off the job, nice and easily, to slay the monster before the darkness had overwhelmed him.

In a way, she was doing him a favor. Karen swooped up, and caught Davis around the waist, unaware, still invisible.

"What is going on?" Davis demanded, and he was hurled across the room onto the ground.

"Taking care of you before you before a problem," Karen replied, looking down at the paramedic immediately. "You'll thank me for this later, in the afterlife."

"I don't understand what I did," Davis replied, confusion on his face.

Karen just simply rammed an elbow down across the side of the neck. That was not nearly enough, to kill him, but it would cause him a great deal of pain, blues, and agony.

Suddenly a figure rushed in. Davis was scooped up, and swooped out of her reach. Karen spun around, and grabbed Clark Kent by the jacket, before she flung him against the wall hard, with the full force of her Kryptonian strength.

Clark landed with a solid thud, and he looked up. He saw this girl who resembled Kara so very much it was scary. The white material on her costume hugged snugly around her body, showcasing her curves. There was a large cleavage widow, one that Clark tried to look away from. She wore black boots, white fingerless gloves, and a black cape that fluttered in the breeze.

"Just who are you?" Clark demanded, regaining her bearings.

"Someone who is very pissed off about what you did, Kal-El," Karen told him hotly.

This girl even sounded like Kara, and this was the last thought that went through his head, before she punched him. Clark was somehow immobilized, and stunned.

Lana showed up immediately against Karen, pleased that she had just saved an innocent civilian from a terrible fate.

"Wonderful, his partner him crime," Karen replied dully.

"Crime, what are you talking about?" Lana asked, confused.

"You saved him, helped save that paramedic, but trust me, he's a real monster," Karen replied, in a dull voice, and she grabbed Lana by the hair. Lana tried to struggle with all of her might, but she had been flung into the wall, and with a loud crack, her face connected hard with the concrete.

Karen took a step forward, and Lana and Clark were both down on the ground. The two of them would wake up in a moment, and most certainly the opportunity had been lost for today.

Karen stopped, and her heart skipped a beat. She was face to face with her two fellow Heralds of Death. It was too soon for them to meet. Kara blinked, looking at her double.

"Who are you?" Kara demanded.

Karen grabbed Kara violently by her hair to do the same she did to Lana, but Kara had the presence of mind to fight back. Harry was knocked down in the scuffle, but he rebounded quickly.

Harry found himself watching the two blonde haired girls, each equally matched, rolling around on the floor, pulling each other's hair, scratching at each other's faces, and punching at each other, while trying to tug at their clothes. He found the sight to be rather distracted, especially with the attire on what appeared to be Kara's doppleganger.

Shaking off his thoughts, Harry tried to rush forward. A force field had knocked him backwards, and forced him to stagger a step or two back. The two of them continued to fight.

Eventually Karen rolled over, and pinned Kara on the ground. She groaned when the small of her back hit the concrete.

"Guess I'm stronger, and more mature," Karen replied to Kara, whispering in her ear, and stroking her face. "And I can dominate you, and have my way with you, in any way I wish."

"You wish," Kara managed, and Karen's hands wrapped around her throat. She choked, and Karen straddled her on the ground. Karen licked her lips. After being locked up for all of those years, Karen relished being the dominant one for the change, not someone who was helpless, and demure.

Harry tried to fight through the forcefield. If this was the third Herald of Death, she flipped, and absolutely lost all sense of self.

Karen looked at her younger, but mostly identical body. Kara struggled to fight Karen off, but Karen just leaned down, and pressed her lips on Kara's in a lustful kiss, forcing her tongue into Kara's mouth.

The kiss lingered, with Karen just rubbing herself on top of Kara, as they both laid on the pavement. Whether or not anyone was around to see this, they did not care. For the first time in a long time, Kara felt powerless, and Karen just grabbed the crystal.

"Are you going to…wipe my mind?" Kara asked, breathing heavily.

"No, I want you to remember this for a lifetime," Karen replied, groping Kara through her shirt.

She enjoyed this, perhaps a little bit too much, and Kara deflated under her touch, feeling her double's soft hands work on her.

Karen got to her feet, and held the crystal, before jabbing it towards the area between Kara's legs.

Kara gave a high pitched moan and her hips bucked violently when she was simulated with the energies of the crystal, before she blacked out from the pleasure.

Harry felt her pleasure through the bond that they shared, and found himself black out immediately as well.

Karen smiled, they would make excellent lovers when the time was right, but she still had plenty of work to do before that particular moment was ready. The destroyer had tasted blood, his own, but Karen could not adequately finish the job.

Clark and Lana came too, and saw Kara lying on the ground, a goofy smile on her face, and Harry out as well. Both of them wondered what was going on.

**To Be Continued in "Girl Like Me Part Two."**


	42. Chapter 42: Girl Like Me Part Two

**Chapter 42: Girl Like Me Part Two.**

Clark shook up the cobwebs, and Lana was up to her feet. People thankfully did not crowd around too much, but Clark was honestly shell-shocked, taken out by that woman, whoever she was. She was so quick and so fast that Clark could barely figure out what had just happened. His mind was completely rattled, and Clark slowly turned to Lana, voicing a question in a whisper.

"Lana…"

"Fine, Clark," Lana responded, and she rubbed her head, trying to get some sense back into her own mind. Harry got back to his feet, absolutely shaken. Kara was down on the ground, and Harry nudged her, trying to wake her up. The blonde was in la-la land from what had just happened and thus Harry grew rather frantic.

"Kara, please snap out of it," Harry said in a desperate voice, and at these words Kara stirred and she extended her arms, for Harry to pull her up to her feet. Kara wrapped her arms around Harry and Harry hoisted her back up to a standing position, her legs wobbling a little bit due to the fact that she was still recovering from what had occurred.

Kara took a long, and deep breath at that moment. And her eyes fluttered open, before she gave a responsive nod, a smile crossing her face. She wanted to let Harry know that despite what happened, she'll be okay.

"I'm back Harry," Kara responded, and both of them knew that Kara had been brought to quite the peak thanks to that crystal. It had shut down her mind and the mind of Harry as well, and allowed their mystery girl to escape.

"Who was that anyway?" Lana asked, completely at a loss for words .

"I believe that was our third Herald of Death."

Chloe showed up, and she tried to disguise the pleasure that she felt through the link, when Kara had been jabbed with the crystal. It was extremely difficult to block out of her mind and keep focused about, but she had to try. Harry shook his head, and took a few deep breaths, trying to remain on his feet. Kara was placed back on her feet, and Kara adjusted her feet. It was Clark who had stood there, about to open his mouth, but Harry waved his hand before they made a scene.

The entire group was back on the Kent Farm at that moment, and Harry gave them the motion for them to speak. There was no doubt in Harry's mind that they would need to say a lot about what had just transpired. Sure enough, Clark was going to chime in at that point.

"That was the third Herald of Death?"

"Yes, I believe that's what Chloe said, and it's the truth," Kara offered, and Harry sat down. Kara slid onto his lap. The two of them still were rather out of it from what the third Herald had done. Harry wrapped his arms around his wife, and Kara leaned her head into his chest. Chloe stood on the other side of them.

"She didn't seem like the friendly type," Lana offered, rubbing the side of her head, but thankfully she did not suffer from any double vision. She tried to use her powers, but it was like the third Herald shut them down temporarily, before smashing her into the wall to exert her dominance. Not that Lana had any delusions of winning a hand to hand fight with one of the Heralds, especially with Harry who could eat her for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with some left over for dessert.

Harry sighed, that was ever the truth. The third Herald of Death seemed to be a bit bent with some kind of power and the fact she ruthlessly attacked them, and had her way with them, just because she could. This was not make a stable individual at the very slightest and thus Harry grew with a bit of worry. She also randomly attacked a civilian, a paramedic, and if Harry had to guess, she manufactured the actual disaster to get them there.

Harry wondered what her game was, and that was something that was hard to ponder. She seemed to be acting in an erratic fashion and without the proper grounding for her powers, there could be potential trouble.

Chloe shifted, and looked at Clark, conflict washing through her mind. She wanted to make sure both Kara and Harry were okay, and offer them some level of comfort. Yet, Clark did not know, and Chloe just took a breath. There was no time like the present, Chloe guessed at that moment, and with a resolved expression she decided to break the charming news to Clark.

"Hey, Clark, I need to have a word with you…just for a minute…"

"Chloe, in a minute, there's something important that you all need to know, especially Harry and Kara," Clark told them, and Harry and Kara were all ears at this statement that he had given. They leaned forward, to listen to Clark. "Lana and I were listening, and heard a noise coming from where the Fortress used to be."

"What kind of noise?" Harry prompted, frowning at the very thought, and trying to piece it together, but at this point while there were any number of theories that he could have given, there was no real proof.

"It was a buzzing coming from the Artic, some sort of beacon," Lana helpfully inputted, and Harry just nodded, hearing what she had said. He shifted, and listened to what she said, and invited for Lana to go on to give him further information. "The noise was like it was calling out to us, asking us for help, summoning us to the Fortress."

Immediately, Harry and Kara shifted their expressions to each other, and great worry flooded into them with both of them were automatically suspicious due to the past experiences, but the two of them wondered what was up. They had banished Lily to the beyond, but they had known by now that things were not always what they seemed and how sneaky Lily was. It was all too possible that even if she was long gone, the woman had left some sort of failsafe behind.

Lana and Clark both waited nervously, and they could tell that Kara and Harry tried to assimilate what was happening in their mind. It was Kara who piped up with an answer, mentally agreeing with Harry that this course of action was the best call.

"Once we figure out what is going on with this third Herald, Harry and I will check it out, in case it is a trap."

"It could be Jor-El," Chloe offered, deciding to offer them an option.

"And that's not a trap, how?" Clark asked, shrugging his shoulders, not too thrilled about that possibility either.

"Better him than my mother," Harry answered, and Clark shifted at that point. He would have to debate that one in the future. The AI version of his father had been one that had given him more than a few headaches in the past. "But until we have taken a good look at everything, it's best no one goes near where the Fortress was. Powers or not, if you get sent to some kind of pocket universe, you won't be getting out, and you could get sent anywhere."

Lana leaned forward, and had to ponder about it. The fact was that Lily would have been devious enough to leave something behind, even if she was not behind. The last few times she had been in the Fortress had made Lana a bit uneasy. There was something in her mind about a failsafe, if Jor-El's influence had been removed, but she could not for the life of her piece together much more than that. The knowledge was a hazed bit of jigsaw pieces that Lana was trying to scramble together.

"Our biggest problem is this third Herald of Death," Harry responded, switching the conversation back to its intended purpose.

There was a long moment of silence before Clark decided to offer what he thought of the situation.

"She's a bit twisted in the head," Clark replied, and he looked at Kara. "She looks a little like you, you know…"

"Yes, Clark, I did notice that, thanks," Kara responded, rolling her eyes at these words from her cousin and his ability to state the completely obvious.

"So what do you think, evil twin from a mirror dimension, some kind of clone, future version of you driven mad by a worse-case scenario timeline?" Chloe asked, biting her lip at the thought, and shutting up immediately to offer them the office.

Kara thought that any number of these possibilities had been likely and possible. There was something about this doppleganger that made her wonder, if this attack had been random. In the heat of the moment, Kara wondered if she perceived some kind of threat. The Herald of Death instincts could be hard to read and now this made Kara wonder, especially when it was unlikely that this third Herald got the proper grounding for her powers.

The Herald of Death powers were hard to read sometimes, and might have registered a false positive or two. Harry and Kara understood that from their training and that was one thing that Lily was correct about. The two of them knew what they must do now.

"We should go and look for her," Harry said, and Chloe got up, offering them an eager expression and she nearly fell over in her excitement.

"You two need my help?" Chloe asked, itching for a chance to stretch her legs.

"I appreciate it, but you did have something to tell Clark, and we'll be right back when we find her," Kara responded, and the two disappeared in a flash of light.

Chloe and Clark looked at each other, and there was an uncomfortable moment of silence before Chloe had blurted out what she had to tell him without any tact whatsoever.

"Harry, Kara, and I are in a relationship together, the three of us!"

There was silence, and Clark looked absolutely flummoxed at the moment. He stared at Chloe, who watched him, a fearless expression on her face, and Clark suddenly burst out with laughter. This might have been the most absurd and outlandish statement that ever

Lana sighed, this was going to be kind of painful, she braced herself for the impact, and more importantly the damage control, as Chloe's eyes bored into Clark's. There was a pause before Chloe decided to enlighten Clark on this situation.

"Why are you laughing?" Chloe asked Clark, and Clark just shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs.

"You nearly had me going for a minute Chloe, nice late April Fool's day joke," Clark told her, and Chloe just crossed her arms at that moment, and looked at him, a bit of agitation flickering through her eyes.

"It's not a joke," Chloe replied in a cool voice, and Clark just looked at her, and blinked immediately.

Clark still was blinking a minute later. Lana nudged her elbow into his ribs to snap Clark back into the reality. It took a couple of sharp jabs before Lana brought Clark into something that vaguely resembled coherence.

"The three of you…in a relationship…together," Clark managed, and he shook his head, unable to process this. He had thought Harry was an okay guy, but something like this, was making him question Harry right now. This just seemed wrong, he could not explain how it was wrong, just that it was wrong.

One could argue that stubbornness was one of Clark's superpowers and it was rearing its ugly head at that point.

"Yes, Clark, the three of us are in a relationship together, with all of the benefits that go along with it," Chloe responded, and Clark just blinked immediately. He could barely even process what was going on around him, but once again something seemed to be completely off.

This was not something that one heard every day.

"Chloe, that's just…do you…."

"What is it Clark?" Chloe asked, and she looked Clark dead on the eye, not blinking and showing absolutely no fear whatsoever. "Is it wrong that the three of us are together?"

"The two of them are married Chloe, that's what's wrong about it," Clark responded, and there was a lecture on the tip of his tongue, but Chloe cut him off at the pass.

"Actually, Harry and I are married too, and likely me and Kara as well, we're all magically bonded, which is higher than any law in the land," Chloe offered, thinking of this to be a perfectly logical and rational explanation as to why Clark should have nothing to complain about this.

Clark's mind proceeded to shut down at this point, and he was struck dumb.

"Chloe, I don't think this is, this could end…."

Clark really could not find any way to string together a coherent sentence. This had spun his entire worldview of everything on its axis. Harry was in a multi-partner relationship with his cousin and his best friend, and they were okay with that. Both logically and morally speaking, none of this made any sense whatsoever and the attempt to interject logic into this situation was giving Clark a throbbing headache.

"It's perfectly naturally Clark, well on Krypton anyway," Lana offered, trying to deflect Clark, but Clark's eyes snapped towards her, accusations dancing in them towards Lana.

"Wait, Lana, you knew about this?" Clark asked her, suddenly realizing.

"Just for a couple of days," Lana responded to Clark, sensing a fight coming on, and it pained her that she sensed that.

"Weren't you the one that hated me keeping secrets from you?" Clark asked Lana, feeling a bit hurt and betrayed by the woman that was supposed to be his protector.

"Your secrets Clark, when we were supposed to be in a relationship," Lana reminded him, and she tried to grab Clark's hand to gently calm him down, but he just turned away. "This was not my secret to give out at will."

"We should have come clean with you at the beginning," Chloe remarked, looking apologetic and honestly Harry and Kara were right, the longer they kept this a secret, the worse it would have seemed. "But, Clark, you know I'm a grown woman, and I can make my own decisions."

"And what do you think people will think about this?" Clark asked suddenly, and Chloe just opened her mouth, but Clark was not done. "And what you're doing is technically…."

"What illegal, morally wrong?" Chloe asked him, giving him a challenging expression in her eyes. She could not believe that Clark was being such a wet blanket and closed-minded, especially about his own background and where he came from. It was reasons like this why Clark struggled to embrace his own Kryptonian heritage.

Lana shook her head, and hoped that things would not get a bit rough. With Chloe having her powers, she did not want to have to pull her friend off of her boyfriend, and get caught in the middle of it. That would be an outcome that was far from desirable for her, and Lana sighed, trying to pacify the situation without it escalating to shouting or worse.

"Clark, you have to understand something, this is something that they've agreed to be in," Lana told them, and Clark just turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "I was in the Fortress, and the knowledge that absorbed into my mind is clear. I know some of it…multiple partners is something that is common with Kryptonians."

"So, if I wanted to bring in another girl or two, you'd just be alright with that?" Clark asked, eyes snapped towards Lana's face.

Lana felt very annoyed at Clark right now. "Don't you throw this back around on me, Clark Kent!"

Clark just got up, and took a deep breath. He had never thought that anyone could even be in a relationship with more than one girl, and this was just new and confusing to him. He stepped out, with Lana yelling a warning behind him..

"I swear to God, if you go after Harry, you're going to be sorry!" Lana told Clark, and Clark just paused, hit with that one.

"No…I just need to go for a walk…clear my head…I'm sorry."

Clark turned around, and left, taking a deep breath, and tried to figure out this new situation. He really wished that Jor-El was around, and would be able to give him some advice, even if this was one of the last situations that he would have ever thought he would discuss with Jor-El. It was clearly not something that was in the top one thousand to say the very least, and if he thought of a million things before today, this would not be thought of.

What was worst was that Clark considered the multiple partners thing before, under the Red Kryptonite, and was ashamed of it, but he shook off those thoughts. It was wrong, wrong, wrong to have such wanton desires, and Clark wondered what Harry was thinking, unless it was Chloe and Kara who talked him into it.

Lana and Chloe were left in the Kent Farm, both of them just looking at each other.

"Well that could have gone better," Chloe offered meekly.

"Yeah, no kidding," Lana said shaking her head, and peering at him. "I should really go after him…but something's holding me back. I'll keep a close eye on him, making sure he doesn't do anything irrational."

Chloe hoped for that too, but one thing was for certain about Clark, he was irrational at the worst possible times.

"He's just shocked about it," Lana replied, trying to justify what was happening, and Lana was visited by a theory. "If I had to take a guess, his male ego just took a blow, wondering why he doesn't have more than one mate."

"Would you even allow another woman into your relationship?" Chloe wondered, but Lana did not answer that.

Lana walked off without answering that question, and Chloe was left all alone. She just hoped Clark came to his senses, because Chloe hated to lose her best friend over something like this. She could sense the confusion coming off of him, and perhaps a tiny bit of jealousy.

She had given Clark plenty of chances to make his move, and now Chloe had truly moved on, but she would have liked to retain their friendship. There was really no easy situation for something like this and Clark was just too stubborn, Chloe could not think of that enough. That was one of his defining characteristics.

He got it from his father, both of them perhaps, if what Kara said about Jor-El was true.

* * *

"I don't care if you can't remember a thing, I want answers about what happened, and I want them now!"

Tess slammed the phone down, and she took a step forward, to think about what happened. Another Luthorcorp facility had been destroyed and the person who had been behind it had not even been caught. She had not known about this one actually, which made it more curious and also made her suspicious about Lex's intentions. The only bit of information she had been able to drudge up was the fact that Lex had a store of meteor rocks there.

The key word was that it was something that he had, and it was something that he did not have anymore. Tess remembered the latest progress report regarding Lex, and how he was paralyzed from the neck down after his little misadventure in the Artic. She had slowly been worming the information out of him, but he seemed to be unable to say much of anything. He feigned some kind of brain damage, but Tess knew better, she knew that Lex was milking sympathy from the doctors she assigned.

Karen showed up at this point, casual and calm, with Tess none the wiser at what she had been up to.

Then again, Karen was a completely elaborate disguise. She wore a dark wig that was bland in both color and style. She wore a pair of thick glasses over the bridge of her nose. Her clothes were extremely conservative, not anything unlike what she normally wore. It did hurt her to be covered up this much, but it was all about the role she had to plan. Not an inch of flesh was showed, except for that on her face and hands.

"Ms. Starr, I had nearly forgotten about our meeting today," Tess replied, trying to remain calm and collected in spite of the grim news she had received.

Karen was pleased how much she had gotten under the skin of Tess, and took a step forward, hiding the look of supreme triumph in her eyes.

"I hope you haven't been under too much stress," Karen replied in a soft voice.

Tess shook her head and stood up straight and proud. "No more so than usual…"

"With Lex Luthor's unexpected sabbatical, you must be working around the clock getting this company back off the ground," Karen answered to Tess, and Tess just responded with a tense look.

"Yes, much to do, but I have not neglected our partnership," Tess replied, trying to regain control, and regained her bearings.

"Of course not, an honest and dedicated career woman like yourself would never neglect a partnership," Karen replied. Her face remained calm and blank of all emotions, yet beneath it all, Karen was calculating every single thing, and was pleased that Tess was losing control, being so accustomed to having it at any other control.

'_Shoe's on the other foot now, isn't it?' _Karen thought, working hard trying to keep the smug expression off of her face.

She managed to copy the documents Tess had in her case, without her even noticing it. Tess turned around, and stepped forward, trying to deal with the sabotage of this previously unknown to her Luthorcorp facility.

"If you would like, we could reschedule the meeting for next week," Karen offered, in a sweet and innocent voice, keeping her eyes devoid of any expression.

"That would be acceptable," Tess agreed, relieved that she had a week to prepare. Thanks to that corporate saboteur, her mind had been all over the map and she had to get it together, or her competitions would eat her alive. "I can delay this, but I do hope that it will not cause any problems."

Karen just offered a brief smile, before she reestablished her stern expression. "None at all, you can find me to be very flexible."

Karen turned around, having what she needed. The other two Heralds of Death were looking for her; this could not be done it was too soon for them to join together, but Karen did have this information that they might find handy. While she could not read between the lines of where Lex was, it did not mean that others could not.

Especially if that other person had a more intimate knowledge of this dimension, and with those thoughts, Karen slipped into the hallway, and changed from these boring clothes, into something more comfortable.

* * *

The two Heralds of Death remained invisible, and continued to track their counterpart. Harry was going over everything in his mind about what happened. There was some times where he just smelled a rat, although he had no idea how or why. Harry folded his arms in the air, and continued to sway from one side, to the next. The dark haired Herald of Death grabbed the wrist of his wife, and the pair of them continued to descend to the ground, landing on the side. The two of them saw their mysterious girl flying around, careful not to attract any attention.

At least, no attention from either of them, and Kara stood rigid, putting her hands on her hips.

"Looks like she slipped up," Kara answered, looking forward and seeing her twin in sight.

"Or, she's luring us into a false sense of security," Harry told her, and Kara turned around, smiling brightly, ready to avenge what happened earlier.

The two of them would grab her, and forced her to give them the information, give them the answers. Kara flew forward, trying to grab her counterpart. Suddenly, she became visible in the blink of an eye.

Karen saw her counterpart flying towards her, faster than a speeding bullet. Normally Kara's speed would be a problem for anyone. However, she was faster, so Karen dodged Kara, grabbed her arm, and folded it behind her back, forcing her to her knees with pain. Kara grimaced, and Karen kicked her in the back of the arm several times.

"You just don't know when to give up," Karen replied, and she was kicked off by Kara.

Harry jumped in and tried to bind the other blonde Kryptonian. For a second, the ropes bound around her tightly, squeezing her in place. She snapped out of her restraints, and Kara jumped into the air, grabbing Karen around the waist. The two of them flew up into the air, flying, and spinning in the air, and Kara tried to direct her counterpart away from crashing into any people.

Putting some anti-eavesdropping spells, Harry tried to mitigate the damage control the best that he could. The two blonde Kryptonians crashed through a nearby water tower on the top of the building, causing ice cold water to fly everywhere, and both girls were completely soaked with water. Ice cold water dripped from their bodies and their clothes were completely damp.

The two of them landed down on the ground hard. Karen got back up to her feet. The white material clung tightly to her curves, and it was apparently that she was not wearing anything underneath. Kara grabbed her, but Karen gripped the shirt, before she tugged at it, ripping off Kara's half shirt. Kara flew away, and the material tore away in Karen's hand, leaving her in nothing, but a soaked bra from the waist up. Kara's nipples poked out from behind the wet fabric as the material clung tightly to her chest.

Kara jumped up, and tried to bind Karen's wrists and arms together, but Karen stepped off to the side, and grabbed Kara by the waist. Kara gave a surprised yelp, as Karen smacked her on the backside with a super powerful slap. Kara gave a yelp that was half between pleasure and pain, and this gave Karen a moment to knock her duplicate off guard.

Kara nearly flew off of the side of the building, and Karen jumped into the air, sending a blast of heat vision through the air. Kara repelled, and heat vision met heat vision. The two girls, dripping wet with water, with their clothes ripped, tried to push back and forth, to overwhelm each other with the heat vision.

"Just you who are you?" Kara demanded in her most dangerous voice, but she was shoved back, nearly sliding off of the side. Karen just had a grin cross her face, and she caught Kara around the waist.

"I am you," Karen whispered in Kara's eye, and slowly stroked her fingers on the exposed skin of her stomach, teasing her fingers at the edge of the skirt, but not quite taking the plunge. "Soon, you'll see, but I have information for both you and your mate."

Karen grabbed the envelope of documents, and shoved them into Kara's hand. Kara took them, and Karen reached forward, grabbing Kara, and pressing her lips to her counterpart's with a searing kiss. Kara did not fight, instead returning the kiss deeply, and opening her mouth to allow Karen's tongue to enter. There was just something rather intoxicating about this, and Kara felt her mind slowly shut down.

"Just something to remember me by," Karen replied with a saucy wink, and she disappeared, just when Harry broke through the barriers, finally reaching Kara.

Kara just nearly dropped to one knee, and Harry wrapped his arms around her, making sure she was okay.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get through in time," Harry whispered to Kara, and Kara just nodded, her heart beating across her chest. Her head thumped down onto Harry's shoulder, with him holding her tight in a warm and loving embrace. Harry's bright green eyes looked into her blue eyes, and concern filled them. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'll be fine," Kara answered, wrapping her arms tighter around Harry, and pulling him into a long kiss. Harry returned the kiss with fever, and passion, the two of them had been soaked from the battle.

Harry could taste the other blonde Kryptonian on her lips. She had a wilder and more untamed taste than his beautiful bride. It was sensual in its own way, however. Harry pulled away, and Kara placed her hands on Harry's waist, propping herself up.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked her, smiling at her.

"Positive," Kara answered with a nervous little grin, and she held the information in her hand, clutching the information tightly in it. "I wonder why she gave us this."

Harry had no idea. He placed his arm around Kara's waist, and the two of them set sail back off, after Harry repaired the damage, and modified a few memories.

The two of them made their way off, and tried to reconcile what had happened to them on that particular day. It was one that neither of them would be forgetting anytime soon, that was for certain.

* * *

Back at the Shining Light Foundation, Kara and Harry poured over the documents on the table. The other blonde Kryptonian had given it to them. Chloe took a step forward, looking a bit dazed, and thrown off.

"So what are you doing?" Chloe asked them, rather curiously.

Kara was the one that popped up. "Our mysterious third Herald of Death popped up again, and gave us this, its information, and it's what Lex is up to."

"So the rumors of Lex Luthor's demise have been greatly exaggerated," Chloe chimed in, and Harry and Kara got in. "Is there any concrete information on him?"

"Nothing that we can track him down with, but we might be able to track down what he is working on," Kara replied, and when Chloe just looked at her, Kara decided to elaborate with more information. "There is some kind of project that he's working on; we believe that he thinks it will help him defeat Clark, but we don't have any information regarding what it is, where it's being held, or where Lex is."

Chloe just shivered at the sound of Clark's name, and Harry grabbed Chloe's hand.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked her, concern in his eyes.

Chloe just took a deep breath, and decided to elaborate on what she was feeling. "Clark and I…well we kind of had it out over…our arrangement."

Kara just looked up, and took a deep and calming breathing, before she gripped Chloe's hands, and looked her straight in the eye.

"Just say the word, and I'll go and have a chat with him," Kara told Chloe in a gentle voice. Chloe slid back, and her heart beat a bit quicker against her ribcage, but she shook her head.

"No, I don't want to make this situation any worse than it has to," Chloe responded, feeling a bit flustered.

"If he started his training, like he was supposed to, he would have understood about this," Kara replied, and she did not want to think about it, but it was possible someone like Clark could have had multiple mates.

Breaching that subject with Lana was going to be all kinds of fun.

"Clark is your best friend," Harry replied, and he looked at Chloe. "Perhaps at another time, you hung your hat on something more developing."

Chloe just offered a nod, and sighed. "Yeah, I did, but that ship has long since sailed, and long since been torpedoed a long time again. Clark's stubborn, and often times needs to be hit with a hard dose of reality."

"Just say the word Chloe, and I'll take care of him immediately," Kara replied to Chloe, and Chloe just smiled, shaking her head.

"No, it's nice if you, really it is, but I'm fine," Chloe responded to both of them, and Harry just placed his arms around her.

"Clark will come around, although if he doesn't, I'll just seal him in a nightmare dimension until he does," Harry responded, trying to lighten the mood, and Chloe laughed, before things grew suddenly serious.

"Somehow I don't think that physical abuse and trauma is going to solve this problem," Chloe answered, and Harry just placed his hands on either side of her face, before he gently kissed her lips.

Chloe felt herself be a bit better, indulging herself in the full pleasure of the tender kiss that Harry gave her.

"Come on, the three of us need relief after what happened today," Kara chimed in, and Chloe just nodded at the three of us. She saw the symbol on her hand, and it reminded her of the choice she made.

The choice had not been without its benefits, and Harry, Kara, and Chloe disappeared with simultaneous pops, heading back home to unwind with each other.

The two girls grabbed Harry, and pushed him back on the bed. Both of them sat on either side of Harry, and started to kiss his body, while pulling off his shirt. Both Chloe and Kara massaged Harry's abs and chest, and Harry felt himself swell under their actions.

**Smut/Lemon Begins.**

-PROFILE-

**Smut/Lemon Ends.**

The three lovers crashed on the floor, with Harry providing a blanket, and glasses of water for the three of them. An hour might have only passed in the real world, but they had been going at it for at least a day inside this room, maybe longer. After the preliminaries were done, Harry suspected that he fucked both girls for ten hours straight, and they were grinning like loons at this point. The time spells were holding much more, and Harry could not think of a better part.

Both of his lovely beautiful, and bright blondes rested on the floor. Chloe was draped over Harry's chest on one side, and Kara was draped over Harry's other side.

"I love you both," Harry said.

"I love you too," Chloe managed sleepily.

"Love both of you too," Kara breathed heavily.

All three of them felt in better spirits than they had been before. With Chloe added, it seemed like their desires had gotten stronger, along with their powers.

* * *

Davis Bloome found himself in a hospital room, which was an interesting turn of events, and his mind had been rattled. There was some mysterious woman that attacked him, and was fully intent to rip his head off. Something had saved him, given the fact that he ended up here, and not in the morgue.

"Are you alright?"

Davis turned around, looking up at the newest arrival and saw the young man standing in the hallway. He seemed harmless enough, but Bloome was on the edge after what happened.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I heal easily," Davis admitted, and he leaned back on the bed. He studied the young man. "You were the one who got me out of there, weren't you?"

Clark just sat back, and nodded slowly.

"I'm just happy to help."

"Well, that's good, and perhaps you should offer me some insight on just who that woman was," Davis answered, and he looked at Clark. There was a moment where Clark did not respond at this point.

"I have no idea, but she could be dangerous," Clark offered, but to be honest, his mind was elsewhere. He tended to stick his foot into his mouth a lot of the time, and earlier today, he did stick his foot in his mouth.

Perhaps Clark was the wrong one, but stubbornness did tend to run in the family, both his human one and his Kryptonian one. His mind reflected to the busty blonde Kryptonian that resembled an older version of his cousin. She seemed to be so annoyed by his presence, and however, if she was going to attack innocent people, Clark was going to take her down.

"I don't believe I've had the pleasure," Davis answered, and he broke the silence.

Clark stood at this moment, and Davis just tapped his fingers on the side of a table.

"Clark Kent," Clark replied to the young paramedic.

"Davis Bloome," Davis answered, for some reason, he thought the name Clark Kent would be one that he would remember for a long time. "So…thanks."

Clark nodded, and he turned around. He would stick around for a little bit, should the twisted version of Kara would come back. Clark was leaning towards an evil clone of some sort, or perhaps some shape-shifter, neither would surprise him.

Davis stood, and he had seen the carnage around him, the blood that had been spilled. Granted, the blood had been his own, but it had intrigued him. Davis slid back, and the eyes just flickered. There was always something about him, some inherent darkness, which he tried to suppress.

And the events of today had caused Davis to consider his lot in life.

* * *

Lana sat down, just reconciling everything that had happened over the past day. The fact of the matter was that she wanted to clear her head, and get into order. Kara entered the room, followed by Megan. Megan sat, and offered Lana a smile.

"Just relax, and pretend we're not here," Kara remarked Lana, giving her an encouraging smile. "It won't hurt that much, in fact getting your teeth pulled hurts much less, or so I've heard."

"What's Megan doing here?" Lana asked, looking at the teenage girl.

"She is going to make sure that I don't miss any spots when I'm translating," Kara informed Lana, and Lana just responded with a nod. She looked at Megan, who sat with her arms folded across her chest.

"So, are you…are you meteor infected?" Lana asked curiously.

"Yes," Megan replied a bit too abruptly. She did not want people to know about her true form, it was hideous. It was a calculated risk just letting Kara and Harry know about her mind reading abilities, but she owed them to help, after they took her in and gave her purpose at the Shining Light Foundation. She had become almost an older sister to Claire as well, and the Potters had been so good to her, asking no questions.

Perhaps they would understand, given a certain amount of time, but Megan was insecure about herself and what her true form was, along with what her people did in the past.

Despite everything, she had some serious image problems, mostly because of how white Martians were treated by the greens. The fact of the matter was that neither color of Martians really understood how the conflict began. The White Martians were oppressed, but that was beside the point. Lana would likely know about that particular conflict, but as for Jor-El's opinion on the White Martians, Megan could not say.

Lana slid back on the chair, and the two had gone through her mind. The dark haired girl just relaxed at this moment, and allowed Kara to shift through her mind, while Megan helped guide her. The feeling of their presence in her mind was like a gentle nudge. Lana felt herself understanding more and more, with each piece of information being shifted from the garbled words into clear and concise thoughts.

It did not escape Kara's notice that Lana seemed to remembering the timeline that Clark erased with clarity. Right now, she put it across as a dream. Then the dreams turned into nightmares. Kara reminded herself she was meant to delve into Lana's mind, and translate the memories, not be poking around in her dreams and nightmares. Kara took a moment to remember that, and at that moment, she continued to push through the memories.

Lana felt a headache coming on.

"And we better stop," Megan whispered to Kara, sensing Lana's discomfort.

"How much more?" Lana asked.

"Half," Kara replied.

"Keep going," Lana persisted, wanting to get this done and overwithou, but Megan shook her head.

"No, it will cook your brain cells," Megan replied, biting her lip nervously, and she looked at Lana seriously. "You can't protect Kal-El if you're brain dead."

Lana opened her mouth to protest, but shook her head. She had so much new knowledge that it was hard to reconcile. She had only one question to ask them both.

"How much longer?"

Kara paused. "Three to four more sessions, at the least, but we should go upwards to five. Every night, the same time, if that's alright for you?"

"That's fine," Lana answered, waving off the question, and she got up, thinks had been translated into her mind, and more information.

Lana thought about tracking Clark down, but first she would return the Kent Farm, and check on him there, and if he was not there, then she would go out to track him down, to keep an eye on him from a distance until he was ready to act rational.

**To Be Continued in "Maxima."**


	43. Chapter 43: Maxima Part One

**Chapter 43: Maxima Part One. **

An endless void of vortexes filled the sky, with one being able to see large mountains in every single direction, and anyone who was here, could have been anywhere, yet they could have been nowhere as well.

The third Herald of Death made her way onto the scene, and tracked her conquest through the void. It had been sent here a couple of weeks ago by Lily Potter, and she knew she was very close to what she was looking for.

A smirk crossed Karen's face, between the four of them; they could not have found the main focus of the Fortress. Lily had collapsed the Fortress back into the crystal of knowledge, and had hid it in a pocket dimension within a pocket dimension. Karen could hardly believe how simple something like this was. Her eyes glowed with power, as she saw the challenges that she had before her.

Several shadow monsters popped up and Karen readied herself for battle. The blonde Kryptonian sent blasts of energy from her hand, sending the demons scattering. They were likely left in this place as guardians, and there was a great deal of craziness that they could have been capable of.

Karen sprinted over, and was about ready to pick up the crystal, when suddenly a loud boom echoed from the distance. The blonde Kryptonian stood rigid, and the girl's blue eyes burned brightly. The one thought clicked in her mind that she was not the only one who had tracked the crystal to this dimension. In fact, there was another someone, two other people who arrived.

Karen stood, spun around, and hovered in the air, hands on her hips, and stared them down the moment that Harry and Kara appeared as she greeted them with a little smirk. "I was wondering when you two would roll on it."

Kara snapped towards her double, this time she was ready, but Harry grabbed Kara by the wrist, in warning. They were in this dimension with any number of monsters, and the Heralds felt the need to keep their wits about themselves. The two of them took a very long and deep breath, and focused their attention forward.

"I'm guessing you tracked it here as well," Harry remarked to her, and Karen just stood at them, before offering a smile towards them.

"A bit before you two did, but I suppose you've been knocked down to Kal-El's errand boys," Karen replied, and Kara's eyes snapped towards her duplicate.

"You know, he's your cousin too," Kara replied to her, coolly and calmly.

Karen just wrinkled her nose at that thought, to be honest she had been gloriously underwhelmed by Kal-El so far in this universe. The fact was he was some pathetic boy scout that needed to be coddled, and only accomplished what he did because of more talented and intelligent friends really rubbed her the wrong way.

"We need the crystal, it's essential for his training," Kara replied, and Karen just grabbed the crystal into her hands.

"Oh, you mean this crystal," Karen replied, just fluttering her eyelashes, and twirling it between her fingers, deciding to have a little fun with the situation as she spoke. "The thing that's needed to create the Fortress of Solitude, but you see, I'm not sure if he's worthy of it, worthy of the power."

"What you think isn't important," Kara answered fiercely, and she dove at Karen, but Karen blocked her attack, and flung Kara over to the side once again.

"Why do all our times together have to end like that?" Karen asked, before grabbing Kara around the wrists, but Harry shot cords out, wrapping around Karen. Instead of being thrown off, a smile spread across Karen's face. "Bondage on the second date? How kinky!"

Karen busted out of her bindings, and she flew forward. Harry found himself caught off balance by the generous amount of cleavage this outfit was showing. The dark haired Herald of Death might have had better will power than most people had, but he still had limits, he was only human, and he could be led around like his hormones like any man.

Especially since this lovely, if something unhinged, woman was so much like his wife, and her body was having the desired effect.

"So, is that a wand in your pocket, or are you excited to see me?" Karen asked, and she brushed against Harry, as he struggled against her. The portal opened behind Karen, and she shoved Harry off, before giving him a parting grope, and making her way through the portal.

Kara and Harry exchanged a determined looked, and followed her through the portal. Harry shook his head at the attraction that he felt towards this other Herald of Death; even though both knew that something like this was inevitable. One of the Heralds of Death powers they discovered was to release super powered pheromones that would ensnare anyone who had the slightest bit attraction to them. They had tried to keep those powers at bay, because they could be used for abuse.

Yet, this Herald did not seem to have any inhibitions about using her powers in such a manner. The fact was she escaped this crossroads dimension with the crystal, and Harry and Kara picked up velocity, following her closely behind. They flew so fast that their clothes began to rip from the friction, but neither cared. They had to stop her from getting the crystal out, in case Lily left another nasty surprise behind they had to deactivate.

Karen had passed the portal, and it barely closed, with Harry and Kara just escaping the portal. Harry stood on the ground, his shirt completely torn off, and most of his pants, only leaving a few patches. Kara stood beside him, her cape completely shredded. Her blue top now had strips that covered her nipples, and not much else. Her skirt was now little more than a belt, and with another step, it threatened to go further than that.

"That's a good look for both of you," Karen remarked to them, but before they could respond, the crystal had vibrated in her hand.

Karen stood, and waited, this was something new.

"She left something behind!" Harry yelled at Karen, and Karen just offered a shrug at that moment, confused with what happened, this was not something she had expected.

The crystal sent a light into the sky, and suddenly, an explosion echoed. Kara grabbed Harry by the wrist, and the two made themselves invisible. It was hard to tell what had just happened. Karen already bolted away, with the crystal.

"What came through the portal?" Harry whispered to Kara, and Kara stood, rigid, and waited.

"Some horrific monster no doubt," Kara replied, standing with her hands on her hips. She saw the figure that stepped out of the portal, and thus her eyes narrowed when taking a long look at it. "Yep, I hate it when I'm right."

A woman dressed in warrior garb with flowing red hair stood in the distance. She was beautiful, but there was something a bit suspect about her beauty.

"Hold on, I'm coming," the woman replied in a fierce and determined voice, and she walked out, ready to seek out her one true love, and take him back to her planet, so they could rule over all.

"Who is that?" Harry asked slowly, to Kara, who seemed to know what was going on and she went pale at the thought.

"Maxima, the Queen of Almerac," Kara whispered to him, feeling a bit of dread coming on. "She can ensnare any man, and if they are not someone strong enough, then they will succumb to her powers in moments. Her kiss is fatal, and she will not rest until she finds a mate strong enough for her."

Harry felt an expression of mortal dread come on about it. "Who is strong enough to withstand her?"

Kara offered the answer as grim as she could state. "A Kryptonian."

Harry was afraid of that. While Maxima was not an undesirable given his quick check of the lifeline reading, she proved to be enough of a potential headache, that the two Heralds had to work damage control on.

Lost in all of this was that the third Herald had just bolted in the confusion with the Crystal of Knowledge to Merlin only knew where.

* * *

Maxima followed the beacon from her home world just like it had been written in the stars. She had waited patiently for her savior to send for her, but it was a long wait, but it would be worth it.

The warrior queen often dreamed about what her Kryptonian soul mate would be like, strong, brave, bold, willing to take charge of the situation, and able to withstand the full force of her passions.

The Queen licked her juicy lips, at the very thought. She had waited longer than she cared to remember. Maxima zoomed forward at super speed, from her point. In this Metropolis there were many men who were of good breeding, but looks could be deceiving. A Kryptonian would only have the inner strength to withstand her full force, without wilting.

It was not lost on the ruler that this planet had a yellow sun, which made the fact that her soul mate was born and bred here even more enticing. Maxima must have had him, she must need him. No doubt he was experienced, strong, and bedded several women already, like he should have. Yet, Maxima felt the strength, and the pull towards him.

A young man stepped out the shadows, and looked at Maxima. The man's heart beat against his chest, at her very presence. The closer she got, the more enticed the man got, to the point where he was light headed.

"M-may I help you," the man managed, looking at her.

"Yes, you may, I am inquiring about the Kryptonian on this planet, I wish to bed him," Maxima replied in her regal tone.

The man swallowed a lump in his throat, and decided to speak quickly. "You know, I'm…I'm him really, but your beauty, is so amazing."

Maxima smiled her smile. She shall see if this man was really her soul mate, or just another pretender to the throne. Shoving the man against the wall, Maxima pulled open his shirt, and dragged her hands down his chest.

The man was pressed against her, and Maxima leaned forward, pressing her lips firmly against his in a kiss, which the man returned. He ran his hands down her form, and Maxima was pleased that he seemed to know what he was doing. It was always so bothersome to lead someone through a sexual act.

Then it happened, the man began to choke, and sputter. His lungs filled up with a thick fluid, and he collapsed. Maxima pulled back, and watched him drop. A flicker of remorse filled the queen, realizing that this had not been the one, but rather a pretender, someone who had aspired to be something greater.

Maxima saw the man on the ground, and sent a beacon in the air, to summon for help. There was a chance that he could survive, providing the medical personnel were prompt enough to tend to his needs.

And speaking of needs, it was time that Maxima began to tend to hers. Quick a bolt of light she was off, to continue the search for the man that would rule by her side, and would provide her an heir. Time was running out, and there was any number of potential opponents, from both off world and on world that would threaten to destabilize her rule.

Maxima had just driven a group of aliens known as the Reach off of her planet, but they had weakened her planet's resources, and had sown the seeds of discontent with her people. There was a threat of a civil war, but a king to rule by her side would allow her to keep the peace, and not allow more blood to be spilled.

She was a woman of war, but at the same time, blood spilled should have a purpose, and not be done for the sick enjoyment. Maxima continued her travel, searching and waiting for the person who would bed her.

It did stand out to her mind how human males did have some twisted obsession with lying to a pretty face to make themselves look better. Yet, they could not back it up, and it had consequences, fatal ones.

Maxima had pity, but she would not shed tears. The woman continued her trek; little did she know she was being observed.

Karen watched from high above. One mortal life meant little in the grand scheme of things, but now she knew Maxima's game. Despite all of her bravado, and all of her warrior spirit, she was some woman just in desperate need to get laid, by the strongest man possible.

This merited further observation, but Karen thought this would be a true test of Kal-El's strength if he could resist this alien temptress. Somehow, she was not too optimistic about that given what she observed so far.

* * *

Clark had his mind half on his work at the Daily Planet, and half on the argument that he had a few days ago. He had made excuses to get tied up to his work, and to be honest, a part of Clark regretted what happened, but another part of Clark refused to admit he was wrong. It was just the values he had.

The fact that he had similar thoughts when he was under the influence did not help. Lois walked up, and rapped on his desk.

"Lost in space there, Kent?" Lois asked him, and Clark looked up at her, eyes snapped at her.

"Yeah, just thinking about some things that have happened," Clark managed, shaking his head.

"You and Lana had another fight, didn't you?" Lois asked.

Clark just paused, and nodded. "Yeah, I guess one could say that."

Lois felt intrigued, but did not want to feel like she was jumping in and taking advantage of Clark's obvious vulnerability. So Lois offered him some good solid advice like any friend or work colleague should.

"Well, I don't know the details, but it takes two to be wrong about something sometimes," Lois answered, and looked at Clark. "If you want to talk about it, perhaps figure out what happened, I've got a working set of ears. I'm not sure what happened, or if I can solve the problems, but I'm here for you, okay, Clark?"

Lois just patted Clark on the hand, and walked off; because she had a hot lead she had to follow. Clark barely had any time to register, before Kara showed up, with her arms crossed, and she stared down at Clark.

"We need to talk," Kara remarked to Clark, and Clark understood that meant now. He slipped away, and Kara put up the privacy spells. Clark was about to mention his misgivings about Kara, Chloe, and Harry's new arrangement, but Kara cut Clark off. "Harry and I found the Fortress."

Clark was not expecting that at all, and he could hardly wait for the details. Yet in the back of his mind, Clark thought that there was a catch, there was always a catch.

"We found it, but we lost it, the crystal of Knowledge is in the hands of the third Herald of Death," Kara responded, and Clark's face fell.

"Great, the last thing we need is the all of the knowledge of the universe in the hand of that psychopath," Clark responded, his face falling and his expression turning dark and brooding.

"She's not a psychopath," Kara responded in a firm and crisp voice, and Clark opened his mouth to protest, but Kara was not done. "She's just confused, and in a new world that she doesn't understand. I was like that too before Harry found me, so don't judge her. We need to keep reaching out for her."

"And I suppose reaching out means taking her into your bed as well," Clark responded, and Kara's eyes flashed, and she looked at Clark, her full attention on him, so Clark pressed on. "I don't know if it's a good idea what you three are doing…"

"Really, I wasn't aware that my sex life was any of your business, Clark," Kara answered, and Clark took a step back, not wanting to think about his cousin having a sex life, especially involving his best friend. "Chloe liked you for years, and you missed your chance, as far as I could tell, because this is really what this is all about, isn't it?"

"No, it's not about that," Clark responded, stepping over his words, and speaking a little too fast. "It's just that a relationship is supposed to be…."

"What between one man and one woman?" Kara asked Clark.

"No, that's…between two people," Clark responded, not wanting to sound like a bigot, although some people around where he was raised would state that. He heard some slurs about those who enjoyed the company of the same sex in his day, and a few of the more fanatical ones stated that those people should be hung from trees.

"Why does it have to be two?" Kara asked. "Why if three or more consenting adults love and respect each other?"

"It's….just wrong," Clark stammered.

"How is it wrong?" Kara argued.

"It's…." Clark managed, and Kara just looked at him.

"You don't have an answer, do you, Kal-El?" Kara asked him, making sure to use his full Kryptonian name to let him know her agitation with him being judgmental. "Because I'd imagine that you had similar desires, to be in a relationship with more than one girl at the same time, didn't you?"

Clark shook his head at that point.

"Don't lie to me," Kara whispered to him, and she looked at Clark with a burning expression.

"Yes, but I was on the Red Kryptonite then," Clark spat out, but he felt he was fighting a losing battle.

"Yes, Clark, you might have been, but Harry and I studied that extensively to create the cure for you and Lana," Kara replied, removing the bullets from Clark's gun, and staring him down. "Those thoughts were already in your mind, those desires, it just removed your inhibitions. Funny you think something is wrong, because you sure thought about doing it, didn't you?"

Clark resembled a fish out of water.

"Oh, and Clark, just a heads up, there is a dangerous alien queen after you," Kara remarked to Clark, and this got Clark's attention away from the harem thing regarding Harry.

"So, she's going to want to kill me?" Clark asked.

"Worse, she's going to want to bed you, have a ton of steamy hardcore alien sex, and take you back you her home planet so the two of you can rule," Kara responded, and she looked at Clark who was thrown off by this nonchalant declaration by Kara. "She has red hair and is stunningly beautiful, and I'm not sure if your mind can handle resist her charm. Her kiss won't kill you, but it will ensnare you further. So make sure you keep Lana, or any other girls you might be secretly wanting a threesome with in your mind."

Clark opened his mouth to protest, but Kara struck him with a silencing spell. She was going to give Clark plenty of time to think about what he did.

"I can't help you with this one, I've been helping you far too often," Kara responded. "If we find the crystal, we'll let you know."

Clark just offered a wordless nod, and Kara zoomed off. The silencing spell disappeared. Clark had a lot to think about, and he realized that perhaps he was being a bit judgmental about the entire situation. What Chloe, Kara, and Harry wanted to do should be their own business, even if Clark did wonder if Kara had a point.

He did not want to think about those desires that he might be having.

* * *

Whilst Kara warned Clark, Harry sat at the Shining Light Foundation, trying to pinpoint the location of both the third Herald of Death, and Maxima. Both of them posed dangers, albeit of different sorts. He had already heard the word that four men had been found by medics, poisoned completely. One had been saved just barely, but there would be complications. Three others suffered a fatal blow.

Harry could not worry about that as of right now, the lives of others paled to the problem of what would happen if Maxima got her claws into Clark. The woman obviously was desperate to find a powerful mate. Given what he had been able to piece together of the alien genetic makeup of her people, they had been strong.

Kryptonians had been among the few species who had been able to survive a full mating process. One of the other races was the Czarnians, but they seemed to be rather scarce, even though according to Kara, the last one was rumored to be working as some kind of bounty hunter, for the highest dollar.

Harry continued to piece together some kind of tracking signal, and as such, he barely heard Megan enter the room. Claire followed Megan into the room.

"Hi, Dad, what are you doing?" Claire asked curiously.

"We have a bit of a problem," Harry answered, and Claire looked at him with innocent eyes.

"What kind of problem?" Claire asked.

"There is an alien queen who wants to ask Clark out on a date," Harry responded, framing the question in the most innocent manner that he could.

A frown spread over Claire's face. "Oh, and is she nice?"

"No, she's a bit fanatical, and she won't take no for an answer," Harry responded. "And she doesn't seem like the type to share."

"Oh, that's unfortunate, Clark needs all the love that he can, just like you," Claire answered, wise beyond her years. "He does seem a bit stressed out. I know him and Lana are together, but you, Mom, and Chloe are together, and it seems to be working out just alright."

Harry did not want to meddle in the love life of anyone, knowing how much he hated it when people did to him. Megan walked over, and whispered in Harry's ear.

"Um, what type of alien queen are we talking about?" Megan asked, curiosity getting the better of them.

"Maxima is her name," Harry responded, and Megan just paled a bit. "Megan, what's the matter? You're turning white."

"I am!" Megan yelled, and she panicked, before she realized that Harry was referring to her skin going pale, and not anything else. "Oh, yeah, well it's just, I've…heard about her people, somewhere, I can't remember where. You weren't kidding when you said they would not take no for an answer. They're highly proud, and also…well they're just highly proud."

Harry just responded with a nod, and looked at Megan, raising an eyebrow curiously. Claire walked off from the room, just standing in the corner.

"And she's after Clark," Megan remarked, and she brushed her red hair out of her eyes, when she started to babble. "And…oh boy, that's not good. Lana might not even be able to protect him, not on her own, but she's determined, and has been training hard. At the same time…Maxima has been training her entire life, from the cradle to now, and she's been around for a long time."

"I can tell," Harry responded, and Megan looked at him, with Harry looking back. "There are times where I get the impression that you know much more than you let on, Megan."

Megan just paused, and Harry looked at the girl.

"I know where you've come from, and that's fine, but just remember that you got to learn to be comfortable in your own skin, before you truly know who you are," Harry answered. "People won't think any less of you about what you are, at least the people who truly should matter. It's who you are that matters, not where you came from, or what your people might have done before you."

Megan just turned around, nodding slowly. The truth was White Martians had been considered monsters, and while there were a few bad eggs among them, it was blown out of proportion by propaganda that had been spread throughout the universe.

"Thanks Harry," Megan responded, and she turned, looking outside the window. "So, good luck at tracking down…um whatever it is you're doing."

"Thanks," Harry replied to her, and Megan walked off. Claire sat in the corner, working on her homework. Kara returned, just in time. She greeted Claire with a quick hug, before she moved over to Harry.

"I warned Clark, and we had words about…well you know," Kara said quickly.

"Yeah, that was coming," Harry answered, not really thinking about it. "Our third Herald of Death is on her way to the Daily Planet, and she's tailing Queen Maxima."

"And now we'll be tailing her," Kara added, and the two zoomed off, with Claire being very annoyed that her homework got blown all over the place, by her parents blowing off at super speed..

With a frown, she cleared up her work.

* * *

The warning Kara had recently given him was fresh in his mind, but the truth was that Clark was not distracted. He had decided to smooth things over with Lana first, and then with Chloe.

Although there was a good clue that Lana was closer to Clark than he thought, given the fact that she vowed to protect him at all times. Still, there was the alien queen that Clark had to worry about, and he made his way to the elevator, when he spotted a red haired woman standing inside.

Maxima had decided to take a closer look at this building, but so far, her search for her soul mate had come up empty handed. However, fate tended to have a way of throwing the cards back into her favor, and it did with who walked inside the door.

"Hello," Clark responded, half paying attention to the woman.

Maxima saw his demeanor, his broad shoulders, his tall body, and that was not all she noticed. The woman thought that if this was not the one, she would scream in frustration. Maxima stepped forward, and grabbed Clark, before pushing him back against the elevator.

Panic flooded Clark's mind, when he felt the strength of this woman who could physically dominate him.

"What are you doing?" Clark managed through a hazed expression, but the woman pushed Clark back, his back hitting the wall.

"Such strength, looks like I've finally found the one that I was looking for," Maxima responded, and she enjoyed that he pushed back, because it made the conquest that more thrilling.

It was no fun dominating someone who was weak of body, but when there was someone who could match her strength, that was where the true fun began.

Clark felt himself ensnared by this woman, but he tried to follow Kara's advice, to keep Lana to the front of his mind. It allowed him moments of resistance, when suddenly, Maxima grabbed him hard, and leaned forward, before her lips pressed against his in a searing hot kiss.

The Kryptonian felt his inhibitions melt away slowly, and Maxima deepened the kiss. His mind was shut down of all thoughts of resistance. Why should he resist, she was so gorgeous, and the thought of any other woman had left his mind.

Clark tried to push through, he was stronger, but suddenly his resistance was worn down by the way the hands were moving. As the elevator seemed to go up, Maxima was working her way down Clark's body and was about to unbuckle his pants to give him the thrill of his life.

The elevator stopped, and the door opened. Lois stepped inside. She was about to say the words "going down", but given the sight she was visited with, the fact that those words seemed oddly inappropriate right now. Never one for tact, Lois spoke up.

"Who are you?" Lois asked, looking at Maxima.

Maxima just looked at Lois, like she was a momentarily amusement at best. "I am Queen Maxima, the ruler of Almerac, and I'm here to take my soul mate back to our planet, so we can rule over all."

"Right, and I'm the queen of the mole people," Lois answered in a disbelieving voice, but Maxima just looked at her, ready to bring Clark back home.

"None shall stand in my way of claiming my prize," Maxima responded in a crisp voice, and Clark stood there, in a trance. Lois began snapping her fingers, trying to get Clark's attention.

When that didn't work, Lois tried the old stand-by of slapping Clark in the face, repeatedly, to try and bring him back to reality. That did not really work all that much either. Clark was completely out to lunch, and likely it was almost like he was some kind of spell.

"Clark, think of Lana, think of anyone, just snap out of it!" Lois yelled, a bit frantic.

"Lois," Clark mouthed, but Maxima shoved Lois to the ground.

"Let's go, my king," Maxima replied, grabbing Clark, snaking her arm around his head. "You have proven yourself to be worthy of being on my arm, and together we shall rule with strength, and punish all who dare defy us."

"No, you should serve the people, not the other way around," Clark slurred, his mind becoming less hazed.

Maxima sighed, his little morality would have been so cute, had it not been so annoying. She was about to seal the deal with another kiss, sealing her pull, when suddenly, a fist ripped through the elevator, and punched Maxima directly in the face.

Maxima turned around, and saw Lana right on her, and she rushed over for Clark.

"How quaint, the human that my mate has fine-tuned his love making skills with," Maxima answered smelling her mate's scent all over this one, and she looked at Lana, surveying her. "You have done well, but your usefulness has passed. But if you ask nicely, perhaps you may have a role, as a servant to attend to our needs. Beg for me."

Maxima grabbed Lana by the head, but Lana pushed her back.

"I'll do no such thing," Lana answered, and she grabbed Maxima, around the waist, flying her through the wall at super speed. Both women continued to fly, before Lana slammed Maxima into the fresh mud outside. Both women had been splattered with mud.

Karen arrived, and normally she would have amused. If she was not so certain that Lana would be utterly annihilated by Maxima, power upgrade or not, and the third Herald of Death surveyed the situation, trying to figure out her next move

Clark was still half in la-la land, and Lois was down on the ground. Karen grabbed Lois, and picked her up.

"Lana will get killed if you don't help her," Karen replied to Lois, whispering in her ear. "If Maxima wins this rite of combat, she can claim Clark by universal law."

"Really?" Lois asked in confusion, but she spun around. "Just who are you?"

"I'm Clark's cousin," Karen answered to her.

"Another one?" Lois asked her, confusion spreading towards her. "You do keep cropping out of the wood-work. So I'm guessing you and Kara are twins or sisters or something?"

"One could put it that way, yes, but anyway, we don't come from Earth, we come from a planet that is long dead called Krypton, and have special abilities underneath the yellow sun," Karen answered , telling Lois anything she needed to know, knowing that she would wipe her memories later.

"Really?" Lois asked, dubious, but that would explain so very much.

"Lana was gifted those powers, and Chloe does as well, and now you do too," Karen continued, and Lois was completely flummoxed.

"How do you…"

"You've been given Kryptonian powers for two hours, giving you more than ample time to defeat Maxima," Karen responded to her in a crisp and calm voice.

"And why don't you do it?" Lois asked her.

"I have no interest in winning the hand of my cousin in ritual combat," Karen responded.

"Right, you are related," Lois answered.

"That's not the problem, he's just not my type," Karen replied in a crisp voice, and Lois was taken aback. The truth was Karen's type had bright green eyes, messy dark hair, was a wizard, and was named Harry Potter.

Not that she would mention it on anything more than a subconscious level. Her other type were blonde haired, blue eyed Kryptonians named Kara.

"Help Lana," Karen encouraged, and that was what Lois did, speeding off like a blur.

Karen watched as Lana was losing ground, despite holding up her end of the fight gallantly. Once Lois and Lana defeated Maxima, then one of the Heralds could send her back to where she come from, although it was possible that Maxima's pride would cause her to take a fight to the death attitude.

The show was about to begin.

**To Be Continued in "Maxima Part Two."**


	44. Chapter 44: Maxima Part Two

**Chapter 44: Maxima Part Two. **

The moment Lois Lane got empowered, she could scarcely believe her luck, this was something beyond her wildest dreams, and the possibilities of what she could do with this power had danced in her head. Lois was like a kid on Christmas morning, as her imagination had run wild with any number of ideas what her powers could do, but that was not important. There was only one thing Lois could do now, and she focused herself, intent to move forward to complete the task at hand.

The main objective was to lay the smackdown on some smug alien princess, and that was what Lois intended to do, speeding past the offices of the Daily Planet, and exiting the window, ready to engage this queen in battle. Lois dropped down, making sure to remain carefully out of the wandering eyes of any busy bodies that might have been around, and scoped out the scene, looking for Lana and Maxima.

It struck Lois who the Blur was, it had to be Clark, or maybe it was Lana, but perhaps it was both, hard to tell sometimes really. The sounds of combat had cut Lois out of her musings, and she moved around, to see Lana and Maxima go at it. The fight was about what one would expect between two super-powered women who were fighting over a super powered man with lots of hair punching, punching, scratching, and kicking.

Not to mention the mud throwing, Lois could not forget about the mud throwing, the mud throwing was something that was important to detail here. Lois noticed that Lana was holding her own, but at the same time, Maxima was just skilled. If Lois had to hazard a guess, Maxima was the type who had been in fights since she was a small child, but guess what, Lois was the same way.

"Hey, hands off!" Lois yelled, before she sped over, hand extended, and her palm struck Maxima straight in the face. Maxima flew backwards from the impact, going through the air, and landing on the ground, but the only thing that was injured was her pride. That was the worst type of injury for a queen of her race, and Maxima rose to her feet, eyes narrowed and face seething.

"You dare strike the Queen of Almerac!"

"Yes, I dare, given what you've done today you're getting off light," Lois responded, and she focused herself, before she realized that she had super breath. Lois amused herself, remembering all of the people who thought she was just full of hot air, and now she had a chance to put that to a more universal use. Lois blew Maxima off balance, and she staggered immediately at that time, her legs buckling from Lois breathing her. Maxima fought back, trying to super speed for, and she grabbed Lois.

Lana shook her head, and tried to get back to her feet, the entire situation just assimilated in her mind. It struck her that she was in a battle that she might have been a bit in over her head. It was not because of her own lack of ability, but rather the fact that the woman that attacked her, was far more skilled, and had been training for far more years. Lana's musings had been broken up by Lois nailing the woman in the face.

"I must have my king, and I will not let either of you stand in my way!" Maxima yelled, and she grabbed Lois by the throat, trying to strangle her, but Lois knocked Maxima off, sending her flying back. Maxima crashed hard into a gate, as people surrounded around. With how their powers were modified, a slight shield was surrounded around their faces, blocking anyone from seeing their true faces.

Lois surrounded Maxima, and Lana joined her, ready to get back into the fight. Lana nailed Maxima with a huge kick to the side of the head, whilst she was distracted in her battle with Lois. The kick cracked Maxima hard in the chest, and the woman staggered back, with Lois spearing Maxima with her shoulder, sending her flying back into the side of a building, cracking it.

"You might want to be a little less rough, not to cause an Earthquake," Lana advised to her, and Lois just shrugged. Lana had no idea how Lois got super powers, at this point, she was just rolling with it, but the help was appreciated for Clark.

"No, my planet…it will die, I need an heir, I need someone strong enough," Maxima answered, taking a deep breath, and she grabbed both Lana and Lois by the throats, pushing them back hard. "He is my soul mate, and I will not allow either of you to stop me. He sent for me."

"Maybe it was a wrong number," Lois managed, rasping at that moment, but her eyes lit up, and she sent out a burst of heat vision, and Lana did the same. The two rays of heat burned Maxima, causing her to stagger back, and Lana and Lois smashed Maxima back hard.

The queen had flown back, and for this moment, she enjoyed the thrill of combat. Nothing had given her more pleasure, and she was impressed by these two, for their desire to fight for the Kryptonian. Maxima debated the merits of keeping these two as pets, once she had defeated them, for they could tend to both her and her mate's needs.

Lois and Lana looked at each other, and both nodded at each other, before they tried to fire off an attack. Maxima had been knocked to the ground, and before the vibrations could level half of Metropolis, Lana kept them at bay with a telekinetic field, until they could be rode out. Lana was breathing heavily, and Lois looked at her, with a raised eyebrow, not quite realizing what she did.

"I don't think I have that ability," Lois remarked in an off handed voice, but Maxima was up, staggered, blood dripping down from her mouth. "Don't look now, but her royal pain in the ass still wants to dance."

Lana grabbed Maxima, and flew her up into the sky, with Lois following behind her. The two empowered women were up in the air, with the queen struggling to get out of Lana's grip, but Lana hurled Maxima into the waiting grip of Lois.

Lois caught Maxima, and she flew into the air, before a punch impacted the alien queen in the face. Maxima spiraled to the ground, going head over heels, and Lana caught her before she crashed to the ground to cause a sadistic impact.

Maxima had no idea what was happening, but it was a fight to the death, a fight that she would not be denied. Lana suddenly had Maxima rolled over onto her stomach, and a knee buried into the back, hands on the side of her head. The alien queen refused to go down at this point, but then she slumped at that moment.

"Careful, she might be playing possum," Lois said, as she dropped down to her feet, and kept her eyes firmly on the alien queen. Sure enough, Maxima was luring them into a false sense of security, nailing both of them with a hard double palm strike, and both women had flew backwards with a sinister impact.

Lois and Lana soured backwards, and Maxima grabbed Lana, before wrenching her arm, with cracking her elbow behind her back, the queen taking Lana down. Lois grabbed Maxima, wrapping her arm around her throat, trying to choke her out with a rear naked choke, but

Maxima flipped her over, before causing both women to land on the ground. Lana and Lois staggered back to their feet, and Maxima flew at them with a primal rage.

The two women knew what they had to do, and it was an elementary tactic, but an extremely useful one. The rage of Maxima should be used against her, to make her lose by her own merits, before between the two of them; they could just barely keep up with this alien queen, and her warrior spirit.

"Hey, you've already lost, you just don't already know it," Lois heckled Maxima, and Maxima turned around.

"Yeah, you can't even defeat, what did you call me, the practice girl of your so called soul mate," Lana taunted Maxima, and Maxima turned around, to go after Lana, but Lois was not done mocking the queen as of yet. In fact, one could say that she was just getting warmed up, with Lois deciding to go for the gut rather early on.

"You can't even win a man with your charming personality, so you have to resort to ensnaring him with that kiss of yours," Lois answered at that moment, and Maxima suddenly blinked, gritting her teeth in rage, she wanted to kill this obnoxious woman slowly, painfully, until the point where she begged for mercy. "That really says something about your self-esteem, or lack thereof."

Maxima was in a rage, and she gave a primal howl, before she went after Lois, but this left her own for an attack from Lana. Lana slammed the fullest force she could muster into the spine of Maxima, with the woman's legs crumpling underneath her.

Maxima screamed from the agony, and Lois caught her with a huge thunderous punch to the face, with a loud sonic boom echoing, that Lana had to contain to prevent it from leveling all of Metropolis.

X-X-X

Harry and Kara popped up at the Daily Planet, and they had arrived just in time to see the chaos, and also see Karen just sitting on Clark's desks, legs crossed, and casually drinking a cup of coffee. Harry turned around, and his eyes focused on Karen's face, but there was a moment before she spoke.

"I must commend you on being the only man to be able to look at my face."

"What did you do?" Harry asked, looking at her, and dropping any sense of pleasantries, and Karen just responded for a moment by humming, until her younger counterpart looked at her.

"Well, I'm trying to fix the mess that we caused, so I gave Lois super powers, so Maxima doesn't try and kill Lana," Karen answered, and Kara and Harry stepped off, but Karen put up a field to stop them. "Remember, it's now trial by combat, for the hand of Kal-El, and they have to beat her, and it may be to the death. You can't interfere, either of you."

Harry looked at Kara for confirmation, and the blonde Kryptonian nodded her head, looking defeated, but she responded with a few words. "Yeah, it's true, Lana and Lois have to win or…"

Kara's voice trailed off at what she was going to say, and there was really no need for her to continue, Harry had gotten the message loud and clear. An arm was thrown over Kara's shoulders, and the two watched a bit of the battle from the windows. To most other observers, the battle would be just be a bunch of super powered blurs, going back and forth without any rhyme or reason.

Thanks to their super powers, both Kara and Harry were able to watch the battle, it going back and forth several times, and both of them watched, absolutely impressed.

At that moment, Chloe showed up, looking around. She watched, mouth wide open, and eyes blinking, just trying to reconcile the entire situation that was going on around her, before speaking after a moment of silence.

"Would either of you…explain what is going on here?"

It was Harry who chimed in at that point, without missing a beat. "Our friend the third Herald here found the Crystal of Knowledge, and my mother tampered with it, sending a beacon that summoned an alien queen who is extremely horny, and in desperate need of a mate. She used a kiss to ensnare Clark with her powers, and is now fighting Lana and Lois in ritual combat for Clark's hand, oh and Lois has now been given super powers."

Chloe's eyes widened in abject horror. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN LOIS HAS BEEN GIVEN SUPER POWERS?"

Kara could not resist teasing her mate at that one. "Really, out of all of that information, that's the thing you find the most objectionable."

Chloe's mouth open, Chloe's mouth shut, she resembled a fish out of water at this point, before she shook her head, and regained the necessary amount of focus to properly think in a rational manner. "Okay, just calm yourself, perhaps this isn't going to be the cataclysm that you think it is. Perhaps Lois will be responsible with them and….oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. And she was sent out into the thick of things, without training, oh boy. And…"

Chloe sank herself down onto the chair, breathing in and breathing out, regaining her bearings and the loud sounds of combat could be heard. Karen sat on the desk, watching a bit of it out of the corner of her eyes, this was going better than expected.

She half expected Lois and Lana to get creamed in about ten minutes flat, and Maxima throw Clark over her shoulder, before taking him back as the spoils of war. Granted, that's not what she wanted to happen, but that was just likely something was going to happen, that being the most probable outcome given what she heard about the people of Almerac.

Chloe cut in with a question that had been burning in her mind. "So…um where's Clark in all of this?"

Karen chimed in happily with an answer, her blue eyes fixed on Chloe, and a slight smirk on her face, getting some kind of perverse amusement out of the situation. "He's in the elevator, in la-la land, after the Queen kissed him. He's still ensnared under his power, but at least he's not singing really bad show tunes."

Chloe half paid attention to what was said, and she only sped over to the elevator, where she spotted Clark, slumped and in a daze, his shirt torn off from Maxima's earlier efforts.

The lights seemed to be on, but no one was really home, and Chloe tried to snap her fingers to wake Clark up. She snapped them over and over again, but she was not getting anywhere.

"Clark, wake up, snap out of it!" Chloe yelled at Clark, shaking him with her super strength, but this did her no good. The woman put her hands on her head, and shook it, before a sudden and wicked burst of inspiration had struck her. "Clark, you've forced me to take drastic action."

Chloe sped off from the elevator, leaving Clark in his stupor, and returned a moment later, toting a huge jug of ice water that she had liberated from the office water cooler. Chloe closed her eyes, and whilst throwing all caution to the wind, the water jug was dumped on Clark, the ice water poured all it all over it. Half of it was dumped over his head and the other half was dumped down Clark's pants.

Needless to say, this had snapped Clark out of his daze, and back to reality, with him looking around. Clark stood in the elevator, shirtless, and dripping wet, and his eyes snapped towards Chloe's amused face with an incredulous expression on his face.

"CHLOE!"

"Well that worked," Chloe remarked, barely able to keep a straight face with the amused situation that had happened.

"Why did you do that for?" Clark asked, shaking his head, and he resembled a drowned rat with his hair soaking wet.

"What would you have had be do, Clark?" Chloe asked, looking at her friend, and glad to see he was back to his usual self, not in a daze, well not more so than usual anyway. "I figured, that always worked wonders in getting Lois up out of bed, so why not do the same to you?"

Clark found it hard to fault this logic, but he did not remember anything, past the point where he had gotten into the elevator. He had a feeling that something rather important happened, although the Kryptonian found himself struggling to remember past a certain point.

Those thoughts were cut off by a huge crash through the windows that sent flying glass and debris everywhere. Clark winced, but found out that the Daily Planet office had mostly been cleared out by this time, which he found that he was thankful for.

The last thing that he needed was a few shell-shocked interns to find the scene, but really it was Clark who was the most shell-shocked of them all, his mouth widened. Lana and Lois had some redhead pinned to the floor, and she was struggling, fighting.

"She has a lot of fight, doesn't she?" Lana grunted, trying to hold Maxima down to the ground, pinning her down.

"Oh, hey, Smallville," Lois responded in a nonchalant voice, whilst she pinned Maxima to the ground, but Karen stepped over at this point, looking down at Maxima.

"I believe you've lost, princess," Karen taunted her, a smug and self-assured expression etched on the face of the blonde Kryptonian once she had looked down at the defeated alien queen.

Maxima's face contorted into a snarl, and she could sense that this girl had masterminded her utter humiliation by giving that other woman super powers. Her pride had been demanded, and the only thing that could soothe it was blood. Maxima bounced up to her feet, once Lana and Lois got up, and while they braced themselves to fight, Maxima attacked Karen instead.

Harry dove in at that moment, and sent Maxima flying back against the wall. Maxima's eyes widened at his strength, and his power, and she wondered if he could be an ideal mate, but Kara had already noticed the signs. Kara flew in, grabbing Maxima around the wrist, and managing to find the bracelet on her, recognizing the technology at once.

"I won't forget this humiliation!" Maxima yelled, trying to save face by not breaking down in her defeat.

"Yeah, you will," Karen answered, in a bored voice, holding up her crystal, and wiping Maxima's memories of her little trip on Earth, before Kara had sent her back to where she came.

Suddenly, a sonic boom echoed throughout the Daily Planet offices, and Kara, Harry, Clark, Lana, Lois, and Chloe all landed on the ground with a thud, knocked out.

Karen was about to wipe Lois's minds and her powers but Harry had blocked her from doing so completely. That was his last act before Harry blacked out from the pain.

Karen had teleported out of the way, and Clark was the first one to get to his feet, using his chair to pull himself to his feet.

Clark shook his head, and spotted that this other blonde Kryptonian had left something behind.

It was the crystal, with the note attached to it. Clark read the note, it was in Kryptonian writing, and he understood the message immediately. He was actually surprised that Karen had left it behind.

_Keep it safe this time, for there may not be a next time._

* * *

Lois stirred back to consciousness, and she was sitting at her desk at the Daily Planet, with a splitting headache. To be honest, Lois could not remember all of what had happened, and honestly speaking she had blacked out some time ago, perhaps working on a story.

That seemed to be the most logically explanation of her mind, and the brunette reporter tried to get her head back together, when footsteps echoed towards her. They sounded like thunder in her current condition, and she spun around, to see Chloe standing there, with a casual expression.

"Lois, are you okay?" Chloe asked to Lois in a calm voice, and Lois blinked at that moment, with Chloe's voice sounding like thunder in her ears. It was almost like someone had turned up the volume of her hearing up, for it to be super sensitive.

"Okay, yeah, I'm fine, really I'm fine," Lois responded, and she reached over to grab her cup of coffee, but it was empty. That was strange, because Lois did not remember taking one drink of it whatsoever before she blanked out.

Lois felt a spasm in her back, and shook her head, it was not for the first time where she suspected that something extraordinary happened, and she had been down for the count, missing every single moment of it. "Boy, I feel like I've been through hell and back."

Chloe noticed that Lois seemed to have no idea what happened, and wondered if the powers had been a temporary thing, even though the pain had not left her. "So…how are you feeling?"

"Like I was a stunt double for Wile E. Coyote," Lois responded with a grimace, and she got up to her feet, wincing when she stood on her feet. "Ow…ow…what happened?"

"There was something that went through here involving the Blur," Chloe said, barely keeping a straight face at the moniker that Clark had been dubbed, but she managed to keep her cool, and look at Lois, looking at her. "The person after him knocked you into a wall, but you managed to get up, I guess and blacked out. I was about to call the ambulance, but then you woke up, are you sure you're okay?"

"Give me a couple of pain killers, and call me in the morning," Lois responded with a grimace, trying to shake her head at that point, and really get back to life. "Just got to get back to work, the news business waits for no one, so why should I be any different. Up and back at it, are you sure I didn't miss anything important?"

Chloe had no idea what to say, and she blinked for a moment, before turning towards Lois, and taking a deep breath.

"I think you would have remembered it if was important," Chloe answered in an honest voice, and she saw Clark standing nervously in the background, out of the corner of her eye. Chloe took a step back. "If you need anything, I'll be right around the corner."

"Yeah, I think I'll just take about five," Lois answered, grimacing at the slightest movement, and she slumped back down on her chair, wincing at the stabbing pain going through her body. "Yeah, about five years, maybe five decades, but after that, I should be back on my feet within no time."

Chloe just turned around, and walked forward with a purpose, quickening her strides, pushing through the door, to face Clark, a nervous expression etched on his face. The two had not spoken to each other ever since their little tiff, unless one counted Chloe dousing Clark with the ice water in the elevator and snapping him out of his Maxima induced trance moments ago.

Chloe shifted on her feet, watching Clark, just taking moments to study him, and Clark responded by opening his mouth, but then he promptly shut it, taking a deep breath.

"So, I guess we have to talk," Clark responded at that moment, taking a deep breath, and looking at Chloe.

That was the most direct, and sincere way to get straight to the point, which Chloe appreciated about Clark at this point, direct honesty, was something that they needed to get through this entire situation. Clark cleared his throat, and his eyes snapped onto Chloe's, both staring at each other, before the Kryptonian spoke in his most honest voice possible.

"Chloe look I'm…you know I still don't like this, but…I respect your right to be in any kind of relationship that you want to, even if it's kind of…well you know, and I'm sorry."

"Yeah, thanks, Clark, I appreciate you finally pulling your head out of your ass," Chloe answered in a nonchalant voice, and Clark just looked at Chloe, with a raised eyebrow.

"It does seem to spend a lot of time wedged up there," Clark answered, folding his hands over his chest, and he watched Chloe, who responded. "After all that's happened…"

"And a lot has happened," Chloe said, cutting off Clark, and she stepped forward. "I'm glad to have a friend like you Clark, even with all of your faults, and there are many, we could list them all day."

Clark just nodded, and he would have to agree.

"But at the same time, your imperfections make you who you are, and give you something to work past," Chloe answered, looking at Clark. "And you know, you might find yourself in a situation like mine, where you are in a relationship with multiple people. Lois and Lana technically won that duel with Maxima, therefore, they won the rights to you."

"So, wait, I'm some prize to be won in a contest now?" Clark asked, getting a bit defensive now.

"Not saying that at all, but just saying, perhaps you might want to open your mind, you never know what you like until you try it," Chloe answered in an even voice, and Clark just nodded. "And you can't look me in the eye, and tell me that you haven't had forbidden thoughts about multiple women at the same time."

"Yes, but on the Red Kryponite," Clark said, and Chloe just put a hand up to stop Clark, before he said anything else, a smile appearing on her face.

"And what does the Red Kryptonite do? It removes your inhibitions, but it doesn't put new thoughts there. You always did have a wild side in you."

"So, I guess I was just projecting my insecurities about my own forbidden desires onto Harry, and blaming him, I know he wouldn't force you or Kara into anything, unless you were willing," Clark said, but he was happy that he did not confront Harry about the situation. Most likely because it would end badly for him, and then once Kara found out he tried to attack Harry, it would really end badly for him.

"Just learn from your mistakes," Chloe responded, and she looked at Clark before saying something. "You got the crystal, don't you?"

"Yes," Clark responded, and he reached into his pocket, to make sure it was still there. "She's a weird one to figure out…"

"She did help us today, and send Maxima away," Chloe responded to Clark, eyes snapped up, and focusing him, before nodding her head. "I don't know, there's a chance that…well you know what there's a chance for."

"I don't need to visualize anything that goes on behind closed doors," Clark said, holding his hand up, and Chloe got the message.

Chloe smiled at that moment, before taking a deep breath, and directing the conversation back to the matter at hand.

"Kara and Harry want to take a look at that distress that you and Lana heard from the Artic the other day, and they want you two to meet them, tonight, after dinner," Chloe responded, and Clark nodded, feeling that was agreeable to what he wanted to do. The truth was there was a morbid amount of curiosity "Don't be late or anything."

"I won't be," Clark said, thinking that Lana would be agreeable to what happened, and to be honest, he was curious about what was going on, and wanted to solve that mystery.

Chloe's eyes looked at Clark, a grin crossing her face, and to be honest, after what happened, she could not resist. The blonde looked at Clark, and remarked in an oh so casual voice. "Hey, Clark, you looked a little bit parched, how about a drink of ice-water?"

Clark's eyes snapped towards Chloe, who had broken out in hysterical laughter. "That's not funny, Chloe."

"I thought it was," Chloe responded in mirth, before the two walked back to Clark's desk. Clark sat back down to work, and Lois had brave walking off to get another cup of coffee. Chloe was gone, and Clark had his papers in order, trying to get back into work.

Suddenly, Chloe zoomed in back in at super speed, and sent Clark's papers flying in every which direction, causing him to scramble to pick them up.

"Sorry, always wanted to do that," Chloe said, before turning around, and walking off, whistling like she had not just sent all of the paper contents of Clark's desk flying.

Clark grumbled, picking up everything, his entire desk area looked like a hurricane had come in.

'_I suppose I had this coming,' _Clark thought to himself, scooping the papers up, and putting them back into the desk, jumping at every noise, for fear that it was Chloe making her return, to disrupt all of his work.

Meanwhile Lois grumbled when she had crushed the cup in her hand. They sure did not make these things like they used to.

With another motion she walked over to her desk and tried to pull open the drawer. The drawer went off of the rollers at that motion.

'_I guess I don't know my own strength,' _Lois thought to herself tensely.

* * *

Cold biting winds blew through the Artic, and it was at one of the coldest points that it had been at any time, but that did not bother the five figures who had stood at the Artic, one of them clutching a crystal in his hand. Clark stood, hesitate to what he needed to do, and Kara and Harry both sensed these hesitations from Clark, so Kara turned to him, and took a deep breath.

"Clark, hand us the crystal, and we'll be able to scan it, to make sure that Lily did not leave any other nasty surprises," Harry remarked, and Clark, without hesitation, had handed Harry the crystal. It was pure power personified, and Harry made sure that no traces of his mother lingered inside the crystal. It was just like her to face some kind of failsafe.

It did strike Harry at that moment that the orb had gone missing as well, and the tracking charm had been disabled, so it could have been anywhere.

"So what's the damage?" Chloe asked, to break the silence.

Kara put up a hand, and Chloe clapped her hands over her mouth, adopting the "speak no evil" pose, nodding the head. There was a time where she stood swaying, and Harry and Kara continued to scan the crystal, before both of them nodded.

"It's completely clean," Harry summarized, and everyone had let out the breaths they had been holding in, for a very long time. The fact of the matter was that the crystal could have been their demise, or their doom, but it was not anything like that. Harry held out the crystal, for Clark to take. "I believe this is yours."

Clark held the crystal in his hand, holding it over, and just watching it, it was in his hand, like fire. The fact of the matter was that Clark had no idea what he truly wanted to do, but Lana stood by his side, waiting and watching him.

Immediately, Clark hurled the crystal back into the snow, where the Fortress once stood. A blinding light had erupted, and the Fortress came back to life once again, in all of his majestic glory, blinding the five figures standing in the Artic with its brilliance.

The five figures stepped forward, and Clark was allowed to lead the way, since it was his Fortress. Clark stepped inside, with Lana following, and then Chloe, Kara, and Harry brought up the rear, all of them hovering above the ground.

The Fortress had been put back onto line, just the way it was, with one notable exception, Jor-El had been missing in action. It seemed like the Jor-El programming had been banished elsewhere, and the AI was not present, yet someone else was, her voice, beautiful sounding and sophisticated, had spoken to them throughout the Artic.

"I am pleased to have met you face to face at least, my son."

Kara stood rigid, and absolutely shocked, with Harry putting an arm around her waist, waiting and watching, for Kara had recognized that voice. The blonde Kryptonian stood, mouth wide open, and the Herald of Death watched, mouth wide open, trying to articulate her words, before speaking.

"Aunt Lara?"

This statement had caused the entire group to be caught for a loop, and Clark suddenly took a step forward, absolutely shocked by what was going on, his mother was alive and well in the Fortress.

"Yes, Kara, it is me, upon Jor-El's departure from this area, my programming was activated," Lara responded in a crisp voice.

Harry stood, suspicious immediately, just on sheer principle, and if experience had taught him anything, it was to suspect everything, and everyone. This could have been another one of his mother's tricks, but for now, he was going to keep an open mind. Kara seemed rather convinced or perhaps just blindly optimistic at this point. Chloe seemed to be thinking among the same lines as Harry, and her brow contorted in suspicion, before she spoke.

"So, if you were here all of this time, how is it that you never had any input on Clark's life?" Chloe asked, and Lana's eyes snapped towards Chloe, but then she nodded, thinking that her friend had made a good point.

"Believe me, I wished I could have been here for my son, but Jor-El's programming was going to be the overriding force, no matter what I had tried to do," Lara answered, her voice sounding apologetic and regretful. Clark noticed that Lara had more emotion in her tone than Jor-El ever did when he spoke to Clark. "I installed this failsafe program in the event where your father's AI had been corrupted, deleted, or otherwise impaired, so you would not go without guidance. I was always here, but never active. Yet, I have been well informed of everything that transpired, and am rather displeased at your father right at the moment."

Kara just smiled at that, holding back a laugh.

"Somebody's busted,' Chloe said out of the corner of her mouth, and Kara would have to agree.

"My father has always been so cold, and so distant to me, he's….he keeps talking about my destiny," Clark said, wanting to trust this woman who claimed to be his birth mother, but she was just a voice.

"Your father did have great hopes for you once you were born, the greatest, perhaps greater than any pair of shoulders could even hope to burden," Lara stated, before taking a moment to speak. "Jor-El was a man of many talents, as I had found out constantly."

Clark suddenly took a step back, eyes widened in trauma, and Chloe and Lana were both in hysterics, but the truth was that Clark did not need to learn that about his birth parents. Kara even pulled a face at that one, thinking that was way more information than she needed to know, with Harry throwing an arm around her, and barely hiding his own amusement at Clark's mental scarring.

"The point is that your father tends to have a grand vision, and he often finds himself pressured with what he must do, putting great pressure upon himself," Lara answered, and there was a point where her attention was fully focused on her son. "He has a multitude of faults, and once he programmed this AI, he thought that his emotions would cloud the directive he felt you would be given. It is a costly mistake, and one that has bred a negative impression of your father in your mind."

"That's putting it mildly," Clark responded, thinking about Jor-El, and all of the times where his father had been critical of him, about his destiny.

"For he would have had emotions, he would have understood that you would have been just as stubborn as he was," Lara added at that point, taking a moment to speak. "But there are other matters that we must discuss regarding what has happened, before we find a way to recall his programming. As able as I am to help you on certain matters, there was information that left with Jor-El that would help direct you in a certain way."

"I have a lot of the information, up here," Lana remarked, tapping on the top of her head, and the truth was she understood most of it.

"I understand that, and you will do well with assisting Kal-El on his journey," Lara responded briskly, and she paused. "Humanity is at a crossroads in many ways, and there is a chance that they always will be. As a wise man once told me, they are a great people, they wish to be."

"Wise words to live by," Clark responded, pleased that someone had sense.

"They were the words of your father," Lara informed him, and Clark just stood back, aghast, but perhaps Jor-El was much more than this AI had made him out to be. Raya had told him that much, but Clark, in his rage against his father, had refused to listen. Yet, there might have been a reason for Jor-El presenting himself through this AI in such a matter.

Lara was far from finished speaking, and her attention was on Clark. "There is much we need to discuss, and there will be plenty of time to do it later. There is the matter of an element that Jor-El would have neglected, and the matter of your mates."

Clark's eyebrows rose at that moment, and Chloe and Kara just looked amused, the irony of it all, and Lana was just trying to figure out what her opinion was on this entire situation. Harry stood in the backward, just watching their reactions.

"I…I…I don't know about this," Clark remarked, completely flummoxed, and Chloe was now in hysterics at the look of Clark's face, making sure to burn it into her mind, because that would give her enough amusement to last a lifetime.

"Yes, I do understand about Earth taboos, but it is something that you must resolve to keep an open mind for your own sake," Lara responded, without another word, and there was a moment where everyone inside the Fortress was silent.

Kara broke the silence, she was happy beyond all words, and took a deep breath, focusing her attention on her aunt. "It's really good to hear your voice, again Aunt Lara."

"It is good to hear yours as well, Kara," Lara responded, and suddenly she paused. "And you're all grown up, with a mate of your own, and a handsome and a strong one as well, one that will be with you until the end of time."

"Yes, we will," Harry responded, with Kara grabbing one of his hands, and Chloe grabbing the other hand, as they stood in the Fortress.

"Both of your mates will be a treasure to cherish Kara, and it is just the beginning for you," Lara responded to her niece, and there was a time where everything went silence. "Now, Kal-El, if there is anything you wish to ask of me, or about me and your father, do not be afraid to ask."

Clark would keep that in mind for the future, but as of right now he was overwhelmed, and everything happened so fast; to the point where he had a thousand thoughts swimming around on the inside of his head. They would also have to recover the Jor-El programming wherever Lily had sent it, but that was another matter for later, right now the first steps towards the rest of his life would be taken.

* * *

**Bonus Smut/Lemon/Roleplay Scene Begins. **

-PROFILE

**Smut/Lemon/Roleplay concludes. **

**To Be Continued in the Next Chapter "Moments in Time."**


	45. Chapter 45: Moments in Time

**Chapter 45: Moments in Time.**

Spring had most certainly sprung a long time ago, and the weather shifted into the warmer, almost summer weather. Deep into the month of June, a lot of time had passed, with a lot having happened, and almost two months had passed since the Maxima incident. There was a lot to do, and not much time to do it, and even that was a problem for the Heralds of Death, who had currently sat out on the grass in a mark in Metropolis. Harry and Kara watched Claire running around outside, getting a chance to be a kid, and the two of them allowed time to just sit back, relax.

Harry wrapped his arm around Kara's waist, where the blonde Kryptonian placed a head on his shoulder, and the two enjoyed nature in all of its splendid beauty, the tweets of the birds, the clouds in the sky, the crisp breeze blowing through the air. The blonde Kryptonian turned to her husband, a smile crossing her face.

Kara was dressed for the summer weather, wearing a red tank top that stretched over her torso, showcasing a generous amount of cleavage, and stopped just short of her midriff, showing her toned midsection. She wore a pair of rather short shirts, that tightened around her legs, and fit snugly around her shapely hips, and rear, going down to her legs, and the apex was her beautiful bare feet. She was the stuff that the wet dreams of many men were made of, but Harry did not have to dream, he had lived that every single moment in time.

Harry spun his wife around, and pressed his lips to Kara's, with a searing kissing, for no reason other than to enjoy her mouth, and her talents, his tongue scraping against the inside of her mouth. Kara deepened the kiss, both of them tasting each other, having the sights, and the sounds of nature, with Kara wrapping her legs around Harry. Harry put his hand on the small of Kara's back and stroked the skin, enjoying her moans, but suddenly Claire cleared her throat, breaking the two lovers out of their fun.

"Sorry to bother you guys, but I'm going to go over there by the playground, if that's okay?" Claire asked, and there was a moment where Harry and Kara looked up, with Chloe giving them a hint that she was there, and would keep an eye on Claire, so they could have some alone time with each other.

"Yeah, that's fine, yell if anything happens," Kara replied, with a smile on her face, and Harry tightened the embrace around Kara, smiling as well.

"And remember, if any boys bother you, what are you supposed to do?"

"Set their shoes on fire," Claire remarked in an innocent voice, and Harry and Kara just turned at them, before the girl started to laugh. "Oh boy, the look on the faces of you guys, it was completely priceless."

Claire just walked off happily, with the two Heralds watching her leave, and the two just leaned against each other, staring into each other's eyes, and Harry tilted Kara's head back, before capturing her mouth into another kiss. Kara enjoyed the kiss, and no doubt there, with the two Heralds indulging themselves in each other, but they broke apart. The alien bombshell spun around, looking into the sky, and becoming rigid.

There was something in the air, and that something in the air just flew off faster than a speeding bullet, with Kara putting her hands on her hips, and looking in the air. The blonde shook her head immediately, taking a deep breath, and Harry placed an arm around her, before focusing his expression on the blonde.

"It was her wasn't it?" Harry asked, and Kara responded with a nod of her head.

"I don't know what her game is, she just pops in randomly, to let us know that she came," Kara responded, but a frown crossed her face. "There are times where I think that she wants to just talk to us, but her pride won't let her. She's fully embraced her Kryptonian heritage, to the most horrifying extreme, and she…well she doesn't care much for humans I think."

Kara's blue eyes grew wide and worried, with a troubled expression crossing her face.

"Could I have been like that, if things had gone differently?"

Harry just cupped his hand on Kara's chin, and tilted her head up, before pressing his lips to hers with a kiss. Kara felt a bit better, but the kiss lasted much too briefly for her liking, and it broke suddenly. "Of course, you're not, Kara. You're not a bad person, and really neither is she, she had a rough life, and it's kind of twisted her into a…"

"A bit of a bitch," Kara offered Harry, and the sorcerer just nodded with a smile crossing his face, before he ran his hands through his wife's hair. Kara was pulled into a tight embrace, her face buried in Harry's chest, and Harry rubbed the skin on the back of her neck.

"Yeah, that's one way to put it nicely, but I have a feeling that she knows something that we don't know," Harry responded, and Kara broke out of the embrace, before stepping back a few feet, and offering a wide grin.

"I don't think she's going to voluntarily give up information, if we ask nicely," Kara replied, but she placed her hands on Harry's cheeks, and looked into his eyes. "But there is one thing that we can do, or rather you can do."

Harry suddenly felt a feeling of foreboding at that moment, and a grin crossed over Kara's face at this point, with the blonde bombshell leaning forward, before whispering in his ear.

"I have a feeling that she's just like me, and therefore has the same tastes, and many of the same turn-ons, therefore she's vulnerable to the same things, perhaps that's something that you can exploit."

Harry raised an eyebrow, and Kara unbuttoned the shirt he was wearing, feverishly working the buttons, and running her hands down Harry's muscular chest, feeling every inch of him, and stroking downwards to his stomach.

"Just think, her problem is that she might need some tender loving care," Kara whispered into her ear. "And since she's a Herald, no one could give it to her like you can."

Kara slipped her hand down the front of Harry's pants, and offered a saucy grin and wink, looking at him.

"Do you think you can do that for us Harry, seduce the information out of her so she can tell you what she knows?" Kara purred in his ear, before stroking him a little bit, and pushing Harry back against the tree.

Harry thought that his wife was giving him permission to seduce, and likely sleep with another one, granted it was another Herald, and she was going to be in the relationship, eventually, maybe, anyway. Her needs would need to be tended to obviously, and Harry was the only person who was able to do about.

"If you want me to do it," Harry breathed, with Kara stroking him a bit more, before getting back to her feet, and looking into his eyes, deeply.

"Yes, Harry, do it, for us, it could mean the difference of life and death, I have a feeling she'll listen to you," Kara responded, a grin crossing her face. "Once she gets a taste, I'm sure she'll do anything for you, just like I would."

Harry just smiled, to be honest, the other Herald was rather appeasing on the eyes, and he would be denied if he was not attracted to her. Her attitude left something to be desired at times, but that can be worked on easily, because Harry had a feeling that she lived a tough life. Kara was asking him to do this, not that Harry needed much prodded, and if she had any information, should he do anything to get the information by any means necessary.

The two sat back down on the grass, watching their daughter from afar, and just enjoyed the day at hand, with all of the beauty. The last couple of months had been a roller coaster ride for all of them, with the Fortress still mostly online, with Lara being the influence within the chambers, although she tried to assist Clark with searching for Jor-El, but it was slow going at the moment, with none of the knowing if Jor-El even still existed.

If there was a shred of the AI left anywhere, then they would be able to track it down, but in the meantime, Lara was educating Clark about certain matters, and tried to hunt down his mates, whoever they might be. Lana was one, they had been able to determine that much, even if Lara seemed to be rather indifferent on her right now at best, saying that she wanted to wait until she knew Lana a bit better, before making any judgment.

On the other hand, Lara took a shine to Harry, preferring him as a mate to Kara, and Kara was glad that her aunt approved of this arrangement, not that it mattered to her either way. The fact that Kara approved of Harry was perhaps the most important thing in the relationship, and it was all that mattered to her.

The two Potters continued to sit down, and enjoy the nature, on what was one of the most beautiful days of the year so far.

* * *

Metropolis was a city bustling with excitement, almost too much excitement with people going to work, in the early morning rush. There was a moment where everything was calm, but when they happened, it often was the calm before the storm. People tended to say that everything took a while to break, and that was true was one of the support beams for a large billboard had given way.

People looked up, just in time to see the creaking, and their bodies tensed up, before they all ran away in a panic, as the sign teetered below them. In the chaos, two young men had fallen to the ground, getting knocked down, and were unable to get up just in time, when the sign had toppled over, and was falling down upon their heads, their doom surely assured.

Suddenly, a figure rushed in, a blur of light that could not be picked up by anything, and caught the billboard in one fluid motion, before throwing it up to another darker blur in the air, who had caught it, and had held the billboard steady, welding the support beams back together with a dose of heat vision.

The next thing the two figures on the ground realized was that they had been saved, and their two blurs had bitten the dust, almost as fast as they had appeared.

Off in the distance, Clark and Lana looked up at the billboard, which had remained steady, like nothing else had happened, and both sped off to continue one more sweep around the city, before going separate ways for the day. They were secure in the fact they had gotten in quickly, saved the day, and not been scene.

The problem was that they had been scene, by a woman standing on a building across the street, dressed in black. She was a fit woman, by all appearances in her early twenties, of some kind of exotic descent, at least that was what one would judge, based on her appearance. The woman focused a pair of binoculars, and looked down, seeing the two figures speed off, only getting a slight hint of them, but her eyes had been bred through years of intense training to see things that were not there, whilst she mastered her surrounds.

The woman's name was Talia, and she was one of the top members of the League of Shadows, having earned that spot through hard year and toil, and not who her father was. She had fought men twice her size to earn the spot, men who would break her in half, and not think twice about it.

Talia spent eight years of her life in darkness as well, surviving on what she could, because it was a test by her father, who had always wanted a son, to see if she was worthy of the family legacy.

"He swallowed the bait just as you thought he would, father," Talia reported back in, her voice crisp and to the point.

The voice on the other end responded. "Excellent, you have done a satisfactory job, Talia. As I predicted, this young man is drawn to heroics. His power may be just what I need if my plans are to go off. He wears the skin of a human, but he has the potential to be much more, as we purify the world that has been ravaged by countless years of disease. Mankind really is a blight to this planet, but thankfully we have a gift from the stars. Have you been able to narrow down who he is?"

"The young man goes by the name of Clark Kent, he was adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent at the age of three," Talia responded to him. "I have managed to get a job as a secretary at his place of business, the Daily Planet, where I shall endeavor to gain more information about him, and perhaps get a bit closer to him, to see what he is all about."

"Do what you must, Talia, do what you must, but remember, do not forget the plan," her father responded over the link, his voice stern, and offering no room for Talia to argue. "What has your observation been about the other one?"

"You mean the paramedic?" Talia asked, leaning against the pillar where she had stood, and looked out on the city.

"Yes, that is who I do mean, I feel that he could also be a valuable tool, once we have unlocked certain doors," the man on the other end responded, his voice crisp and stern. "The monster within will be unlocked, but let us see what will happen when he has been exposed to one of the Lazarus Pits."

Talia's father paused, before he added a few more words, almost framing them as an afterthought.

"I do in fact believe that these two survivors are destined to fight to a cataclysmic end, whilst one or neither may survive the coming battle. If I am reading what is written in the sacred temple correctly, a Doomsday is coming, and the world will need the one empowered by the yellow sun to save it, for none shall slay the monster except for him. Not even those who have been empowered by Death herself."

"And after the battle is done and many have been wiped out, you shall purify the Earth," Talia answered, knowing her father's plan by heart.

"Yes, the destroyer could kill countless, but they are all acceptable losses," her father responded, in a crisp voice. "This Clark Kent and I will be meeting before too long. The information that my men have coerced out of Swann's daughter once we have grabbed her has allowed my plans to move forward, but continue your observation, and report back to when you gain more information."

"I will father, I shall not fail you," Talia responded, before she added, almost as an afterthought. "Have you run into any further snags in Gotham City, and your operations there?"

"True to form, the detective is getting closer to my operations, but rest assure, this is by design, he will be another one that I will endeavor to meet face to face before too long," Talia's father said, his voice once again crisp, and it sounded like he had everything under control.

Talia had only met Batman or Bruce Wayne rather, during his days of traveling the world. It had been a memorable meeting between the two, that led to quite the wild night in Cairo, but that was another story for another time.

Her father had went on about the Detective like he was the son that he always wanted, and it made Talia feel a little inadequate, especially after all she had done out of loyalty to her father. All of the sacrifices she had made, losing the best years of her life to training, and dedication, to prove she was worthy of the last name.

"It sounds as if you have a contingency for everything," Talia remarked, breaking herself out of her thoughts and breaking the silence.

"Naturally, I have a plan, would you expect anything less from Ra's Al Ghul?"

Talia would have say given that all she knew about her father, she would not have expected anything less.

"Do take care my daughter, and I will continue more of my work unearthing the map to lead me to the First," Ra's Al Ghul stated over the communication link.

Talia knew the First to be an ancient myth of someone who had been empowered by the gifts of Death herself, and had been able to twist the laws of morality. In many ways, he or she was a herald, a Herald of Death, so to speak.

Ancient legend had it that his soul had been trapped in a temple somewhere in the middle east, and would be able to grant powers to anyone, mastery over life and death. Her father had been using the Lazarus Pits for centuries, but the trips had less time in between, due to the fact that they were losing their potency.

For now, Talia had other matters on her mind, and she would be getting a closer look at the enigma that was Clark Kent all too shortly.

* * *

The Daily Planet bullpen buzzed with the news of the day, and in typical fashion Lois tore like a bat out of hell, nearly running over half of the staff, in her pursuit to file the latest story whilst it was still hot off of the presses. Chloe sat in the corner, kind of exasperated by her cousin's actions, but she just filed it away with Lois just being Lois.

Clark walked over, he had a lot of time to think, and to mull things over during the last couple of months, and talking to his mother was a refreshing change from talking to his father. Although Lara did tell Clark not to judge Jor-El too harshly, given his AI counterpart was not an accurate reflection of the real deal. Clark was trying hard not to, and Lara did in fact admit that Jor-El had plenty of faults, but all and all he was a good man.

Adopting a clumsy demeanor was something that Clark had decided to do, mostly to throw everyone off of the scent of the Blur. Lois in particular was starting to ask a lot of questions, and while Clark enjoyed her company, there were times where she could get mighty persistent and pushy.

The psychotic version of Kara had wiped Lois's mind of that day, and none of them felt inclined to clue Lois in on what she learned, at least for the moment. However, it was not the first time where Clark found himself racked with guilt about people not being able to let people in on his secret.

Clark was too caught up in his thoughts, where it led to the point where the clumsiness was not an act, and he bumped into a woman.

"Excuse me," Clark replied in an apologetic voice, and the woman just looked at him. She was beautiful, Clark would have to be blind not to see that, with an exotic look that one did not normally see around Kansas. Not that he was going to say that much to Lana, but Clark Kent was only human, well not really, but he was raised as one, so that sort of counted.

"It's quite alright, I was not really watching where I was going," the woman replied in a beautiful voice. There were women who could turn on men with their voices, and this was one of them, with Clark taking a step back, to keep himself in check. "I just got hired as the new secretary of this place, and I find myself a bit lost, Metropolis is not something that I'm used to. I grew up in a small village in the Middle East, everyone knew everyone else."

Clark nodded, that sounded a lot like Smallville in many ways, where everyone seemed to know what was going on, and it was at that point where Clark realized how lucky he was to keep his secret for all of those years.

"You seem like a nice young man, so I was hoping that you would show me around," the woman responded, looking at Clark, and her lips curled into an expression that would cause even the strongest of men to jump off of cliffs.

"I'd…if you want me to," Clark responded, and the woman just offered a smile. Had Clark been a bit quicker on the uptake, he would have noticed that this was the same type a smile that a predator had given, when cornering its prey.

"My name is Miranda, Miranda Tate," the woman responded in soft voice, looking into Clark's eyes, and he backed off into the wall. "And you are…"

"Clark Kent," Clark responded, and he did not know why, but he kind of hoped that this woman was one of his mates, other than Lana. Lana was still good, as Clark reminded himself, even though this woman had the charisma to threaten to drive Lana out of his mind.

"Lead the way, Mr. Kent," the woman responded.

Lois watched Miranda leave, her arm snaked around Clark's, and her eyes burned a hole into the back of the woman's head.

"I don't like her," Lois responded, and Chloe raised an eyebrow, before Lois hastily amended. "I mean…I mean she's not good for Clark, that's all…"

"You don't even know her," Chloe responded, but the truth be told, she had her misgivings. Considering that Clark and her had come to agreement that Clark not talk to her about the arrangement with Harry and Kara at all costs, Chloe thought it would be hypocritical to give Clark an earful about it.

"Look at her, she's the type of woman that Martha would have warned Clark to stay away from at all costs, because she's bad news," Lois responded, and Chloe just turned around. "Lana would agree with me if she was here."

"Clark's just being friendly," Chloe responded, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm not saying that he isn't, Clark's a good guy, but the problem is he's too good, and people like her exploit people like him, and eat them for breakfast, shit them out, and eat them again for lunch," Lois responded, and Chloe pulled a face at that image.

"Thanks for the imagery this close after I've eaten, Lois," Chloe replied, closing her eyes and pulling a face.

It would be a lot easier to explain certain matters to Lois if Clark had been upfront with her, but that was another story. Lois had been through so much with them, she was kind of being left out of the loop, and Chloe could not explain her arrangement to Lois, without Clark explaining his secret.

Yet, Chloe would never betray him, telling Clark's secret to someone, even though that someone who was her cousin, and potentially one of Clark's mates. That was just a theory, there was not one way or another for Chloe to prove it.

Lois on the other hand had a feeling that she should be remembering something important but found her memories to be a bit hazy for some reason. She remembered flying which was weird. Lois wondered if someone had drugged her or something along those lines.

There was also the fact that things just seemed much more breakable than they have had before but that was just her opinion.

* * *

Karen slipped into Tess Mercer's office, walking through the shadows, seemingly undetected, and knew that she had only one hour to get any more information. She felt she was getting closer and closer to figuring this out, when suddenly, a hand grabbed her by the wrist, and spun her around. Karen prepared to fight, but relaxed when it was only Harry Potter, standing there in the flesh.

Harry had a smile on his face, the kind of smile that would melt the hearts of most girls, and make their panties dampen with excitement. Karen wasn't going to fall for that, mostly because she was not wearing any panties, and she sat on the desk, still dressed in her dull disguise.

"Sneaking around here like this, spying on people, one might say that you're up to something," Harry replied, putting a hand on her cheek, and Karen backed off, before Harry grabbed her by the waist, and slid her onto the desk.

"I am up to something, something that you should be doing, destroying everything Luthor," Karen replied, and it was at this point where the blonde Kryptonian's eyes flashed with malice. "Do you even know who Tess Mercer is, and where she came from?"

"Yes, I do," Harry replied without missing a beat. "She has certain controlling tendencies that are hard to turn a blind eye to. But does she know?"

"She did in my world," Karen replied, and Harry put a hand to her knee.

"That was your world, this is our world, and things are very much different, things have happened, the world has changed, and it's nothing like the world you remember, which I think is the problem. Something bad happened, and you don't want it to happen again, now do you?"

Karen was silent, and she refused to answer, just on sheer principle. The blonde Kryptonian stood, arms folded, she had put the mask of deception on for the longest time, and now it was slipping, as Harry burned into her with those green eyes that were so bewitching. Harry placed his hand in her hair, and he stroked it gently, and Karen did not pull away, rather she leaned in closer, to allow Harry better access.

"Drop the mask," Harry replied, and Karen relaxed, the glamor fading away.

Harry saw all of her at that point, and liked what he saw; she was a specimen of beauty, just like his Karen. Her blonde hair framed her angelic face, that right now had a frown on it, with her blue eyes simmering, and full of so much unbridled passion that she tried to hold back, yet she could not. Harry could sense her body heat up at his mere touch, and understood that she had been sexually repressed, emotionally distraught, with all of her emotions shut off.

His eyes traveled down to the tight blouse, with the buttons straining to pop because of her large breasts, that were round, high, and firm, the pinnacle of Kryptonian female development, and he saw her cleavage. Karen's shirt rode up a little bit, to see her toned stomach, with a cute little belly button.

Harry's gaze traveled down to her short skirt that wrapped snugly around her hips and Karen was not wearing any underwear underneath, now that the glamor had faded. Her legs were adorned by a pair of stockings that ensnared his mind, and made his mouth water.

She was beautiful, and Harry took another step forward, taking advantage of the attraction that she felt to him. He turned on the Herald of Death charm effect, knowing that every woman who was nearby would feel the sudden urge to have some quality time with themselves, alone in private, or with a significant other, but Harry did not care.

"So, tell me what's this all about?" Harry asked Karen, and Karen's mouth watered.

She knew she should be fighting this, but the problem was that she could not fight it, she wanted it, and Karen wanted to feel again. She wanted Harry to take her into his arms, and kiss her, giving her pleasure.

Karen collapsed into Harry's embrace, and she tried to remain calm, even though her heart fluttered, and she felt ensnared, bewitched by his very being. Karen was slowly losing herself, losing control, with Harry pushing her back onto the desk, his hand on her knee. The very touch was causing Karen to lose herself.

"You really want to know," Karen breathed, but then her breath hitched in more, when Harry's hand went up her skirt, before placing firmly on her inner thigh. Harry leaned forward, and licked Karen behind her left ear, causing the blonde Kryptonian to shudder, and her body to warm up, that spot was really sensitive.

"Yeah, I want to know," Harry replied, and by design or perhaps accidentally, the buttons on Karen's top began to pop thanks to the sexually charged magic in the room, and her already short skirt got magically shorter. Her blouse was mere a few threads, just covering the essentials, as was her skirt, not leaving anything to the imagination.

"I'll tell you anything, baby," Karen replied in a husky voice, her lips moistening with desire, and her eyes burning with passion, literally given the heat vision came dangerously close to setting Tess's entire office on fire, but thankfully she reigned it in. "I'll give you anything you want, but all I ask is for you to give me something."

Karen reached forward, and grabbed Harry's crotch through his pants, emphasizing what she wanted, before squeezing his package roughly, and she leaned forward, whispering sensually into his ear.

"And I want it, right here, and right now."

Harry looked at her, and looked around. "Here, in Tess's office?"

"Her desk is clean," Karen replied, with a shrug, before she threw her legs around Harry, and wrapped her arms around him, before pushing Harry back onto the desk. This busty blonde began to kiss the breath out of Harry, as she grounded her heated mound onto his erection, before the real fun began.

**Smut/Lemon Begins. **

-PROFILE-

**Smut/Lemon Ends.**

Karen reached into her jacket pocket, when she put her clothes back on, and pulled out a flash drive, before handing it to Harry.

"That's everything I've been able to find on a project Luthorcorp has been working on, called Project Promethus," Karen responded, and Harry looked at her. "We…I think it's Lex's last lifeline before his body gives up and dies. He's paralyzed from the neck down, and might only have a couple of months to survive after his injuries."

"Who are we?" Harry asked, and Karen disappeared into the night at super speed. At least Harry understood why she was destroying all of the Luthorcorp facilities, she was searching, but the blonde Kryptonian left him a note this time.

_Next time bring Kara or Chloe, or both, so we can have some real fun. _

_Your third mate. _

_See you soon. _

Harry had no time to mull this over, for the office door opened at that time, and he went invisible, not having the time to clear up, get out, or anything else.

* * *

Tess entered the office, after enjoying lunch, if it could be called that. The problem for Tess is that more often or not, lunch was just an extension of the insanity of the day, and thus she was on business for most of it. She did not fully get the situation that was in her office, before Tess stopped, and stared.

The entire office had been trashed, and it looked like someone or something had went through it like a tornado, or maybe a pack of wild animals. Tess really wondered who could have done this, and she spun around, making her way back down the hallway.

"Check the security logs for my office for the last two hours."

Tess continued to quicken her strides, moving quicker yet with each passing motion, and she was not about to waste. Something like that happening was not giving her much confidence in her staff, and she thought that she was going to lose mind at that moment.

After walking down the hallway at the most rapid speed she could allow, Tess stopped and stared at the man in the chair, who had done just as she asked. The man offered an apologetic smile, and looked at Tess, who tapped her foot on the ground.

"There's someone in the office, but the security cameras can't pick it up, until about ten minutes ago, where it looks like a wind looks like it toppled everything in the office."

Tess's eyebrows raised in confusion, and she moved over, trying to slow the tape down, but found nothing, except for a blur of light, and then everything in her office was totaled.

"I see," Tess replied, knowing what she had to do, she would have to double the security around her office to make sure nothing like that happened again.

Also for some reason the moment where Tess walked into her office, she felt the need to have a really long, and really cold shower, but she shook that sensation off. There was just something in that office, that Tess could not shake, and right now there was only one thing for her to do.

She would comb every inch of her office, trying to find the culprit, and then Tess would get to the bottom of this entire mess; leaving no stone unturned whatsoever. Of course, the real problem was where to start, because Tess was flummoxed about the entire mess, and at a loss for words.

She wondered if this corporate saboteur was sending her a powerful message of some sort, but at this point, the woman was at a loss of what it might have been.

* * *

"I wouldn't beat up yourself too much, Kal-El, your development is coming along better than many would hope," Lara lectured Clark as he stood in the Fortress of Solitude, speaking about his doubts to his mother about the fact that he wondered if he was ever ready. "Many would be crack under the burden that you have been given, and would fall. When the time is right, then you will be ready."

"And what if that time never comes?" Clark asked his mother, and there was a long pause, before Lara responded.

"Then it is quite fortunate that there are others who will be able to pick up the work in the meantime, but I feel that there will come a day where you will be ready, when it counts the most," Lara answered, and Clark just responded with a nod at his mother. Lana stood next to him, giving him an encouraging smile. "If I have learned anything about humanity is that it has any number of able protectors that will jump to the call when needed. It is wise that you have such an able protector."

"I try my best," Lana said in a modest voice.

"And you will keep trying, because I think that you understand what is on the line," Lara answered, and it was almost like she was looking at Lana, with the dark haired girl being put under the radar. "Do not falter, Lana Lang, and stand by Clark, and perhaps you will be prepared for greatness, for not because it is your destiny, but rather due to the choices that you make."

Lana nodded in understanding, and suddenly there was a cracking.

"Is that what I think it is?" Clark asked.

"Yes, Kal-El, I believe we have finally recovered your father," Lara responded, but they waited and watched before Jor-El slowly, and surely came back on line.

Jor-El took a moment to regain his bearings, because had he been worked over a lot by Lily, and there was a moment before the AI found himself regaining his bearings, before he began to speak.

"Hello, Kal-El."

Clark responded, preparing to say the words that he never thought he would ever hear himself say in his life, but there he was saying it. "It is good to hear your voice again, Jor-El."

"Hello, Jor-El," Lara responded without preamble.

This was a statement that was simple, with two words, yet it was two words that had caused the Jor-El AI to sputter, not understanding how this had happened, this was not something that he planned for.

"Lara?"

"Pleased to see you remember me, given that it was I who gave birth to your son, so you could send him to Earth on some grand destiny," Lara responded crisply, and there was a moment where she paused. "Did you not think that I would not have made sure that I would also be watching over my son?"

"The thought had not crossed my mind, but you must understand, that I have everything under control," Jor-El responded, and it was at that more where Lara's voice got a bit sarcastic, if an AI was capable of such a thing.

"And I suppose the fact I found your data bits buried in….where was it again, Lana?"

"Someone's Facebook Wall," Lana responded, barely keeping a straight face at the entire amusement of the situation.

"Kal-El, Lana, Chloe, Harry, Kara, and I have worked tirelessly for the past six weeks, and I do hope that you are grateful for it," Lara responded, but then she added. "Unless of course you enjoyed being subjected to the mental angst of Earth teenagers all day long, then by all means, I shall send you back, and we'll pretend we never had this conversation, and furthermore, you owe your niece an apology. She's not Zor-El, and that petty family feud between you two should have died with Krypton. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lara, I understand you clearly," Jor-El responded, being a program of logic, he knew that there was none in arguing with his wife when she had her mind made up in such a matter. Jor-El took a moment to collect his thoughts. "There is one matter of business that I wish to discuss with Kal-El."

"By all means then discuss it, his eyes are on you, and his ears are open."

Sure enough, Clark was listening, as was Lana, because she knew that if involved Clark, it may as well have ended up involving her one way or another.

"Kal-El, you have taken a major step towards growing into your destiny, but there is a looming darkness that is coming, an enemy that you must master, and you must master it alone. There is a danger beyond anything that the world has ever known, and it is you and only you that must face it."

Clark swallowed the lump in his throat, and Lana just grabbed him by the hand. Resolved, the Last Son of Krypton took a moment to stare forward, determined, as the Fortress was whole once again. "I'll be ready."

"Do be ready, my son, for Doomsday is coming upon us, and whilst you attempt to hide from your heritage, the monster will get stronger from the day."

'_Vague as usual,' _Clark thought to himself.

Lana looked at him, and tugged on his sleeve. "Come on Clark, your parents look like they have a lot of catching up to do."

"Well, see you later, both of you," Clark responded, and Lana turned around, standing at the door.

"Race you back," Lana said, and she sped off, with Clark trailing behind. "C'mon Kal-El, pick up the pace, I'm only going at half speed."

Clark had noticed that Lana had taken to calling him Kal-El at random times, mostly when she tapped into her powers. It had been happening ever since that night at the Fortress where Lily downloaded all of the information from it into Lana's brain, and Lana seemed hush-hush about what exactly it entailed, only that she would tell Clark when she fully understood it herself. Even after the sessions with Kara at the Shining Light Foundation, it was almost Lana had changed, been programmed into something more Kryptonian.

Perhaps Clark was being paranoid, but never the less he chased Lana, determined not to lose the foot race. If anything, he thought he was getting faster, but the problem is, so was she.

**To Be Continued in the next arc "Nevermore."**


	46. Chapter 46: Nevermore Part One

**Chapter Forty Six: Nevermore Part One. **

The sun shined brightly in the sky in Metropolis, as the summer weather was in full force, and it was a picture perfect, beautiful day, with the hustle and bustle that was common with the city being in full force. Everyone was in a bright and cheerful mood, and there was no reason to be unhappy for today would be a great day for many reasons, one where it would be perfect.

Yet in every perfect day, there was always one dark storm cloud that was brewing, and thus it threatened to rain on that day until everyone had been sent into a tormented and depressed state of mind.

A dark haired girl took slow steps towards the front entrance of the Shining Light Foundation, walking slowly, yet carefully. The young girl was about fifteen years of age, dressed in a black cloak that was pulled over her head, and it had a pendent depicting a raven pulled over it. She entered the office, where a red haired girl dressed in bright colors, with a green blouse, and a red skirt, with blue boots walked over here.

"Hi, welcome to the Shining Light Foundation, my name is Megan, how may I help you?"

Despite Megan's sunny and cheerful demeanor, the demeanor of this other girl was anything, but, the expression that was on her face was one that was sullen, and brooding, crossing her arms, and she took a step forward. "I wish to speak to the owners of the Shining Light Foundation on an urgent matter."

"And whom may I ask is speaking?" Megan asked, looking at this girl, her expression still dark, still brooding, not even one bit of emotion crossing her face.

"Rachel, Rachel Roth," the girl replied, her eyes dark pools that bored into Megan, and made the girl shiver. Megan Morse wondered if this girl ever smiled, ever showed any emotions at all, but that was beside the point.

"Well Rachel, sit down, and I'll see if Mr. and Mrs. Potter can speak to you," Megan replied in a happy and sunny voice, before she turned around, and Rachel was not done speaking as of yet.

"Do try and convey to them that this matter is urgent."

'_They always are,' _Megan thought at that moment, a knowing smile crossing her face before she left, and Rachel sat in the lobby of the Shining Light Foundation.

Rachel could sense that this was a structure built in part by magic, which meant that this was the right place to go, and find someone to help her. Help was something that she needed, and if her sense was right, these were the people who could help the young girl the most. Crossing her arms, Rachel waited in an impatient matter, tapping her foot on the ground, and drawing a deep breath at that point.

Emotions were something that could have been a problem, and they caused her powers to go wonky, which was why Rachel vowed to turn them off at any costs. She reached forward, grabbing the pendant that she wore, the raven swinging from her cloak. The pendant once belonged to her mother, and it was a gift that Rachel was given before her mother passed on.

Her mother was the one that warned her that this day was coming, and Rachel was not looking forward to her sixteenth birthday, which would be in a few days. She could sense his hand involved, and a dark presence stalked her, which caused Rachel to be very tormented, with the looming specter of her father showing up.

Rachel wondered when this Megan girl would return with the Potters, there was no time to wait, but if they were who she suspected they were, they would have many responsibilities. She just hoped that they would put aside to help her.

The elevators opened, and Rachel got up, pleased that she did not have to wait too long. True to form, Harry and Kara Potter exited the elevator, and Rachel could feel automatically that they were extremely powerful, which was something that caused a bit of a distraction with her. Rachel got up to her feet, and Harry walked up to her, a smile crossing his face.

"Rachel, isn't it?" Harry asked, and Rachel offered a slow nod. "I welcome you to the Shining Light Foundation, I know it much be a shock what you're going through but…"

Rachel put up a hand to stop Harry, and there was a moment where she took a long sigh, before speaking. "I am not infected by the meteors, so do not worry about that. That is not the reason why I'm here, my powers are natural."

That was something that caught both Harry and Kara for a loop, with the two locking eyes, and communicating briefly without words like they were always able to. There were just many times where Harry and Kara had the instincts that there was something about ready to happen, although this was a point where both of them had this sense of foreboding, and they were getting that from this girl.

Although how she figured in at this point, neither of them could say, and it was Harry who had broken the very long silence that had been created by this revelation.

"So, you're not infected by the meteors."

"We've established that, yes, my powers were natural, and dangerous, powerful magic," Rachel responded, turning around at that moment, and looking out the window. She never appreciated the beauty in the world until the end, or near the end. She could sense that his will was in the city, there were those who worshipped him, and believed that he would bring about some kind of change.

Well he could bring about change alright; there was a certain amount of change that did come along with the end of the world. Nothing would ever be the same again.

"So, exactly why are you here?" Kara asked, in a curious voice, and the blonde Kryptonian was more than curious. "You can tell us, you did come here, and you want to let us know, don't you?"

"Yeah I did, and yeah I will," Rachel responded, taking a long and deep breath. "I've come here because I need the help from the Heralds of Death to stop a presence that could threaten all of the human race, and eventually all moral life throughout the universe."

Kara and Harry sat up straight, and rigid, looking at the girl, and Rachel's expression never changed, never wavered.

"Don't worry, I sensed you, and I know the legend, but I won't tell anyone," Rachel responded, and she took a deep breath. "There is something important that you need to know, and I hope that you can stop him when he comes."

"Who's coming?" Harry asked, getting a bit impatient, and Kara looked like she shared his impatience.

"Trigon is coming," Rachel answered in a voice, and Kara and Harry were confused at the significance of this statement, but had a feeling that they would find out all too soon about what Rachel meant by what she said. "He's coming and you have to kill me before it's too late."

* * *

One thing Clark could say about his life is that there was never a dull moment, but granted, that was something that might tend to work to his disadvantage. As strong as his powers were, there were always going to be people who were stronger than him, and many of those people were not going to be all that friendly. Yet, Clark had the one thing that a lot of those people who were wicked, and had been twisted by the power had.

He had determination, and a never say die attitude that would allow him to seize the day, and win the moment, as he made his way from the Daily Planet building. Lana was going to meet him outside just like she always did after work, and Clark saw Lois move off in the other direction, waving at her, with Lois just moving off quickly, giving him a courtesy wave.

For some reason, Lois seemed to be a bit snippy about the fact that Clark was trying to show the new secretary, Miranda, around the office, and had voiced this much, many times. When Lana found about it, she just warned Clark to watch his back, but Clark failed to see what the problem was with an unassuming secretary.

Kara had told him that there was a potential enemy lurking around every corner, but Clark thought that was a pragmatic attitude to take, even though Harry argued that it was a realistic one.

Clark Kent was pulled out of his musings, his super hearing picking up the muffled screams of a girl, something that was not a good thing. At super speed, Clark sped into the alleyway, but stopped to get a sense of his surroundings. The three figures were dressed in red cloaks, with shaved heads, and a weird symbol carved into their forehead, not to mention that they spoke in monotone.

The Last Son of Krypton stood in the alleyway, waiting and watching at that moment, and sure enough, they gave him reason to interject, at that time when the girl was shoved against the wall.

"She's not the one," one of the robed figures stated.

"Then kill her," the second robed figure replied, but before they could do the dastardly deed, Clark sped in at the speed of light, and grabbed one of the figures around the wrist, flipping him onto his stomach.

Another super speed in at the speed of light, and Clark scooped up the girl, before sprinting her to safety, before the robed figures could figure out what was going in. Clark paused, and looked at the figures, but the leader seemed to speak in a crisp monotone.

"No matter who you are, or what powers you have been gifted upon, no one will stop his coming," one of the figures said, and his eyes began to glow orange, but Clark sped forward, and knocked the figure into the wall.

The figure landed hard against a set of trash cans with a clatter, and another one of the figures grabbed Clark from behind, smashing his face against the wall, before he leapt high into the air, Clark's legs dangling from underneath him. The figure retained the ability to fly, and had Clark up over the ground.

The figure hurled Clark back to the down from hundreds of feet up, but acting quickly, Lana sped up, catching Clark in her arms, before she landed on the ground. At that moment, both Clark and Lana sent a duel blast of heat vision, but the robed figure used a shield to block the attack.

"So do you have any idea who these guys are working for?" Lana asked Clark, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"You tell me, and we'll both know," Clark responded, shrugging his shoulders, once he was firmly on the ground, but the three had their eyes glowing.

"None shall compromise the passage of the master."

"Sounds like your standard crazy cult types to me," Lana remarked, rolling her eyes slightly when she heard their words.

"You will not delay the master's coming, for it has been written that his vessel will hold him in an Earthly form upon her sixteenth birthday, and she shall be his portal to where he will bring forth change to the world, which will be his new domain."

Lana was quite fed up with the melodrama that these three were giving her, so the dark haired girl flew up to try and engage them, but the force field knocked her back, with Clark having to run in this time. Clark caught Lana in his arms when she propelled back off.

"So, I guess we're even for today," Clark remarked, but two bolts of magical energy shot at them, and forced the two to stagger. "Something tells me this is going to be a hard one to defeat."

"Yeah, I got the message," Lana responded in a crisp voice, before she peered up at the three figures, who appeared to be summoning something, and whilst her knowledge of magic was scant, what they summoned could not be any good.

"The vessel will not be compromised, and all who step within our way will be obliterated from the tapestry of life," the three figures droned in unison, and a bolt of purple energy shot down right at Clark, leaving him no time to react.

Lana, being that much quicker, had time to react, and she dove in front of the purple bolt of light, with it striking her down to the ground. Clark's eyes widened in abject horror once Lana dropped to the ground, and the woman's body went completely limp, only just the faintest heart beat able to be heard from Clark.

Clark gritted his teeth, and tried to engage these three figures, knowing that he was out numbered, and likely outclassed, but Lana had been struck down like she was a fly on the wall, protecting him, so he had to do something.

Before Clark could do anything, a blonde blur shot from the sky, past him, and knocked the three figures back with a huge impact. Clark had hoped it was Kara for a moment, but his face fell when he realized that it was the other one. On the one hand, she was able to save him from likely getting curbed stomped, but on the other hand, that meant that Clark owed her big time.

Karen dropped down, pulling the crystal out of the belt on her uniform in an attempt to get a fix, but when the three saw the crystal, and felt the power, they fled.

Clark bent down, checking on Lana.

"Lana, wake up, please wake up!"

"She jumped in front of a bolt of magical energy, didn't she?" Karen asked in a cool and collected voice.

Clark opened his mouth at that moment, and shut it, that was what exactly what was happening.

"Yes, she got hit because she was protecting me, and if I didn't freeze, Lana would still be up and about, and this is all…OWW!"

Clark's little trip down the road of guilt was cut off when Karen wrapped him hard across the back of the head with her fist.

"Yes, you are an idiot, and yes this is your fault, but hopefully these are mistakes that you will learn from, Kal-El," Karen replied to Clark in a harsh voice, she was not going to coddle Clark like everyone else seemed to do. He was supposed to be a man of steel, so he should be able to take criticism. "Guilt won't solve what happened, now take Lana back to the farm, and we'll sort this out."

Clark had no choice, gingerly scooping up Lana in his arms, and Karen roughly grabbed Clark around the wrist, teleporting the group of them back to the Farm.

* * *

"You're the only one that can help me with this."

Rachel was now moved into a room in the Shining Light Foundation, with Harry and Kara standing there, and this seemed like a situation where most normal people would be beyond hysterical, but Rachel remained rather calm.

Harry considered the possibility that her powers were heavily tied into any emotions, so she tried not to show any, but this was the closest that she came to losing control of her powers. The young Herald of Death watched the teenage girl look out the window, and Kara tried to step toward her, given a pacifying voice.

"Whoever this Trigon guy is, he won't find you here."

Rachel's eyes snapped towards Harry and Kara, and the girl shook her head, before closing her eyes, and tilting her head back, giving a long sigh. Then it was only after all of those actions, where she spoke in a crisp and deliberate voice.

"You don't understand, Trigon will find me, he has empowered people to find me, and they're going after every single girl, until they find me. All won't matter, is that I have been created to bring Trigon to this world upon my sixteenth birthday, and it's the end of the world as we know it, and no one will feel fine."

Rachel said all of this without taking a breath, and without any humor her voice, giving a long and mournful sigh. There was a moment of pause while she considered the situation, and folding her arms against her chest, and tilting her head.

Kara broke the silence, with a gentle voice. "Why don't you just tell us what has been happening, since the beginning?"

Rachel offered a prolonged sigh, before she stated in a calm voice. "It's complicated."

Harry and Kara's eyes met each other that statement never led to anything, but a headache for either of them, something that had been proven time and time again, yet if this girl was in danger, there was no complications that could be too complicated. The two Heralds of Death looked at her with an encouraging voice, and Rachel decided to speak, closing her eyes as she recalled.

"This Trigon is my father, and he's an extremely powerful demon who has been trapped in a prison of his own creation by the people of Azarath."

Harry and Kara had vaguely heard of this Dimension through their studies to be Heralds of Death, but there was not much they truthfully knew about it. Both Heralds invited Raven to continue, and the teenage girl did.

"They managed to expel Trigon's evil from the universe, but it was not without a price. The fact was this monster forced himself on one of the women in the dimension, and sired an heir. That heir was…me."

Rachel closed her eyes, feeling guilt about what could be brought upon the world by her creation, but yet Harry and Kara did not say anything, rather they pressed her on.

"The other people of the dimension suggested that my mother terminate me before birth, thinking that I could be used as a vessel for Trigon's return from the dimension where he had been banished, but she refused, and tried to raise me like she would any other daughter. Yet Trigon's influence returned, and he sent three powerful creatures, heralds for lack of a better term, to the dimension to try and abduct me. My mother sent me away, but all of the people of Azarath were slaughtered by my father's chosen minions."

"And these people followed you here," Kara responded in an even voice, and Rachel nodded, the expression on her face never wavering.

"Yes, and if it was not for me, they would all still be alive, and not only that, but countless people would suffer and get killed."

Harry gave Rachel an encouraging smile, and the girl continued for a moment.

"Trigon plans to use me as his vessel to this world, and my powers to reshape the universe into his own image, a reflection of him, dark and twisted, and utterly sadistic. All mortal life would bend to his whims, and he will not stop."

"We'll stop him," Harry answered, in a firm voice.

"Yeah, you can count on it," Kara replied, in an equally firm voice, she was not going to back down from a fight, even if it was an extremely powerful demon who could destroy each and every one of them.

Rachel pulled herself up, and looked out the window, seeing the beauty of the city, and the world. Would it be the last time that she would see it, that was the question that burned through her mind, and tormented the young half-demon? Her mystical abilities were strong, but they would not repel Trigon once he decided to take over her body.

"We're going to put you in our most secure room," Harry answered, after mulling over the matter in his mind at that moment.

"That won't stop him," Rachel said, and she added more essential information to the Heralds of Death. "I'm going to be used as the vessel within two days, and…the reason I came to you because you have the power to destroy me before Trigon can use me."

Harry and Kara immediately put their collective foot down on that issue.

"There's another way, there always is," Harry replied, looking at Rachel, his expression firm, and serious. He stepped forward to really consider the young half-demon, and Rachel just seemed to offer a glare to him regarding this situation. "We'll stop Trigon."

"You have to kill me, it's the only way," Rachel responded, persisting that point as she emphasized every word.

"And what makes you think he won't decide to use another?" Kara asked Rachel suddenly.

Rachel stopped, and stared at that moment, that was not a situation that she considered, but it was one that was entirely feasible. That did not make things much better for her, rather it made them extremely worse, but if she knew her father, he would want her alone.

"You don't really know what it's like, to be conceived for someone else's ambitions," Rachel remarked in a brisk voice to Harry, and it was at this point where Harry's eyes just snapped towards hers sternly.

"Yeah, I do."

Kara just led Rachel to their most secure room, hoping that it would hold her. It was supposed to be used as a holding cell for any intruders, but that was not the point, the point was to keep her safe. The same cell once held Clark Kent and Lionel Luthor, so it should have hopefully keep Trigon out.

Rachel stopped at the door, spinning around to face Harry, her eyes on his.

"You have forty eight hours to pull some magical plan out, for that's when Trigon comes, on the day of my sixteenth birthday. I hope you understand what's on the line."

Harry and Kara understood, and could understand the plight of this young girl as well, for she was one who lost everything she ever knew, another orphan of a race that was now gone. Now she felt that her only purpose was to be used as this monster's means to destroy people, but Harry and Kara would be damned if they would let that happen.

It was time to do a bit more research, to see if they could find anything more on Trigon that would potentially allow them to stop him, but for that the two Heralds would need some back up.

* * *

Lana was laid on the couch in the living room at the Kent Farm House, and Clark hovered in the background, while Karen checked over Lana. There was a moment where Karen was silent, and Clark just wondered what this other Kryptonian was going to say. There was an undercurrent of hostility in her face, and her voice, and Clark just thought she was a bomb waiting to go off.

"You should consider yourself lucky, she's merely been petrified," Karen remarked softly to Clark.

Clark stood up straight, and asked the one pressing question that was on his mind. "How is that considered lucky?"

"Because, with the blast of magic she was struck with, it could have blown her head completely off," Karen replied stiffly, and Clark found it hard to read the emotions in Karen's voice, she kept the tone she spoke in rather stiff and neutral. "She's going to be down and out for the next three days, but she'll be back to her normal self."

Karen turned away from Lana, and was about to walk to the door, but she stopped suddenly, and turned around to face Clark.

"And you need to feed her, make sure she remains hydrated, and check on her to make sure she's breathing," Karen added to him in a firm voice. "If you want her to live, that is."

"Is there any way to bring her out of that state before the three days are up?" Clark asked, and it was at that point where Karen gave a very long pause, before she turned to Clark, offering him the most honest statement she could give it.

"It depends, if you want Lana to become a vegetable, then sure, but otherwise, I don't think you'd want me to try," Karen answered in a brisk voice, before she turned around, unable to stand to look Clark in the face. "So, I would say it would be good to meet you face to face for the first time, but I detest lying to people."

Clark could not resist piping in at that moment. "Just what is your problem with me anyway?"

"My problem with you is that you refuse to embrace the wonderful heritage of one of the greatest races of the universe, and try and dumb yourself down to the level of humanity!" Karen snapped harshly, and Clark took a step back, taking a deep breath. "You are someone who is special, Kal-El, but obviously you can't handle that."

"I think that I'm mostly ordinary," Clark replied in a modest voice, and his expression remained on Karen's face, not trusting himself to look elsewhere. "And the name is Clark."

"No, I don't think I'll call you by your slave name," Karen answered briskly, and she turned around, unable to stand to look Clark in the eye. "Humanity will end up betraying you in the end, once they learn the truth. I've seen it happen before. The moment you were outed as an alien in the other world, people attacked you. They thought that you were another super powered freak, infected by the meteors, but once they understood that you were an alien, they tried to crucify you."

"So, you're from another dimension?" Clark asked suddenly, it all clicking. "So, you are a version of Kara from another dimension?"

"Yes, I'm your cousin, but thankfully not your direct cousin," Karen answered, before she turned around and face Clark. "Kara might humor you, but secretly inside, I think she's kind of ashamed of you, for how you've allowed yourself to be soft and weak, unlike a true Kryptonian would be."

"That's not true!" Clark snapped, his eyes flashing. "You know, you're acting like..like…"

"A bitch?" Karen asked, and Clark just nodded, not quite the word that he would use, but the terminology did fit, even if it would never fall out of his mouth. "Well guess what Clark, this entire planet is a big one. Humanity is not worth saving, the only reason I'm here because I'm duty bound, and there is a certain green-eyed sorcerer that I have my eyes on, who is a fantastic lay I should note, likely better than you would be. You strike me as a faster than a speeding bullet type."

Clark was not going to even dignify this comment, or any others this older version of Kara was given with a comment. Surely, his cousin would not have been like this, if Harry had not found her, but that was beside the point.

"I'm not going to baby you, and I'm not going to coddle you like your Kara does," Karen answered, stepping back, and looking at Clark dead on in the eye. "There is a dangerous threat that is coming for you Clark, and each day you refuse to embrace your heritage, is another day you put more human lives at risk. Every day you delay, you are ensuring that your own failure is sealed, and with that failure, the fate of the world."

"You and Jor-El should hang out sometime, you have a lot in common," Clark responded.

This was the absolute wrong thing to say, and Karen angrily struck Clark in the face, the force her fist connecting with his nose knocking him down to the ground. Clark fell, feeling his blood pouring down his nose, with Kryptonian strength and magic combined. She did not pull her punch either, like Lana sometimes did when they sparred, Karen really and utterly decked him in the face.

"Don't you dare compare me to that monster," Karen said, eyes flashing with fury, and Clark thought for a moment she was going to burn him with her heat vision. "He was the one who sealed the fate of all of Krypton, just like you're going to seal the fate of everyone on Earth because of your inaction. This is not some game where everyone can just hit the restart button, people's lives are on the line. It's high time you grow up, Kal-El, and stop play acting as a human!"

Karen seethed, he was so weak, and the fact he needed someone to protect him was utterly appalling to her. A true Kryptonian didn't need a protector, they could stand on their own.

Clark felt a stabbing pain through his head, and Karen turned around, before she sped off in a towering temper. This could be another version of his cousin alright, but with an even worse temper, and likely some deep mental issues. Clark wondered what happened in that alternate timeline that had tormented this version of Kara to such a twisted reflection.

He sensed her anger, but Clark also noticed something else, that being fear when she spoke of Clark potentially dying. Right now, Clark did think that she had one good piece of advice, and he would watch over Lana, until she got better.

Karen flew towards the Shining Light Foundation, her hair blowing in the breeze, and a frown pursed on her thick, red lips. The fact of the matter was today Clark did not know how close he came to dying, and how he could have gotten many more people killed. If he had embraced his heritage, and his full powers, those three thugs could have been more easily defeated before they had a chance to harm Lana.

Karen could not stand to see her cousin die again, even if it was not technically her cousin, and the blonde continued to fly forward with these thoughts in her mind. Clark really needed to man up, and take control, and stop being such a weakling that toed the line.

It was nothing against Lana, but Karen had a serious problem with Clark's inability to see what his hesitation was causing.

* * *

"So on the mortal end, I've only been able to find a little bit of information on our terrible Trigon."

Chloe had stated this fact to Harry and Kara, with the three of them crowded around the main computer at the Shining Light Foundation. The two Heralds of Death had tried to figure out what was going on with Trigon with their own abilities, but as what happened so often with the abilities of the Heralds of Death, they ran into stone wall. They did know that Trigon was an undesirable, but there was something about his status that seemed to be marked as so dangerous.

"There is a little temple outside of the city called the Church of Trigon; they are dedicated to be preparing for his coming."

"The day of his coming is in two days," Kara replied to Chloe, and Chloe's eyes snapped towards Kara's, before she decided to elaborate just a little more information. "According to Rachel, Trigon's coming will happen upon her sixteenth birthday in two days, where he'll apparently use her as some kind of vessel for his plans to dominant the world. The way she talked about him, he sounded horrible."

"If her story checks out, does it then?" Chloe asked, and despite all of the weirdness she had seen, and likely will see again, there was just something about this entire demon vessel thing that struck her as a bit odd. It was Harry who alleviated her skepticism with a few well placed words.

"I thought that there might be something fishy to her story at first, but it does check out," Harry informed Chloe, and Chloe's eyes widened, before she took a deep breath. "We all know that Trigon is some kind of powerful demon."

"No, not some kind of powerful demon, he's the powerful demon."

The three of them spun around, and saw Karen standing in the hallway, dressed in her normal attire, arms crossed over her chest, and she floated forward, not even bothering to walk at that moment.

"Well the third Herald of Death graces us with her charming presence," Chloe responded, with a smile, which Karen did not return, and she dropped down on her feet.

"I wish we could be meeting up under better circumstances, but the truth is, this is a problem that could destroy the entire world, and then eventually the entire universe," Karen remarked, trying to get across this point as something that was serious, and Harry and Kara just looked at her, before the two of them responded with nods. "Trigon's forces are already in the city, and already looking for the vessel, they ran afoul of Clark and Lana. Lana took a really bad hit, and now she's petrified."

"Oh my God, will she be okay?" Chloe asked, and it was at this point where Karen spun around to her, and looked at her with an indifferent expression upon her face.

"She'll live," Karen responded in complete deadpan at that moment, before she swung the conversation back to its intended purpose. "Trigon has planned this attack for centuries, but it was not until all of those years ago that he tried to create a means where he can enter the mortal world. There is something about this plane where he cannot enter it directly, at least until he reshapes it to a more suiting image. That is why he's using this vessel, this girl."

Kara and Harry just allowed all of this to sink in with them, before Harry cut in with the pressing question that had been on both of their minds.

"I don't suppose you have any way to stop him, given that you are here, and everything, do you?"

Karen offered a smile, but it was not a smile born from warmth, but rather one that was ironic, the type of smile that manifested from a great deal of regret. "The vessel with have to be destroyed, and Trigon will never come."

"Absolutely not," Harry answered without missing a beat, and Karen knew that he was a hero, who would work hard to save everyone, and that's one of the reasons why she fell in love with him, but there were some people who could not be saved.

"I wish there was another way, really I do," the third Herald of Death responded, and the two other Heralds and Chloe exchanged a tense look, with time winding down, before Harry responded.

"I'll find another way, I always find another way, and this is not going to be a time where I fail."

"For the sake of the world, I hope you're right," Karen replied grimly. "We'll try in your way I guess"

The three Heralds prepared to work together, to try and prevent this arising, while Chloe took this as her cue to slip out, and to keep Clark up to date on what was going on, besides this would be her chance to check up on both Clark and Lana.

**To Be Continued in "Nevermore Part Two."**


	47. Chapter 47: Nevermore Part Two

**Chapter 47: Nevermore Part Two. **

Waiting for the other shoe to drop was something that Clark felt he should have gotten used to, at least by this present time, but the truth was that he was not used to it. Lana remained on the couch, immobile, and really only responding by some light, shallow breaths. The entire situation went through Clark's mind, countless times, and there was only one obvious conclusion that could be drawn for it. Lana had taken a bullet for him, and it was a shot that could have destroyed a normal human.

Not that Lana had it all that easy, and Clark realized that better than the next person, taking a moment to make sure that Lana was still breathing. Otherwise, he sustained a constant vigil over Lana's body, as she remained prone on the sofa, not even moving, and not even budging from her present state. Clark did wonder if things were going to get better, for they sure as could not get much worse.

The door opened, and Clark heard a whoosh, with Chloe standing there behind him at that moment, just moving over to check on Lana. Clark had barely even heard that Chloe had turned up, to be honest, his mind was elsewhere. Chloe gave Clark a moment to collect his thoughts, before clearing her throat and pulling Clark out of the deep funk he was in.

"Hi, Clark," Chloe managed in a soft voice, serious, and trying to get his attention, and Clark turned around at that moment, swallowing the lump in his throat and blinking. "I would ask how you're holding up, but that sounds like a stupid question the more I think about it."

Clark just nodded, appreciating the sentiment none the less, and he leaned forward, hoping for one brief moment that Lana exhibited some kind of signs of life. However, it was nothing but false hope, and Clark was brought back to the harsh reality that Lana would not be waking up for another couple days. The young man tried not to think of what might happen if Lana would not ever wake up ever again.

Clark shook his head that was an attitude of a defeatist, he couldn't think like that, Lana would be okay. She had really gotten blasted pretty hard and Clark could not help, but recall that shot was meant for him. Lana did serve the duty that she had been given by Kara and Harry, a bit too well, and it could have cost her something near and dear, her life.

"So, I'm guessing that there is a reason why you're here other than checking up on me and Lana, to make sure we're okay," Clark muttered at that moment, and Chloe offered a brief nod, almost swallowing the lump that appeared in her throat. Chloe took a brief moment to collect her own thoughts, and then stepped forward closer to Clark, sensing the despair radiating off of him.

Given Chloe's powers that was too much to bear, but she could worry about that later. She thought for a moment that her healing abilities might help Lana, and sure enough, Chloe decided that it was worth enough to try.

There was nothing, some kind of barrier had blocked Chloe's powers from even working on Lana. Chloe felt a stinging sensation in her hands and staggered back from the pain. Thanks to her Herald of the Herald powers, healing someone would no longer knock her out, but she would still feel every bit of pain.

"Chloe, I don't know if you should have done that," Clark offered, and Chloe rubbed her temples, they throbbed heavily, but she managed to stir herself back to life.

"No, Clark, I had to try," Chloe argued harshly, knowing what Clark would have done the same thing had he been in the position to do so.

"And I'm sure Lana appreciates the fact you tried," Clark answered, and he looked at Chloe, swinging the conversation back to its intended purpose. "I suppose that's why you came, to try and see if you could use your powers to help Lana."

Chloe knew that she had some unfortunate explanations ahead of her, but through true strength and courage, she pushed through, looking Clark dead on in the eye when she talked to him.

"Yeah, that's most of the reason, but there's another reason, we might have a bit of a problem," Chloe said, and this statement got Clark's full attention, especially with how seriously Chloe had said it. Now that she was sure that Clark's full and undivided attention was on her, at least for the moment, so Chloe continued to speak. "It has to do with those over-powered goons that jumped you and Lana."

Clark was almost afraid of that and even though he would live to regret asking this question, he had to ask it regardless.

"So, prey tell how big of a problem are we dealing with?" Clark wondered, once again feeling a mortal dread coming on and judging by the look on Chloe's face, he was about to be proven grossly and utterly right.

Chloe's sigh was long, and her expression serious, before she turned to Clark. "I'm guessing the absolute end of the world could be a good place to start."

Clark's head snapped up at these words, Chloe would not have said such a thing, unless it was serious, but there had been many storms that had been weathered by him over the years. Somehow Clark thought that this would be far worse than any previous situation, and his breath remained rather shallow, before he invited Chloe to continue.

Chloe did continue, for better or for worse, explaining the full scope of the situation to her best friend.

"So, I suppose I should give you the Cliff's notes version of what has been going on, and what we might be up against," Chloe answered, and Clark once again invited her to continue. Chloe did so, speaking in a slow manner, because there was a lot of it that did not make that much to sense to her. "Essentially there's this really powerful demon who sired a young girl sixteen years ago, and now wants to use her as a vessel to take over the world, turning it into a place where he can thrive, and those three super powered minions were after her."

Clark just allowed all of this to be reconciled in his mind, before asking the obvious question.

"Do you know where the girl is?" Clark asked, and Chloe let the answer out at that moment, without pausing at the slightest.

"She's at the Shining Light Foundation, Harry and Kara have her in the most secure room that they have," Chloe responded, before she took a moment, and added as an afterthought. "You know, the one that that the two of them kept you in when you tried to break into the Shining Light Foundation, remember that one?"

Clark cringed at the memory, and winced. That was not one of his finest hours and he was glad that Kara did in fact forgive him. There were times where Clark did not forgive himself. He looked at Chloe and answered in a deadpan. "Vividly."

"Yeah, I don't know how well that's going to hold, the way that girl was talking, she seems to think that the end is near, regardless of what we do," Chloe answered, speaking quickly, without taking any kind of breath.

The fact of the matter was that Chloe knew that this situation had the potential to turn south rather quickly, and just hoped that Clark could get his head in the game. She could sense the doubt coming off of him; one did not need mind reading abilities to sense that level of angst. A frown curled across Chloe's lips, and she floated forward, before looking Clark dead on in the eye.

"None of this is your fault, Clark," Chloe said in a firm voice, and Clark just nodded. Chloe doubted the sincerity of his nod and decided to press forward, a bit of a pained smile crossing her face. "I could say that a hundred times, and you wouldn't believe a word I said, would you?"

Clark offered her a smile, even though it was rather strained, Chloe had him pretty much pegged, and the truth was he should not really blame himself for what happened. Yet, he did, and Lana had to suffer for his indecision. The only crime she committed was taking a rather prominent hit for him. The angst, and the guilt pounded into his head with the force of a meteor over it, again and again, with Clark closing his eyes at that thought, and turning towards the window.

He opened them up at that moment, and saw the picturesque beauty of a summer day before him, taking a moment to reflect upon it. It was hard to believe that the end would be before them "It's such a beautiful day."

Chloe smiled, hopefully that it would encourage Clark to pull his head out of his ass and stop beating himself up.

"It will be a beautiful day, and the next day will be as well, and the next day, and every other day," Chloe commented, turning around, and taking a moment to just appreciate how beautiful it was. "So do I have your word that you won't beat yourself up over what happened, or do I have to fly over there, and pin you to that wall until you give in?"

Clark's face cracked into a bright smile, one that Chloe returned at that moment, the two friends taking a moment to stare each other down.

"I don't think that it will be necessary."

"Oh, well then there's always a next time," Chloe answered barely keeping a straight face as she shrugged her shoulders, and she looked at Clark. She could see that he was tired, even for his abilities. "You've been sitting there all day and all night, haven't you?"

"I have to," Clark agued, but Chloe shook her head, and turned to Clark.

"Just get some rest right now, I'll take over for a few hours."

"But…"

Chloe put a hand up to silence him, not in the mood to argue with Clark, and certainly she was not in the mood to deal with his self-pity. She stared Clark dead on in the eyes, and she did not blink at him at all. "No buts, Clark, do you hear me?"

Clark nodded, he was tired, not to mention hungry, and catching a whiff of himself, he needed a shower. Boy did he ever need a shower. It was obvious at least that much when he had caught a whiff of his arm pit, so Clark spun around, and at super speed, he went back up the stairs.

Chloe just offered a bit of a smile, and checked on Lana, hearing her heart beating, that was a good sign. The truth of the matter was that even though she tried not to show it, Chloe was rather worried about the end that was coming. What little information they had been able to find on Trigon had not been promising.

"Rest easy, Lana, hopefully there will still be a world here when you wake up," Chloe offered her friend in a soft voice.

There was no amount of time where it went by where Chloe thought more and more about the fact that the world could be ending at any moment, but her confidence had to be put on Harry and Kara's abilities to get through. The third Herald was also capable sure, she supposed, although the third Herald had many issues to work through, many, many, issues.

For the moment, Chloe continued to take Clark's place watching over Lana, so his personal needs could be taken care of. Super powered or otherwise, Chloe felt that Clark should not neglect his life, and she suspected that he would at the expense of Lana. Not that was not an admirable trait, but Clark should think of himself sometimes.

* * *

Rachel sat in the secure room in the Shining Light Foundation, wishing she could have enjoyed more of the chair she sat in, along with the rest of the room. The comfort level was fine, and there was a television for her use, but entertainment did not suit her, it seldom did. The sandwich, crackers, and juice she had been given seemed to be of good quality, even if the young girl found herself picking at them more or more, rather than eating them.

She supposed that she should eat something, but nerves tended to be a hostile thing that wrecked the mind and spirit of even the most well-adjusted. After her past, Rachel was not well adjusted and Rachel most certainly was not really that normal. She offered a long and labored sigh at this point, and folded her arms, staring at the sandwich intently.

"I could get you something else, if you like, if you don't like what you have."

The polite voice indicated that Megan stood on the other side of the glass, and used her access key to shift inside, before entering the cell. She took the bean bag next to Rachel, and offered her a warm smile. Rachel was fingering the raven pendant she wore, and just shook her head. Her dark eyes snapped up into the green eyes of the young girl. Rachel wondered how such a girl could have such a sunny deposition given what was about to go down and what she could cause.

"The food is to my liking, I just find it hard to eat because of everything that has been happening, and what I could bring upon the world."

Megan nodded in understanding, before she leaned forward, addressing the young half demon in a pacifying voice. "I think you'll find that Harry and Kara won't let anything happen to you."

Rachel did not doubt their capabilities, but the fear of Trigon had been put in her during her entire life. She knew this day was coming, it was hard to really deny what was coming, she preyed it would never come, but now it was going to be hard to escape.

"It isn't anything happening to me that I'm concerned about, rather what may happen to the rest of the world," Rachel answered without missing a beat, and Megan had to feel where she was coming from with this sentiment. "Do you think that they can stop…what is coming?"

Megan did not even pause for the slightest second, and she offered Rachel an answer with the brightest, hopefully most optimistic, tone that she could manage. "I don't think they can accomplish something, I know that they can. That's just what they do."

Rachel shifted on the chair, remaining silent, just pondering over several matters, and knowing that it was nice that someone had some level of optimism, because she surely did not. Optimism was something that failed her at every single moment, and Rachel's next sigh became long, before she shook her head. She could almost sense him creeping up on her, taunting her, and tormenting her very life. While Rachel had not heard his voice as of yet, she could only imagine what he was like. Cold and sadistic, extremely brutal, and horrific, he was a darkness that burned everything that was pure and good upon his path of destruction.

The easiest way was for the three Heralds to just take her out right now, before his hold could be given over her. Rachel knew that Trigon would not rest until he claimed what was his, and the fact she descended from something that vile revolted her to the stomach. The worst part was that Rachel could feel all of the emotions around her, pouring into her, and knew that as Trigon used her body, a part of her would always feel the despair as her soul had crumbled to dust.

That thought depressed her, and Megan just leaned on the beanbag chair, offering a smile, and asking in a rather reluctant manner. "So um, do you play video games or anything?"

Rachel was caught completely off guard by this line of questioning and she gave the young girl a queer look, before answering in a dull and deadpan voice.

"No," Rachel replied in a swift voice, shaking her head, knowing that the other girl was trying to make conversation. And Rachel, not being one for tact, decided to cut the chase. "I know what you're trying to do, and I appreciate it, but it doesn't distract me from what I am, and what I have been created to do. To think that I could be responsible for countless deaths in the next day, and they will be coming, unless they destroy me, it's just…well words don't describe it, do they?"

"I'm sure there are a few words that could describe it, but I try not to think of those words," Megan replied, and she looked at Rachel, with an honest expression on her face. Megan offered a bright smile, but it was an expression that Rachel did not return. "Try not to worry about everything, you're not a monster."

Rachel gazed at Megan with a look of abject disbelief, trying to reconcile the fact that she was anything, but a monster. Megan, on the other hand, did not need her mind reading abilities to sense that there was some kind of doubts within the mind of this girl, so the red haired girl leaned forward and continued to talk to Rachel in a gentle whisper.

"You might think you are, because of how you were born, but none of this is your fault," Megan responded, trying to speak in a light and pacifying voice. "Your father is the one that is the monster, for what he did, and what he's planning on doing. The people who came before you are the monsters, but as a wise person once told me, it is your actions that define you, and that makes you who you are. It doesn't matter if you're human or otherwise, that's just how things go."

Rachel once again wished she could believe this to be true, but doubts flooded her mind like a current, in a flurry, much unlike anything that she ever could imagine. The dark haired girl took a moment to reflect, and leaned back in the chair, taking a bite from her sandwich, just letting it all sink in. It actually did taste quite nice and if this was a final meal, at least that much would be a happy memory to go out on.

"I wish I could live for the future," Rachel mused, and there was a moment where she rubbed her temples. It seemed to relax her, but only slightly, and then she continued to speak. "But all I'm living for is just a doomsday that is coming in the present."

Megan felt depressed just a little bit given the vibes that were coming off of Rachel and tried to pacify her just a little bit, to calm down the grim mood.

"There will be a tomorrow, Rachel," Megan responded with conviction, patting the other girl on the hand, and trying to be a calm influence. Skepticism danced in Rachel's eyes, but Megan continued to speak in a firm voice. "That is what Harry and Kara are doing in the other room, they are building a better tomorrow, and I hope that if I can help in any way, I'll…I'll see what I can do."

Rachel offered a crisp nod, but wished there could be more that she could say, and more that she could do, but to be honest, she was scared to death. Despite these reassuring words that had been given to her by Megan, the young half demon felt like a part of her was always in the control of some dark and malevolent influence. This influence sought to twist her, even if Rachel had the best intentions.

She tried to fight that inner darkness within her, but it continued to twist and torment at her, pushing her closer and closer to the brink of sheer darkness, despair, and feeling like there was nothing to live for. Rachel remembered the words that her mother said, about how it was always darkest before the dawn, but there was no point in fighting after what happened.

The pendent Rachel's mother gave her served as a reminder of where she came from, and the people who had strength beyond all measure. That was where she had half of her heritage from, even if the other half of the heritage came from a complete monster. She was half demon, and the fact kept ringing out in the back of her head, taunting her, and if she closed her eyes, she could see them.

Each and every one of them, she could see, the victims that had been punished because she had been able to keep a few steps from the knights of Trigon. That was something that resounded out for her and continued to torment her. Guilt was a harsh thing and her emotions, kept under control so tightly, nearly faltered.

Rachel's blood ran cold, there were young girls suffering because they were not her, so that terrible trio had put them down hard. The dark haired girl took a step forward, and tried to reach for the door latch, but Megan grabbed her hand roughly, and spun Rachel around, stopping her from leaving. Yet, despite this blockage, Rachel's breathing got heavier and heavier, and the walls rattled slightly from her powers.

Rachel's face contorted into an expression of pure desperation, and panic, her heart thumping loudly across the chest. The fact was that she needed to get out, lives were being put in peril, and the half demon tried to communicate this much to Megan.

"I need to get out of here, now, before those three attack anyone else."

Megan crossed her arms, and the expression on her face remained rather firm. The young girl stood, standing and staring down the half demon, she would not back down, she was fearless. "No way, no way, no way at all! I can't let you out of here, I won't let you out of here!"

"I don't see how a normal girl like you is going to stop me, if I want to escape, now stand aside," Rachel said, not wanting to hurt this girl, but if she had no choice, Rachel would not hesitate to do so.

Rachel's eyes flared with even more power, but so did Megan's, if they had come to some kind of fight, the battle could tear down half of Metropolis. The half demon backed off, realizing this and realizing that Megan was not as normal of a girl as she thought.

Meanwhile, Megan had took a few calming breaths, it had been a long time since she had nearly lost control of her own abilities in such a way. It was as if Rachel was not the only one who had problems keeping her inner nature at bay and Megan took a step back, offering an apologetic smile, weak as it might be towards Rachel.

Suddenly, as if on cue, a dark voice echoed through the back of Rachel's head, and a tormenting tone spoke, causing the back of the hairs to stand up on her neck, with her fists curling, and her blood ran cold.

"**My dear sweet, Raven." **

"No, you can't be here,' Rachel answered in a panicked voice and Megan's eyes widened when she sensed the sinister psychic presence from the other end of the room.

"**Baby girl, you thought that you could escape me, couldn't you? No, you can't, for Daddy's coming home."**

The sadistic laughter of Trigon cut through the senses of all that heard it like a white hot knife and Rachel and Megan both got goose bumps.

"You felt that too, didn't you?" Rachel asked Megan, who stood, eyes widened, and glued to the wall, practically transfixed, and her mouth opening and shut.

Megan was shell shocked and shaken, but at the same time rebounded rather quickly, sensing the fire, which caused her to become paralyzed. That was a nightmare that she did not want to relieve, and Rachel cleared her throat, snapping Megan back to what resembled reality.

"Um, yeah, I did," Megan responded, shaking her head, and trying to take a moment to really get her mind back into order. The presence of Trigon was not one that she would recover well from any time soon "I'll be right back, but remember the right choice is something that you can make. It is what separates us from them."

Megan moved off to report the strange presence that she felt inside the cell for a brief moment. Granted, it was repelled by the defenses, but Megan had no idea how long those were going to hold, if they had been completely tested. This was information that the three Heralds needed to know.

Rachel sank back on the chair, taking a book in her hands, but she was not really reading it. Rather, she pondered upon Megan's words, taking them to heart, and really wished that she could make the right choice. People made it seem so easy, but it was the hardest thing in the world to do. Rachel understood that and felt the horror, the torment, and everything that had gone along with making the right decision.

Yet the right choice was something that was hard to come by. That was one thing that the half demon understood and one thing that continued to torment her until her dying day.

* * *

"So, you heard it is as well?"

Megan nodded her head up and down, answering this inquiry from Harry, and it was Kara who chimed in the words.

"I think all of us did, in fact, I think that half of Metropolis did as well."

Kara and Harry, as they so often did, locked eyes, understanding what was at stake. They were reaching zero hour and the arrival of the terror of Trigon, and they only were getting together what passed as a plan at this very moment. The presence was looming closer, and closer to them, and there was no question about it, the three were in crunch time. Karen stood in the background, hovering awkwardly, before she leaned forward, and spoke in a slow and concise voice.

"So, do we have a plan, or not?"

Thinking quickly was a specialty of Harry's, even during his first year at Hogwarts, Harry had been able to keep cool in the face of certain danger. While others worried, Harry thrived, pulling out some kind of plan. Sometimes it was through sheer dumb luck, but whatever caused everyone to go home alive. This time, Harry had a bit of a plan that required on this blind luck, but it was better than nothing.

Harry enlightened his fellow Heralds on the plan, what passed as a plan anyway. It was cobbled together based off of a chance, but it just had to work.

"I think if we get Rachel to another dimension while Trigon tries to possess her, it should be easier to defeat him, and perhaps expel him," Harry explained to both of his fellow Heralds and Karen crossed her arms over her chest, skepticism danced within her eyes.

Karen wondered if Harry even thought this plan through, and thought about all the ways where it could have gone wrong. She still hung onto her belief that Trigon could be destroyed if the vessel was destroyed, and her eyes snapped towards Harry, unblinking and ice cold.

"Yeah, sound plan, but there might just be a few tiny holes that I might want to poke into it just a little bit," Karen responded, pausing at that moment, before she decided to speak. "Trigon will still come, he'll just reek havoc elsewhere."

"Phantom Zone," Kara answered quickly, as if that solved anything.

Karen was gobsmacked by this suggestion and Harry even looked at Kara with a quizzical eyebrow, but then Karen just smiled long and hard. It did show some potential and that would be the one place where no one would shed any tears if Trigon had destroyed all life. She found herself a big fan of this plan.

"You're going to take a teenage girl into the Phantom Zone, and try and trap her demonic father there?" Karen asked, raising an eyebrow, actually pretty impressed by that plan, it did have some merit, providing no unintended variables got in the way.

Kara mistook Karen's look for questioning the plan, and jumped in a defensive manner. "Hey, it's loads better than actually killing the young girl."

Karen really hated when someone contradicted her, especially if that person was herself and a scowl crossed her face, before her eyes snapped towards Kara's face.

"I didn't say it wasn't," Karen argued, and suddenly she offered a bright smile on her face, towards both Kara and Harry, her two fellow Heralds of Death. She then spoke once more. "I just hope that this plan won't backfire in any way."

Kara and Harry suddenly felt some chills entering their body based off of this innocent statement from Karen and the two of them blinked suddenly, hoping that they had not just got screwed over in the worst way.

"Oh, please don't jinx it," Kara remarked with a sigh, taking a deep breath, and putting her hands in her face, but Harry patted her on the shoulder. This small action reassured her at this point and caused Kara to relax, ready to fight the battle at hand.

"Don't worry, it will all balance out, you'll see," Harry answered, giving Kara a reassuring glance and a smile, that only mildly alleviated her nerves.

No one dared to ask, what could possibly go wrong, because all of them knew better. That was just going to open up the floodgates for all kinds of problems and they had enough problems without inviting even more on to face them.

And even if they did ask, the answer was creeping up behind them, with an aura that filled the air. It was almost like Dementors had crashed the party, but it was less cold. Despite the fact that the aura was less cold, it still caused them to be startled. The three Heralds immediately stood up high and proud, on their guard for whatever these enemies had in store for them.

The three Heralds of Death stood ready to go, and the defenses held for a moment, but they would only hold long enough for the three Heralds to leap into position to defend their strong hold. Harry erected a few more defensive wards, hoping that they would hold the ground, while the two other Heralds looked ready, and focused their heat vision.

The three possessed minions of Trigon entered the room through a flash of dark light, and the three of them charged forward arms extended. They sensed the power and the presence that was within these three.

"It is them, the Heralds of Death."

"Even they could not stop the master's plan."

"The vessel will be his."

The minions rushed forward to engage the Heralds, and all six stood facing each other off, before they all charged at each other. The six of them clashed with each other, and the six of them repelled back. Three heralds and three minions slid back on the ground, and the six of them stood, with illuminated hands and began firing blasts of light as the Heralds did all they could to keep this battle on this one particular floor of the Shining Light Foundation.

Karen aimed a blast of heat vision at one of the minions, who created a shield to block it. Intensifying the blast of the heat vision, Kara tried to get through, but again, it bounced off. The blonde Kryptonian tried again and again, and each and every individual attack was blocked again and again.

On the other end, Harry engaged another minion, and tried to banish him back to where he came, but it was not that simple. Death had warned him that there would be extremely powerful forces that would seek to take him down. This minion was one of them, and Harry channeled more power into his attacks, trying to crack down the shield.

Kara flipped herself up into the air, and nailed the minion with a double foot to the face, and the minion flew to the ground. Harry and Kara joined hands, and combined their attacks, blasting the minion with a beam of light. The intense blasts stunned him, taking him down, but it did not take him out. The enemy was back to his feet and mean, nasty, and cruel as ever.

The minion struggled, refusing to get reaped, when Karen sped in at that moment, and joined the attack. The power of three was able to barely defeat the one, but he did disappear into a flash of light. The explosion sent the minion beyond and the three Heralds could not help, but think that one had been knocked down, so there was only two more to go.

The three Heralds flew back, having been knocked down, and drained. They staggered at that moment, and one of the minions tried to make an escape for it. He did not want to experience the same fate of his others.

A blur of light sped into the room, and Clark decided to join the party, while Chloe was watching over Lana. The minion blasted Clark backwards, sending him flying to the wall, but that allowed Kara, Karen, and Harry to jump in, taking out minion number two. The three scythes cut into the minion and caused him to explode in a blinding flash of light, sending his particles spreading across the wider multiverse.

The minion's soul was already doomed the moment that Trigon had been let inside it that much was for certain when the minion blew into dust particles. The minion vanished into the light, never to be seen ever again. The attack drained the before Karen turned her attention to Clark, who was staggering, punch-drunk from when the minion had attacked him.

"What are you doing here?" Karen demanded of Clark, and Clark raised his hands into the air, a bit defensively.

The two Kryptonians stared each other down, neither backing off from their stance, and Kara took a step forward, in case she needed to break something up between her cousin and her "sister", for lack of a better term.

"I heard what was happening, and I needed to help," Clark replied, just narrowing his eyes at the older version of Kara, he about had it with her and her attitude, but Kara made sure to put herself even further in the middle of them, before things got ugly. There was no time for any petty disputes, especially with one more minion there.

"Whatever problem you two have, settle it when the world isn't about to end!" Kara snapped, shaking her head, and sure enough, Harry was fighting against the final minion. The clashes of magical energy illuminated the room and Harry tried to break through his enemy, but damn if this sucker wasn't going to give a fight before he went down.

True to form, the biggest, toughest, most sadistic demon was the one who was going to be the last one, he was the main one out of the three. Harry understood what was on the line, and he kept fighting, until he could not fight any longer. Harry was going to go the distance, and so was this demon, so it was a battle of extremely strong wills, pushing and battling against each other.

Kara rushed over at that point, and Karen rushed over as well. The method to defeat the other two minions did not work with this one, and he continued to press forward, engaging the three Heralds in the attack.

The taunting laughter of the minion echoed for all in the building to hear, and the teeth of the three Heralds gritted as they pushed back the attacks. More blasts of light could be seen, and Clark tried to jump in, but he was slapped to the side like an overgrown fly.

"You cannot hope to stop this, for the balance will be disrupted when the master is released," the minion said in a deep voice that did not fit his frame.

"Hold him off; I'm going to try something!" Harry yelled to both Kara and Karen, and before either blonde Kryptonian could ask what was happening, Harry was off at the speed of light.

Clark tried to blast the minion with a super powered attack, but his strongest punch had the effect of a spitball striking the side of a battleship. The Kryptonian winced his knuckles cracked off of the face to no avail. The minion laughed at Clark's efforts, and knocked him back, causing the Kryptonian to connect with the wall.

Kara and Karen responded to that attack amplifying their heat vision, and burning him with an attack. The minion staggered back, but a field appeared around them, immobilizing the two Heralds in place. The two slammed their hands up against the energy field, trying to kick and punch their way out, but they could not do it.

Kara and Karen flew at the field, banging their shoulders against it, trying to fight their way through. Attack after attack was fired in their attempt to break through the field, but each attack lead to nothing, other than sore shoulders from the blonde alien beauties.

Clark tried to super speed at the wall as well, but it was an equivalent for striking head on into a brick wall for him. The Kryptonian staggered, and Kara and Karen forced their way through the wall, flying up the hallways, going after the minion was getting closer, and closer to his destination.

Soon the master would be released, and the world would experience what the true meaning of what terror was.

* * *

Harry arrived in the room, where Rachel sat on the chair, and leaned back, hands folded over her lap, and she offered a bit of a sigh where Harry had entered the room. There was no delaying the point and Rachel clutched the side of the chair, skin whiter than she had been previously and she bit her lip, keeping her powers in control.

"You heard the statement," Rachel answered, and Harry responded a nod, trying to keep his face neutral and trying not to betray how worried he was about what was going to happen. "Then you know that he is coming."

"Yes, that's what he intends to do," Harry said, without any means to sugarcoat the statement. Determination that Harry was known for crossed into his voice and he looked Rachel dead in the eye. "And I intend to stop it."

Rachel just put her hands on her face, and leaned her head back, offering a brief sigh. "Unless you have some mystical magical plan that you're going to pull out of thin air to stop him, I doubt you'll be able to do that. Not that I'm offending you or anything, but the fact is the Herald of Death powers…"

"They have a few surprises," Harry cut in, and Rachel felt when he looked into her eyes, he was peering into her very soul. There was only a slight amount of reassurance that Harry was giving her, but it was going to work. "I don't want to tell you that everything is going to be okay, because that will be insulting both of our intelligence."

"You're a great motivator, you know that," Rachel answered in a brisk voice, but she barely concealed the smile she had on her face. It was the first one she had…well as long as she could remember and her memory went back a long way.

Harry knew that it was gutcheck time, this was do or die, the fate of the world was in the palm of his hand. No pressure or anything, but still Harry's eyes flashed with a fluid determination that was not matched by many.

"I'm a realist, no matter what, but in this cell, he may break through, I'm sending you to another realm, hopefully that will delay Trigon's coming, and with any luck I can trap him there," Harry said, and Rachel's skepticism was something that spread across her face rather quickly.

"Okay, I'll trust you, but I still recommend finishing me off before there is a chance," Rachel answered, but Harry once again cut in with what he was a perfectly logical statement.

"And what makes you think Trigon won't use another vessel?"

Rachel did not answer that question, for because there was no time to, and the loud explosion from outside had caused Harry to turn around. Outside of the hallway, Kara and Karen had been knocked back by the demon, who was determined to fulfill his objective by any means necessary. While he could not kill the Heralds, he could really make them suffer.

Immediately, Harry sped through the wall, shifting his density through it, and with another movement, sent the minion flying back. The minion was knocked back into the wall, down, but far from out. The minion spun around, staggering, before he lifted a hand, and knocked Harry, Kara, and Karen back onto the ground. The laughter of the minion echoed through the hallway, and the minion peered down.

"Your attempts to stop the inevitable are quite quaint."

"So is your inability to keep your mouth shut," Karen retorted, and with a fury, she blasted a hard flurry of attacks, knocking the minion into the wall, but the minion knocked her off.

"Death needs three heralds, and all of them are incompetent children, the master shall…"

The minion screamed suddenly when Harry, Kara, and Karen blasted the minion with everything that they had, utterly annihilating him. The three dropped down to their knees, having used the full force of their powers to banish him from where he stood, and he was sent to the afterlife to be picked apart by the higher ups there.

The smoldering ashes of once what was a demon fluttered on the ground, and the three Heralds stood, side by side, the magic still flowing in the air. It took everything they had and then some, but the three disciplines of Trigon were defeated. Harry looked down at the ash remains, and offered one final statement that hoped would serve as good advice.

"The first rule of having an evil plan, make sure we're dead before you start running your mouth!" Harry breathed, and Clark took a step forward, but suddenly, Rachel dropped down to the ground. She screamed in blood curdling agony and grabbed her hair, rocking back and forth in frantic fury.

The girl's eyes were glowing, and they rolled up into the back of her head. Rachel was chanting underneath her breath, and Harry immediately swooped in, when a dark vortex opened where she stood.

With swift speed and agility, Harry grabbed Rachel, clutching her tight, and several flaming skeletons appeared from the portal. Harry transported both himself and the half-demon girl into the Phantom Zone, hopefully at least stalling Trigon's plan.

Kara and Karen used their super breath to blow out the fires, and Clark decided to add his input by going at super speed with them. The skeletons had been knocked back, crumbling to dust. He had taken his aggressions out on the day these demonic creations, smashing them with ballistic fury, and punching them.

Suddenly, Clark had been struck by a bolt of dark magical energy, once Harry had transported Rachel of harm's way.

"Clark!" Kara yelled, trying to grab onto him, but Karen held Kara back. It was a struggle, but Karen's strong grip was around Kara's waist and she was trying to elbow her way out to save her cousin.

"No, you'll only kill him," Karen answered, eyes widened showing fear and concern, and suddenly Clark fell down to the ground, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, before he began to speak in a deeper voice.

"Not quite the vessel I was hoping for, but it is adequate."

Kara and Karen understood one thing, and that was that Trigon had just missed possessing his daughter, so he grabbed onto the next most convenient vessel.

Said vessel was Clark Kent, and Clark stood up laughing coldly and high.

Kara froze up completely, not knowing what to do. There were a few different ways where she could have expelled Trigon off hand immediately, but they all had to do with hurting the vessel, with potentially lethal means.

Karen on the other hand, dove at Clark's body with reckless fury, slamming him into the wall, trying to use her crystal to expel Trigon from the body, but Trigon used Clark's hand to smack Karen back. The impact rattled the entire Shining Foundation Building and sent Karen flying back with a huge crack.

Karen flew head over heels, but Kara caught her before she crashed on the ground, and stood her up. Then a concussive blast had knocked both of them down, and sent them flying to the ground and sent both blonde Kryptonians crashing to the ground.

"I will deal with you in due time, but for now, this pathetic realm is mine for the taking," Trigon declared, laughing in a thunderous manner.

Karen and Kara were sprawled on the ground, and they caught a glimpse that only seemed to be capable at this present time with some kind of demonic possession, before the two completely blacked out.

Clark took flight through a window that had been removed, and continued to pick up his flight.

"Nothing can stop me now!"

Megan watched Clark fly off having heard the commotion and her mouth was a gap, green eyes glowing at that moment and she spotted Karen and Kara knocked out on the floor. The White Martian gave a sigh, as she watched Trigon use Clark as a vessel to transform Metropolis into a hellish nightmare, where the skies turned red and the people turned to stone.

'_We'll see about that.'_

**To Be Continued in "Nevermore Part Three."**


	48. Chapter 48: Nevermore Part Three

**Chapter 48: Nevermore Part Three.**

Trigon looked at the world through a brand new set of eyes, everything seemed to be so petty, so insignificant, and so ripe for the taking. He saw the humans below him like ants that could be crushed, and a blast of fire from his eyes confirmed that there was some level of power in this temporary vessel. That much was something that pleased Trigon as he tried to determine what else this body could do. The vessel might be weak of mind and weak of soul, but Trigon was never one to deny when something had the potential of true power.

Now, this city would be the perfect nexus point for his plans, to transform the world, until his full form could thrive in this world, and then he would send forth his legions to one world at a time to transform the universe. It would be a plan that would cause his rise and his dominance as he struck down his vengeance upon the world.

Trigon had been spawned from a darkness far too great for him to comprehend, and a darkness that even partially terrified him, but the terror of Trigon would overwhelm that darkness with a brand new breed of his own. He offered a thunderous laugh that echoed throughout the city, and a wave of magical energy struck the people.

All the people below shifted into stone statues, and while Trigon did not possess great magical power within his body, there was a certain residue that he could utilize to immobilize the citizens, even if the terrible demon had to do so one block at a time. Victory would be his, and so would this world. Each and every moment he grew in power and they all weakened the more people allowed to go on unchecked.

From the Shining Light Foundation, Megan looked frantic, when she saw Kara and Karen both sprawled out on the floor, and what was worse was Harry was gone. The young girl repeated one mantra in her head.

'_That's not good, that's not good, this isn't good, this so isn't good.'_

The truth was that was a mantra that caused her a great deal of frustration, and nearly reduced her to tears, but never the less it was one that tried to keep her sanity intact. Megan fretfully nudged the two blonde Kryptonians on the floor, but Kara and Karen had taken a very long nap, being knocked out by Trigon's power. The young girl tried to nudge them again and again but there was no dice.

"Guys, wake up, the world's going to end!" Megan shouted at them, but sudden she peered out the window to see the possessed form of Clark outside with the sadistic laughter echoing.

Kara and Karen did not respond to her abilities to wake up, they had been put in a similar petrified state like Lana was, protected only by their powers. They were an inch between being a awake and being knocked out. Megan could not think of a worse scenario if she had tried, and believe her, the Martian's mind was capable of a lot. The girl slid over to a vault, and opened it up.

She pulled out a chunk of a glowing green rock, and took it towards the window, taking drastic action to take down Trigon, or rather the body holding him. Megan closed her eyes, and began to take flight outside the window, reaching Clark's body. She really hoped that this would be enough to end this nightmare prematurely.

"Hey, Trigon!" Megan yelled, and Clark turned around, before Megan shoved the glowing green rock underneath Clark's nose, expecting him to wilt like a flower.

However, it was not working, and Trigon laughed, utterly mocking Megan at that point.

"Foolish child, it appears that particular vulnerability had been shut off before I entered this vessel," the booming voice of Trigon echoed, and Megan held the now useless green meteor rock in her hand. She suddenly felt rather stupid as she did not have a plan B.

It did make a lot of sense, Harry and Kara managed to block the Kryponite from affecting Clark, but now it came back to bite them in the ass in the worst way. There had to be some kind of failsafe to counteract the cure, just in case of a situation like this, but the problem is that Megan had no idea what it was. She was completely lost and the only two people who knew could not very well tell her right now.

Megan knew one thing however, as the blast of magical energy came through her, it was time to go intangible, and the energy blasted through her form.

"You cannot stay that way forever, little Martian girl," Trigon taunted at her, and Megan offered a smile, before she bombarded Trigon with an extremely powerful bolt of psychic energy.

Somehow, by a sheer miracle, blasted through his mind and reached inside his subconscious.

'_Clark, Kal-El, I know you're in there somewhere, but you got to fight it hard, your mind is stronger than Trigon's is, please fight it, okay?" _

"**He cannot fight it, for he is not stronger than me, not in the slightest. His mind is weak, and he has squandered great power for foolish acts of heroism. He may not be human, but this Kal-El is just as pathetic as them. He will fit in with their race, especially when they are destroyed."**

'_Humans are not pathetic, they are capable of a lot, don't you dare judge them!'_

"**Insolent pest of a girl, you cannot hope to match my power, and my abilities. I am Trigon, and I am…"**

Megan suddenly broke through the barrier, and repelled Clark's body back, sending him flying hard into the globe of the Daily Planet, where he impacted it like a fly on a windshield. The psychic blast bombarded him hard, and Megan stood, with Trigon madder than ever, before another heavy blast tried to impact the young white Martian in disguise.

'_Yeah, I'm way in over my head, Harry, where are you? Just wherever you are hurry, or Kara and Karen better wake up, I can't handle Trigon on my own! I never should have turned down being the Herald of Death of Mars; I could really use those powers right about now.' _

Megan continued the song and dance with Clark, dodging his Trigon fueled attacks, although she noticed a flicker of something from his eyes. Clark tried to fight Trigon's possession, but Trigon just exerted more of his will, crushing Clark's resistance. Trigon was a force far stronger than anything that Clark had fought until this point and he grew weaker yet.

Back at the Shining Light Foundation, Karen and Kara both stirred back to life, and shook their heads, completely dazed. It was like they had been impacted on the head with a huge asteroid repeatedly.

"What just happened?" Kara asked in a groggy voice.

Karen rolled her eyes, and gave Kara a frustrated glance, before she responded in a slow and patient voice. "Trigon possessed your cousin, if Harry had just destroyed the vessel, none of this would have happened."

"Rachel is not just a vessel, she is an actual human being with thoughts and ambitions of her own," Kara responded in a defensive voice, and Karen jshrugged. "Plus this just proves the point that Trigon would have used someone if he really wanted to come."

"Well, fine, I guess you have a point," Karen responded with a shrug of her shoulders, and speaking as if it pained her to admit that Kara was right, and she was wrong. "So how about we evict Trigon from Clark?"

"How do we do that?" Kara asked, because as she racked her brain for anything, she found nothing, short of killing Clark, and for obvious reasons, she did not want to do that.

"I'll think of something," Karen answered, and Karen and Kara flew out the window.

They saw Megan continuing to engage Trigon, and despite her abilities, the girl was rather inexperienced and in over her head. Kara knew that if Megan had a little more time, she could potentially loosen Trigon's grip, but they needed a distraction.

Karen offered that distraction by flying forward with a ballistic fury, and smashing Clark in the face with a huge kick. Kara mused that Karen seemed to enjoy that a bit too much, but this was not the time and the place for such thoughts. Trigon was back up in Clark's body, and boy was he hot.

The battle continued to rage on, as Kara now joined the fight, trying to appeal to Clark.

"Clark, fight it!"

There was no response, and Trigon once again tried to blast them with the same spell that knocked them out, but this time Kara and Karen dodged the attack, and spun around, before knocking Clark with a double punch, sending him back, as Megan tightened her psychic grip on Clark's mind.

It was going to be a titanic struggle to loosen Clark from the terrible torment that Trigon offered. Both of them tried to get in, to force their way into his mind, but there was nothing, not even a little bit, Clark's mind was stubbornly held onto by the demon. The Heralds summoned their full powers, but since they were one short, there was little stopping him.

* * *

Harry looked around in the location where he was, peering into the distance, and Rachel stood by his side, a frown crossing her face. There was a long moment of silence before the young half demon decided to chime in with her two cents.

"Let me guess, you miscalculated the jump, and you have no idea how to get back."

Harry paused for a moment, and turned to Rachel at that precise moment. There was time before Harry had tried to figure out if he had done exactly what Rachel suggested, when he calculated each and every individual variable in his head. "Oh, no, I calculated the jump perfectly, it is just that we landed in a place where we have to be very careful to not to let anything come back with us to Earth."

That was all too much of a horrific possibility that Harry did not want to even comprehend as people still were reeling just a little bit from the last visitors that had found their way out from the Phantom Zone.

"Wonderful," Rachel replied in a dry voice, and her dark eyes were on Harry's, before she continued in a remorseful voice. There was guilt dripping from her very tone whilst she spoke. "You know, I have no idea what we're going to do when we get back, because Trigon was coming through that portal, and he latched onto someone."

"Clark ran right in front of the light, I bet it was him," Harry answered as he pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering how this could have gotten any worse.

Rachel just gave a bit of a sigh before she offered the most frank declaration that Harry had ever heard from somewhere her age.

"For the world's supposed greatest future protector, he really has no common sense whatsoever," Rachel responded in a crisp tone, and Harry could not argue with that whatsoever. The problem was that Lana was supposed to be babysitting him, but she got knocked out by Trigon's minions, so that was out.

Harry wondered if he should have had a backup protector installed in case of an event like this and Lois seemed to be the most likely candidate should her powers ever return to her, but that was another matter. Still it was best to have a contingency plan or two in case the worst came to the worst.

It was times like this where Harry knew that a backup would be helpful but that was another problem for another time.

Harry meanwhile had to stare back out into the Phantom Zone, and took a rather deep breath. There were many vile criminals throughout all of the known galaxies in this place, so it went without saying how Harry needed to remain on his toes, and completely alert after everything that had just transpired.

Trigon coming out was bad enough; one of these phantoms coming out was another bad thing. Earth had already dealt with them enough, and Clark had spent a year of his life tracking them down. Harry and Rachel continued to move through the Phantom Zone at that point, they knew the exit portal was rather near, and suddenly, they heard something rustling in the distance.

It was moments like this where Harry stood rigid on sheer principle just waiting to see who was going to come out, for there was something lurking. Exactly who or maybe what was something that could not be determined yet.

There was a certain someone in the Phantom Zone, a certain blonde someone, and Harry and Rachel stood on their feet, ready for a fight, should this person engage them in battle.

"You seek the way out, don't you?"

There was a long pause with both Harry and this woman staring at each other as Harry tried to figure out if she was a threat that should be dealt and the woman did the same. Harry was on his guard ready for an attack. He stood in the Phantom Zone and heard a rustling behind him. Nothing in here could hurt him in the slightest, but Harry was still not going to take any chances. He responded to the woman as Harry stood and did not blink.

"We have the way out, thank you very much," Harry answered to the person, raising a hand ready to attack her at that moment. "We entered the Phantom Zone to escape a powerful demon that had arrived on Earth to take it over."

"So the terror that Jor-El has believed to happen has come to pass."

Harry was caught off guard by this declaration and he offered a raised eyebrow before he decided that information was something that he needed.

"What terror is that?" Harry asked in a suspicious voice.

The figure in the distance wasted no time in answering, her face looking rather grim to match the tone of her voice.

"Jor-El long believed that his son's greatest enemy would be one that could cause unmistakable terror on the Earth. Kal-El has not yet embraced his heritage yet, am I correct?

Harry wondered what this meant, but then it struck him at that moment.

"Yes, he isn't flying if that is what you mean," Harry answered, and the woman in the shadows nodded with a response.

"Two years ago, he didn't start his training, and he still stalls. He refuses to even acknowledge what his father can do, and what knowledge he can impart upon him, despite the less than noble intentions of his AI successor."

Harry and Rachel stood in the background, and watched this woman, standing in the shadows. It was at that moment where the woman seemed to recognize Harry and she took a half of a step back, but otherwise stood her ground.

"You are the shadow of death, are you not?"

"Yes, if one wants to call me that," Harry answered to the woman, and curiosity got the better . "Just what did you do to get here in the Phantom Zone?"

The woman was prompt to answer at that moment, a feeling mournful expression crossing her face. She took a moment to collect her thoughts before she began to speak in a somber and remorseful tone.

"Earth was a beautiful place in the short time I experienced it. I managed to help Kal-El escape the Phantom Zone the first time, and followed him back. He believes that I was killed in an attack by one of the Phantom Zone villains, but Jor-El had transported me back into the Phantom Zone, whilst he left a shell behind that resembled me. It was to impart a lesson upon Kal-El that life is fragile, and try and encourage him to embrace his heritage."

Harry smiled a strained smile, as he knew all too well about the strained relationship between Clark and his AI father. Then again, Harry could talk about strained relationships with artificial copies of his parents.

"Jor-El has his reasons, but I've noticed that Kal-El is very much like him. Willing to shoulder the burden of the world all on his own regardless of sense or reason, dedicated to the cause, and extremely stubborn, to the point where it makes me want to bang my head against the wall. And this is one of these situations where Kal-El engaged his fists before engaging his brain, if I'm not mistaken."

"He does that often enough," Rachel commented, and the blonde woman before them nodded at that moment.

There was a long pause before the silence had been broken at that point by the blonde woman as she stared them down.

"You must depart now, before the Phantoms sense you as a ticket for early parole," the woman added, but she seemed to be rather reluctant to voice this next bit. "I do ask one favor of you."

"What is that?" Harry asked, and the woman just responded with a smile, looking at him.

"Please allow me another chance to experience Earth, and take me from this place. I know Jor-El has his reasons, but the will of you, Herald of Death, will override any will of his. I do not wish to spend all eternity trapped in the Phantom Zone."

Harry paused, and Rachel raised an eyebrow, waiting for Harry's response. Even though the half demon girl could sense what Harry was going to do because that was the type of person that he was.

"I will understand if you think of me as guilty, my story might often tend to lack credibility to an outside party."

"No, I believe you, and I will help you, under one condition," Harry answered, and the woman responded with a nod. "Do not under any circumstances say that you owe me big time."

The woman was caught off board by this statement as she watched this strange and interesting young man.

"That seems fair," the woman responded, for some reason, she expected some other form of payment to be delivered, but that would be adequate what he requested.

"And what may I ask is your name?"

"Raya."

* * *

Karen and Kara continued to pour on the assault against Trigon, but he was one step ahead of them. The terrible demon really fired back his attacks, and Kara dodged one, but Karen's equilibrium was completely rattled at that point, spiraling in mid-air. She was going to smash down into the ground hard, she could just feel it.

A dark haired blur shot from the sky and caught Karen in his arms. Karen sighed when Harry her cradled in his arms, and they continued to fly down to the ground.

"Thanks for saving me," Karen responded grudgingly, and Harry just responded with a smile as he cradled the young woman in his arms.

"No need to thank me, just think of me as your own personal protector."

Karen grimaced, why did her words have to come back and bit her in the ass in the most hypocritical way? That was just how her luck seemed to go all of the bloody time. The blonde Kryptonian had no time to speak right now, when Karen had been set on the ground, and Megan was knocked backwards, her head ringing at that moment.

Kara and Harry looked at her at that moment as the Martian tried to regain her bearings, teeth gritted when she looked up. It was obvious that she had suffered a setback in the attack.

"I thought I got through," Megan responded, curling her fists together in frustration, and her mind was flaring with absolute power, eyes glowing.

"It was a noble effort, but Trigon is not so easily destroyed," Harry told her, and Megan responded with a nod, as the three Heralds of Death flew forward, blasting Clark with everything they had, to try and get Trigon out of his body.

It was difficult trying to maintain a certain balance between making sure Clark did not get hurt, but at the same time, Trigon seemed to be banking out them, as he drew more power.

Rachel watched from above, as Raya stood in the shadows, not wanting to intervene. Jor-El's divine intervention saved her the last time, and she had gotten a third chance in life, and three strikes, and you're out as the Earth saying had went. The half demon however had her face twisted into a pained grimace, understanding what was going on.

"It has to be me."

Rachel watched as the three Heralds of Death, and the one Martian tried their assault again on Trigon, but short of destroying Clark's body, there was no way that they could have defeat him.

She on the other hand had powers, and had a purpose now, a purpose not to be someone else's pawn. Some of the best words were left unsaid, but Rachel could feel it, she had a life of her own, and it was going to be lived whether or not her father liked it or not. The half demon summoned more power that she had ever tapped into in her entire life.

Rachel's mother warned her that only this amount of power should be tapped into under only the most extremely circumstances, but there was no more extreme circumstances. It was time for Rachel to face her most terrible demon yet, and that demon was her father. She was ready to slay the monster and bring him down hard, fast, and obliterate him.

"Hey, Trigon, how about a little father, daughter chat?"

Rachel said this in a way where her voice echoed and Clark's eyes fixed upon her. Trigon was distracted from his fight with the three Heralds by his daughter's presence.

'_Megan, now!' _Harry thought to her, trying to get in while they had the element of surprise.

Megan nodded, and she managed to lock onto Clark's mind, trying to carefully pull it out of everything. Rachel's eyes glowed with power, a white glow enveloping her, and with another swift motion, she blasted Clark with a wave of magical energy. The magic impacted Clark hard and fast in his chest and cracked against him.

"**No this power, I must have it, I must!"**

Trigon exerted more of his control, but Clark was fighting it with all it was worth, trying to grit his teeth and trying to struggle, arms thrashing in mid-air going back and forth. Harry, Kara, and Karen saw some shadowy vapor rising from Clark at that moment and knew that the grip was broken.

"**I'm your father, and I tell you to cease these attacks, immediately!"**

"No, you're not my father, I wasn't raised by you, and I'll have nothing to do with you," Rachel responded in a fierce voice, and she blasted Trigon with another attack at that moment, and Trigon was slowly separated from Clark.

'_My mind is my own again,' _Clark mentally sighed at that moment.

'_Yeah, let's keep it that way, shall we?' _Megan responded to Clark in a telepathic way.

Trigon's astral form had been ripped from Clark's body, and Kara, Karen, and Harry all materialized energy scythes, before they brought the weapons down on the demon. Rachel sent an attack which super charged their powers, and caused Trigon a lot of pain. He screamed out loud!

He was not going to go down without a fight that much was for sure. Karen, Kara, and Harry pushed, and Clark moved out of harm's way, now completely free, collapsing to his knees from the pain, before blacking out. Being possessed by an extremely powerful demon had taken a lot out of him.

Immediately, Raya sped in, and grabbed Clark, before speeding him off to get the medical attention that he needed. Because of his weakened form, it would not be a good idea to keep him around when he was potentially ripe for the possession again.

"**I am the powerful Trigon, all powerful, I will not…"**

"You will," Kara responded, as they forced every ounce of power that they had into the energy scythes, with Rachel assisting, and Trigon's shadow form began to glow.

"**You may defeat me, but there is a greater darkness still to come!"**

Trigon vanished into the distance, the final burst of power having banished him, and Harry, Karen, and Kara all collapsed to the ground, and realized that it took everything they had. Rachel dropped down next to them at that moment, looking at the three Heralds, who were completely weakened.

That was sure as hell not easy, but they had won.

It was at that moment, where Karen pulled herself to her feet, and flew off, there was still a couple of things that she needed to do before she was willing to tell Harry and Kara everything. That day would be coming when she personally felt that the time was right.

She actually was relieved that Clark was fine, and by Clark, she meant Kal-El because she was not going to indulge him by calling him by that weak Earth name. She sure was not going to do that, but for some reason her stance softened just a tiny bit against him. There was no denying that he had a long way to go but he managed to keep Trigon's very worst at bay just for a little bit.

Karen was proud of how adequate he did today.

* * *

"All things considered, that went far better than we expected."

Kara and Harry stated those words when they were back at the Shining Light Foundation, and Megan had to nod at that point. Chloe was there as well, having passed off the burden to Lois in keeping an eye on Clark and Lana. Lois pretty much forced the issue seeing that Chloe had been there for a long time and was neglecting sleep, but before she got to bed, Chloe had to stop by the Shining Light Foundation first.

She had a feeling that Harry and Kara knew how Clark had gotten back to the Kent Farm, but all Chloe saw was Clark lying on the ground behind her, so she took him up to bed, and there was a note that said all Clark needed rest, and he would recover in a couple of days.

The note was written in Kryptonian, which Chloe understood thanks to her connection to Kara and Harry.

"Yeah, it wasn't easy, but at least we did it, at least we won," Harry remarked, putting his arms around Kara and Chloe. "I just really wished she would have stuck around, so we could thank her, we couldn't have defeated Trigon without her help."

Kara mulled over a certain scenario that she had in her head over the past couple of times they had encountered Karen. The Herald of Death powers allowed them to read the body language of others, which was a useful skill to picking out where a person came from and their mentality. And Kara had to be able to figure out an alternate version of herself if she was doing her job properly.

"I'm beginning to think something really bad happened to her, wherever she was," Kara answered, stroking her chin at that point, and thinking about the situation, deep in thought. "You know, she does have her moments of decency, but it just seems a lot of the time, she's fighting something within her."

"There are certain times where our own nature might get the better of us."

It was Rachel who had broken the silence in a soft voice, and she turned at that moment, just letting it all soak in. This had been a long day for all of them and Harry considered Rachel for a moment before he spoke.

"And how about your own nature?" Harry asked to Rachel, taking a moment to look at the girl, who just offered a hint of a smile.

Rachel thought that was a good question, but it was one that she did not come close to having the answer for. She decided to relay that much to Harry as honest of an answer as she could.

"I don't really know what my future holds, but I hope that I will be able to thrive in this world," Rachel answered, and she folded her arms, staring out the window. Metropolis had been restored to its past beauty, and everyone was back to normal, or at least how normal everything would get. "There's a time where he could come back, though. Trigon is not going to be someone that is easily defeated, and there is that far greater darkness that he's spawned from, something that he ever shudders to think about."

"Whatever it is, we'll be ready," Harry answered in a resolved voice, and Rachel honestly did believe that, she had seen what the Heralds of Death were capable of, and understood the powers that they had.

But it was truly not any power that mattered, it was the ability to never give up. Rachel learned that today when they had fought Trigon. Trigon was the ultimate power in the world, fearsome, fierce, to the point where no one could defeat him. Be that as it may, The Heralds of Death banished him and it was not because of their powers, but rather because of the strength of character that all three of them exhibited.

Rachel looked on the horizon, and saw the sun shine brightly; not quite knowing what the future might bring for her, but it was bright.

Now that the entire Trigon issue was cleared up, Kara and Harry had a few other matters to deal with, namely the fact that Lex was looking to become super powerful at that moment, and the two of them had no idea where he was being held.

And they were beginning to think that Tess had lost track of him as well. How that was possible given that Lex was currently paralyzed from the neck down, the two Heralds had no idea. However, it was something that was extremely probable. They would find out what was happening and it was their hope that they would put Lex down for the count.

"We'll meet again, you can count on that."

"We shall, Rachel," Harry responded when she looked back at Harry, considering him before she turned around.

They watched Rachel leave, freer then she had ever been, the raven pendant dancing from her costume. She was about to live the rest of her life with a smile on her face and a strong resolve in her heart.

* * *

Clark stirred awake from his slumber, feeling a ringing sensation in the back of his head, and he heard voices from the hallway. The last thing Clark remembered was that he was at the Shining Light Foundation, and after that, Clark's mind was a complete and utter blur, with nothing else occurring after that was of note.

He did understand that he was in his bed, and wondered how many days had passed. Chloe was standing on the outside, waiting for him to get up.

"I thought I heard you stir, and I think Lana's about ready to wake up as well, so you timed that one right," Chloe answered at that point, and Clark rubbed his temples. "How are you feeling?"

"Like someone dropped the Fortress on the top of my head," Clark managed, rubbing his nose.

Chloe jgave Clark a bright smile, and decided that it would be best to enlighten her best friend on what had happened.

"Well to give you the short version, you were possessed for about an hour by a dangerous demon, and the three Heralds expelled him from you, and he's gone," Chloe answered, and Clark just let this all set in. There were several bits and pieces that had returned to him, but it was all a complete and utter blank to put things mildly. That did not settle well with Clark as he feared that he did something under the influence that would cause him misery.

"So you were here looking after me the entire time," Clark responded at that moment, and Chloe just offered him a brief look, before deciding to amend that fact.

"Not exactly, I had to step out a few times, but Lois had agreed to keep an eye on both you and Lana, you just missed her before you woke up."

Clark jumped with a start, realizing that he was most certainly wearing different clothes than he did when he had on earlier, and wondered who changed them. Chloe was only happy to point out the fact.

"Come on, Clark, it's not that Lois hasn't seen you naked before," Chloe responded with a bit of a grin at Clark's expense.

Chloe really wished that she could take a picture at this point at the look on Clark's face. The old saying was that a picture was worth a thousand words and each and every one of those words would not begin to describe the expression on Clark's face at this point. He was flummoxed at this thought and tried to recover quickly.

"That's not helping, Chloe," Clark managed, and he tried to get up to his feet, staggering a bit at that point. He could not get drunk because of his powers, not that he drank much. However, this was what he felt like in a way.

Clark tried to make his way down the stairs, and he saw Lana trying to stir immediately. Nearly tripping over the carpet, Clark rushed over, and checked on her.

"Oh, hey, Clark," Lana responded in a pained voice, she felt her ears ringing. The last thing remembered, she and Clark were flying, and they heard a disturbance. Everything after that was a complete and utter blank. "What happened, it seems like something happened."

"That's putting it mildly," Clark answered, and he moved off. "Why don't I get you something to eat, and Chloe can…"

"I'm able," Lana responded, springing up to her feet, and nearly staggering, but Chloe dove in to catch her, with an exasperated expression on the blonde's face.

"Both of you need to calm down, you nearly died," Chloe told them in a fretful voice, and she looked at the two of them. "And neither of you are doing anything beyond blinking and breathing until you get a complete clean bill of health."

Lana and Clark exchanged a tense look, having been reprimanded like two children who had been caught going over the fence. A smile crossed Chloe's face, when she looked Clark in the eye.

"And if you don't take it easy, I'll set Lois on you."

There was no mistaking about the seriousness of that threat as Lana laughed, as Chloe prepared to fill the two of them in on the gaps in their mind. Even though there were certain things that Chloe did not understand herself, bu

* * *

Raya stood in the Artic, the wind blowing against her, and could sense the Fortress there. It was similar, yet, different form the last time she had been there. She took a moment to take in the splendor before her as she enjoyed being back on Earth. Then again most places in the universes would be something that would be preferred to the Phantom Zone.

A whooshing sound came up from behind her, and Raya spun around, seeing Karen standing there, arms folded across her ample chest. Raya took a moment to stare at the Kryptonian before her, and suspicion lingered in her eyes.

"You've grown since the last time we've met," Raya responded at that moment, breaking the silence that had existed. "You're the daughter of Zor-El…"

"Yes, I'm perfectly aware who my father is," Karen responded, without missing a beat. "My father was a complex man, and I did not expect Jor-El to understand what he wanted to accomplish. Jor-El is blinded by his own greed and egotism, and he continues to do so to this day."

"Is that you talking, or Zor-El talking?" Raya asked in a cool voice.

There was a very long moment where Karen gave Raya a nasty glare, before speaking.

"I don't need my father to do my thinking for me, he's had many faults, but Jor-El has them too, and don't pretend for a moment that he doesn't," Karen responded at that point, crossing her arms over her chest, and staring out at Raya's face. "Yet, you are here, and you can do something that I'd trust no one else to do."

"And what is that?" Raya asked, her voice suspicious at that moment.

"Protect, Kal-El," Karen responded, and Raya seemed to be a bit taken off guard by this.

"I was under the assumption that he had already been given a guardian, and a protector," Raya answered at that moment.

Karen just chose her next words carefully, taking a moment to really allow herself to ponder the situation. Then she gave Raya her answer.

"Kal-El does have a protector, and while I will not deny she does an adequate job, she's not one of us. Even with her powers that she had been gifted by my two fellow Heralds, she's not one of us. A Kryptonian, and at her core, she will always be human. Lana understands Clark Kent the human, but I want someone who understands Kal-El, the Last Son of Krypton, and watch over him."

Raya mused about that matter, and was conflicted at that moment. Kal-El had a great destiny ahead of him, although she even wondered if she could comprehend the greatness that he had been set to on this course.

Karen was not done, and Raya sensed real worry in her eyes.

"And someone needs to watch over Lana as well, for if what I've seen will come to pass, it will be a doomsday for all."

"What have you seen?" Raya asked when she looked at Karen in confusion and Karen paused for a moment.

"It's coming, I see it in my dreams, Lana is the first one struck down, protecting Kal-El from his fury. Kal-El is despondent and without Lana, he gives up and is killed next. Countless humans die, there are few survivors.

Karen knew this to be true, it was the same premonition that she saw night after night since she got here. That's why she tried the slay the monster's shell but it was too late, much too late. Now his aura changed, it was no longer red, but rather it was half red and half gold. It needed to be destroyed, but it could not be touched.

"I will assist you, but only because I wish to help Kal-El, and not on your behalf," Raya answered at that moment of time.

"Whatever allows you to sleep peacefully."

Raya was about to comment on that, and the rather snide way Karen seem to be addressing Kal-El, but Kara Zor-El of Earth Two was gone in a bolt of light, almost like she had vanished.

Meanwhile, Raya knew that even if she was not asked to look over Clark, she was duty bound to the House of El, and that was something that she had taken seriously.

She must be discreet, because if Kal-El knew that he was in danger, he would do something foolishly reckless. He was after all his father's son.

* * *

Being paralyzed did not suit Lex Luthor at all, but he would have something to remedy that at the point. The bald young man was laid out on the table, as a doctor prepped the suit for him.

"I must warn you, Mr. Luthor, the suit is not fully fine-tuned yet…"

"I don't care, I want my mobility back, and there is no time for us to fine-tune it any longer," Lex argued in a stubborn tone of voice. It was high time that he got what was coming to him and he did not want to wait any longer. "I will be stronger, stronger than them all, and there is no man, or no magic, that will be able to stop me when the suit is on."

The suit was completely invulnerable to all attacks, and would give the user super strength, super speed, and would be invulnerable to all attacks, including magic. Before she left, Lily Potter had given Lex advice on substances that would block out magic attacks, and wicked woman that she was, Lex had a feeling that she knew what she was doing and talking about.

The suit had one weakness, but the doctor decided not to brief Lex on that, feeling that the man's impatience was something that could backfire on the bald billionaire. Regardless, he began the process of grafting the suit into Lex's skin, a process that had a fifty-fifty shot of killing him.

Lex felt unbearable pain.

Pain was welcomed given that over the past three months, Lex could not feel anything from the neck up. That meant the suit was working, and Lex felt the material bond to him, his DNA changing into something that was super powered.

Lex Luthor got to his feet, and was back in business.

He would achieve his destiny as a Luthor, what his father had groomed him for since childhood, but there was one thing first and foremost on his mind.

Revenge against Clark and Lana, that's what he would have. He tried to be their friend, but they spurned him, and now Lex was going to show them the price for their egotism.

**To Be Continued in the Last Stand. **


	49. Chapter 49: The Last Stand Part One

_Next chapter marks the halfway point of this story and to celebrate I will name ten DC characters who will be making appearances in the second half of this story, some with bigger roles than others. Not counting those who appeared on the show. _

_Wonder Woman, Cassie Sandsmark, Hal Jordan, Lobo, Nekron, Starfire, Beast Boy, Rose Wilson, _

_The Joker, and Harley Quinn. _

_I may reveal ten more next chapter, if you ask nicely :) Now on with the chapter. _

**Chapter 49: The Last Stand Part One. **

Autumn weather arrived and was in full swing, even if the hints of the summer were still here, and what a six months it had been since the final battle of the Artic. One Harry Potter knew that better than anyone, and they had been given the runaround with their third Herald of Death, who had shown up, and disappeared for weeks at a time, doing who knows what.

Harry also was keeping tabs on their newest guest from Krypton, who seemed to be not as dead as many people would have thought. Then again, Harry wondered if anyone was ever really dead, there seemed to like a lot of people just cheating the edge of death. Harry had been so busy with tracking down undesirables with Kara and Chloe, so they had no real idea whether or not Clark knew of Raya's return.

It was not down to Harry to tell Clark what was going on, he respected Raya's wishes to want to remain mostly off to the side, just in an observatory role for now. Kara grudgingly agreed with this, although she was not too happy about Raya's presence, making a few choice comments about her being Jor-El's lapdog. Harry really hoped that he would not have to break up a super powered Kryptonian catfight, because when Karen and Kara did it, it was bad enough, he did not want to have to do it again.

"Three more off of the list in the last three months," Kara answered, breaking Harry out of his thoughts, and Harry just nodded. One of his wives leaned over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and snuggling her face into the back of Harry's neck. "Just think, eleven, twelve more to go, I think."

"At our last count," Chloe responded before she showed up at this point, putting a pair of hands on her hips, the blonde grabbing Harry by the hand on the other side. "But, there's something else strange going on, and it's regarding something with our third Herald, and something she did."

Kara and Harry racked their brains at what Chloe meant, but they were struggling to figure it out. So Chloe took a moment to enlighten then, offering her employers and lovers a smile, before raising a little eyebrow, before she spoke.

"Remember, she attacked that paramedic all that months ago, Davis Bloome."

"After all of the insane things Karen did, it's kind of hard to remember them all," Kara answered, looking rather dismayed by the thoughts of her cross-dimensional twin. She honestly wished that Karen would actually join them for real, but she seemed to be beating to her own drum. Kara really worried about how unstable the Herald of Death powers were making her, without the proper grounded influence.

Then again, if Kara knew herself, she knew how stubborn that she was, so why should an alternate version of her be so different?

"Well, do you remember Linda Lake?" Chloe asked at that point, and Harry racked his brain.

"Yeah, crazy woman who liked to ruin the lives of others, and could turn into water. I had her blackballed so hard and so fast, if I recall correctly. Lois told me she swore revenge, but she was found dead a few days later."

Harry did not shed too many tears for that woman, she reminded him of Rita Skeeter. Albeit one could turn into water to spy on her latest victims, whilst the other could turn into a beetle. Be that as it may, both of them were pains in the ass, and could not care about revealing the deep dark secrets of those who they wished to stab with their poisoned pen.

"Yeah, but Davis was the one that found her, dead on arrival, and I dug through some records, and it was not the first time that happened, six more cases over the past few months," Chloe answered, and Harry and Kara just exchanged a rather tense look.

Harry was trying hard not to think of the worst.

"Perhaps he just has a bad track record," Harry answered, trying to play the devil's advocate, but even his voice lacked conviction at that point, taking a long and deep breath.

"Maybe," Chloe offered in a rather skeptical voice, with a slight raised of her eyebrow. "But I took a look at his lifeline reading aura, but maybe my powers aren't as fine-tuned as yours."

"What did you see?" Kara prompted, giving Chloe an encouraging smile and nod, and Chloe was prompted to delve into her mad theory.

"I don't know how any of this is possible, maybe there's something faulty with my powers, but his dot is half red and half gold."

Harry and Kara stood up straight at that point, there was only one other person to have a gold lifeline reading, and that was Clark, given his unique nature. Even Raya had just a white reading when the two of them had checked her. That was something that the two of them needed to check out first hand.

How could someone be both an undesirable and have a reading like Clark? If he was gold, that meant Heralds of Death could not kill him, yet they had to kill him because he was red and an undesirable.

That reading really did not make any sense whatsoever, and Harry offered a frown, before looking Chloe dead in the eye.

"Yeah, I'm going to have to really check that out, but if Bloome is dangerous, stay away from him," Harry answered, and Chloe opened her mouth to protest, but Harry cut her off with a well placed kiss to the mouth. Chloe found her mind shut down with Harry's efforts with a kiss, and she found herself agreeing.

Chloe sank down on the chair with Harry and Kara, and the news broadcast was on, there was a huge Luthorcorp Press Conference on, and Harry turned up the sound when it was started. Luthorcorp had many pieces of business that were outstanding, and Harry and Kara had a casual relationship with Tess at best.

"Look, Oliver," Harry whispered, and he saw the owner of Queen Industries walk up to the podium, at the plaza where the Press Conference was occurring.

A blinding flash of white light appeared on the screen, like a flash bang and knocked the cameras off, leaving nothing, but a test pattern screen. Kara, Chloe, and Harry all bounced up to their feet, and watched, listening.

"We lost the feed, but our reporters on the scene have seen Oliver Queen go off the stage, someone has shot him, I repeat someone has shot Oliver Queen, and…"

A loud explosion like a bomb, and the two Heralds and their Herald watched, their eyes widened at that point, mouths opened at the events that transpired.

Tess and Oliver both were inside, along with many others, and it seemed like someone had lethal intentions in mind for them.

* * *

A young scientist was running from a facility that was owned by Luthorcorp, taking a long and pained breath, when suddenly a figure flew in front of the scientist, and grabbed him around the throat.

"I'm going to ask you once, and I'm going to ask you nicely, where is Luthor?"

"Luthor, I don't know what you're talking about, I just work here," the scientist responded in a trembling voice, but the flying figure slammed him hard against the wall, and he winced with his ribs cracked at that point.

"Let me guess, you're just doing the job," the young robed woman said, her blonde hair framing her face, and a smile crossing her face underneath the robe. The young scientist began to nod his head, looking like an overgrown bobblehead.

Karen almost took pity on him, seeing how pathetic he was, and she really hoped that he would not blubber about how he had a family. Weakness was something she could not abide by, but thankfully the man was able to look her directly in the eye. Karen picked up a huge stone, and crushed it in her hand.

"So you were just doing your job. That does not absolve you from having blood on your hands. People who worked for some of the worst dictators in the known galaxies were just doing their jobs. People were herded into death camps to be struck down, just for the crime of being alive, and who they were. But naturally they were just doing their job. "

Karen paused before she asked the question on her mind.

"Did Luthor finish the suit, or not?"

"I don't know, I don't know," the scientist stammered, his heart beating heavily against his ribcage, and Karen retracted her grip, the last thing she wanted to do was have this man drop dead of some kind of heart related ailment.

"Do you know someone that does know?" Karen asked, her eyes flashing with a hint of heat vision, which the scientist noticed, shaking madly.

It was amazing how quickly people were willing to volunteer information when their life was on the line and that was what this scientist did. His body shook, and he began to spit out the information that Kare needed.

"Lab Four, Lab Four, there was something hush-hush going on there, people were going in and out of there at a rapid rate. I don't know what, but I heard a whisper that Luthor might have been kept there."

Karen felt herself rather pleased with this fact, finally there would be a reckoning with someone named Luthor. While this version of Lionel was already dead, Karen could take her aggressions out on his demon seed. Flying at a ballistic fury, Karen smashed open the doors of the lab, and continued to pick up a lot of steam with each passing movement, going faster and faster.

Lab four had the highest security that money could buy, and was on the very top floor of a very large building. However, those facts were no barrier for Karen, for she sped past the stairs, knocking out security who had no idea what was coming. She quickened her movements heading further and further up the stairs, until she reached the destination she sought.

Security was tight, as she figured, and while she had often preferred the sweet sophistication that science offered, there was no time for it. Grabbing the door, Karen ripped it off of its hinges, and ripped it off the hinges. The door was torn off like it was tissue paper, and Karen threw it to the side, moving up to the shell shocked scientist.

She saw an operating table, and rather high tech equipment around the lab, but she was not concerned by that. Rather, she was concerned with grabbing onto every single bit of information that she could. Karen reached over, and grabbed the scientist around the throat, before slamming him hard into the walls of the lab. The plaster cracked, and the spine of the scientist would have had she done so even more.

"I'm going to ask you one time, and I'm not going to ask you again," Karen remarked, through gritted teeth, practically snarling the next four words. "WHERE IS LEX LUTHOR?"

The scientist was shaking, nearly wetting himself in the terror at what Karen had to do to him, and he was stammering. This girl was not one who was much for patience, so she continued to shake the scientist like a ragdoll, and he felt himself wilt underneath her impressive grip, a heart beat getting heavier and heavier with each passing moment.

"He's gone, left," the scientist responded at that moment, breathing at that moment. "He was bonded with the suit a few weeks ago…"

That was not the lesson that Karen wanted to hear. It took every single bit of her self-control to hurl this pathetic bit of humanity to his demise below, but the blonde Kryptonian held herself at bay.

It was at that point where Kara showed up, with Harry in toe. Karen looked at her two fellow Heralds of Death, and Harry immediately grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, before pinning her against the wall. Karen did not put up too much of a fight, and Kara grabbed Karen by the other side, holding her firmly against the wall.

"Explain what you're doing now," Harry replied cooly, making sure both he and Kara had Karen pinned against the wall.

Karen smirked, she had many fantasies that started like this, although they got far more interesting as time went by.

"Depends, are you going to give me a kiss to say hello?" Karan asked in a husky voice, that nearly made Harry stand at attention, but through the sheer voice of will, he kept himself at bay.

"Maybe, you'll get a reward, if you're lucky," Kara responded, taking control.

"From both of you?" Karen asked with a hopeful gaze.

Kara responded with a smile, and Karen proceeded to explain what was going on.

"I'm after Lex Luthor, I believe that he might have been bonded to that suit. Seems like he's more slippery than we thought he was."

"And he's on the loose, in a super powered suit," Kara answered, letting out a breath, wondering if this day could get worse.

"We have other problems, we think he's struck for revenge, there was a bombing at the Metropolis Plaza, and Oliver Queen was shot," Harry informed Karen, and Karen seemed disinterested by this fact. As far as she was concerned, Oliver Queen was of no concern to her, he deserved to be taken down several pegs. "And if Lex is behind it…"

"He's not done yet, and I doubt he'll rest until he gets his hands on Clark and Lana," Kara added, and Karen nodded, knowing what they must do.

"The suit doesn't appear to have a weakness," Karen chimed in, but it was Harry who answered at that point.

"Everything has a weakness, there's just a matter of us finding it and exploiting it."

Despite his powers, Harry did not see Lex as someone who would be overly careless at first, he was going to stalk and calculate from the shadows. For all Harry knew, Lex had already been bonded with the suit for a couple of months, and had been off in a secluded area, testing it out, while he plotted his revenge.

It was not for the first time where Harry regretted saving the life of Lex Luthor almost a year ago, but perhaps things were meant to happen. Right now, the three Heralds of Death once again had to work together, but after this was over.

"And you were right about the paramedic, there's something really odd about him," Harry added as in an afterthought.

"If he's gone gold, there's no way for us to stop him now," Karen answered, and Harry and Kara responded with a nod. "I hate to say that I told you so, but I told you so."

"We'll figure out what to do then later, right now, Lex is our top priority," Kara answered, and the three Heralds of Death prepared to take flight, after Karen did a quick memory wipe with the crystal. Kara was quick to call out her double on this, looking her directly in the eye. "I don't know how you could do that, if you're like me, Zor-El has wiped your memories, and I would think you would not be so casual about doing it to others."

"Zor-El is a great and noble man, and he would never do that, how dare you speak that way about our father!" Karen snapped hotly, and Kara and Harry realized what happened, and suddenly a lot was explained.

Karen was never enlightened about the truth about her father. She likely was a victim of someone in that alternate world, with her father's beliefs about humanity echoing in her mind, and her believing many of them. Coupled with the Herald of Death powers, and that was a recipe for her to go absolutely manic.

Harry and Kara had to sort out the state of Karen's fractured psyche at another date, right now Lex Luthor was on the loose, and more dangerous than ever.

* * *

The three Heralds of Death saw the scene outside of the Metropolis Plaza, there was smoke and dust everywhere that choked anyone who had been foolish enough to step in too close. That much was certain, and Karen exchanged an expression of disinterest with Harry and Kara. They wondered why, but Karen was too happy to let them in.

"It's not Luthor, at least not directly," Karen answered, and Kara and Harry opened their mouths, asking how she could be so sure. Karen was all too happy to elaborate for them, and proceeded to answer. "This is not subtle enough for Luthor, he would not leave such a big bang, especially with a building that he owns."

Kara nodded, but that was immediately skeptical about what was coming out of Karen's mouth, and decided to call her out on that subject. "I don't know, that might be just what Luthor wants us to think."

Karen shrugged her shoulders, not expecting to be believed, but she scanned with her X-Ray vision for debris, and found a small chunk of a bomb. Quickly, before anyone could see it, Karen took the bomb in her hand, and read the label on it.

"Property of Winslow Schott," Karen read to her two fellow Heralds, and she eyed the bomb with distaste, throwing it down. "What kind of idiot puts their name on the bomb they used?"

"One with an ego problem," Kara suggested casually, but Harry just frowned, before he activated the earpiece, getting a direct link to Chloe, who was at the Daily Planet right now.

"Hey, Chloe, you busy?" Harry asked her over the communication link.

"Just trying to find out the latest news about the explosion at Metropolis Plaza, why?" Chloe asked with a frown.

"Do you think you can run a quick check on Winslow Schott?" Harry asked, and Chloe seemed like she was going to question that, so Harry filled her in. "We found a chunk of a bomb with his name on it, and we think he might have been behind the explosion."

Kara waved her hand, and the three Heralds shifted to invisibility mode, with the police walking by, and the fire department trying to shift through the rubble at this point. Harry waited patiently for the next twenty minutes whilst Chloe conducted a search. Kara scanned the building with her X-Ray vision at that point, but a lot of it was lined with lead, so she could not see much past a certain point.

"Here we go Harry, Winslow Schott," Chloe responded, pausing before she was certain that Harry had given her his full and undivided attention. "He was a man who worked for Queen Industries for years, a tortured genius type, who always brought toys into his place of work. He started smuggling explosives into work, so he was fired. He also had a bit of an attitude problem, and a temper."

"And let me guess, he swore revenge on Queen at some point," Harry answered, and Chloe chuckled.

"That's putting it mildly, there have been eight death threats towards Oliver in the past year, and one restraining order filed," Chloe responded over the communication link. "He also committed petty crimes, getting locked up for them for a time, but he seems to have gotten released for early parole."

"He has a friend in a very high place then," Harry concluded, and there was no need to really delve into who that friend was.

"I really wish I would have crushed his skull when I found in him Siberia," Karen mused, and it was at that point where Harry and Kara spun around to face her.

"You didn't think to make sure he was at least locked up in a safe location, when you found him," Harry responded to Karen, staring her down, but to Karen's credit, she did not blink in any way whatsoever. "I'm not too sure if…"

"Well, I was kind of busy searching for the Fortress that you two, Kal-El, and Miss Lang lost, which you're welcome for getting back by the way," Karen responded in a crisp voice, and the three of them seemed ready to have it out.

Suddenly, a crackling voice could be heard elsewhere in the city, and the three of them stood up straight.

"The first shot has been fired, and this city spurned my genius. While other men put away their toys, not thinking they were something that adults should play with, I have fine-tuned mine. I will have Oliver Queen's head on a plate, and I want a ransom of one million dollars for funding."

"One million dollars?" Kara asked, raising an eyebrow at this odd request.

"Whatever you say Doctor Evil," Chloe commented over the link, still listening in.

"I have made my demands, and if I see any do-gooders try to be a hero, several buildings in this city will be blown to smithereens. I have hidden over a hundred bombs at strategic locations in this city, some of them work while others are duds. I'm not bluffing. If you do not deliver my cash to Metropolis Plaza within ninety minutes, the next building will go up in flames, and the next for every ten minutes after that. I am left waiting."

The taunting voice of the Toyman continued to echo in their ears, and Harry tried to trace the signal, but it was being broadcasted through several different channels, it would take at least an hour to isolate the frequencies and eliminate the dummies. And that was with magic at his disposal.

Toyman might have come across as an eccentric nutjob to some, but he was a glorified terrorist and utterly dangerous. This might have been the darkest hour that Metropolis had ever suffered.

"Luthor can wait," Harry responded, and Karen opened her mouth to protest, but Kara clapped a hand over it.

"What…Luthor, what happened?" Chloe asked, annoyed at being left a bit out of the loop at this point.

"Lex Luthor has gotten full feeling in his body back, and he's stronger than ever," Harry explained, resolving to keep his voice calm. "He's bonded to a super powerful suit that will either match or exceed Clark and Lana's combined strength."

"I'll get in touch with them, warn them," Chloe answered, biting her lip, but shaking her head. Lois had also left with Clark on an assignment, regarding the bomb threat, and Lana, as Clark's protector, was not far behind.

"We're going to see if we can get Queen out of there," Harry told Chloe over the communicator link. "Also, Tess is in there."

"Let her rot," Karen responded in a harsh voice.

"She hasn't done anything yet," Kara replied to Karen, looking her dead on in the eye.

"You mean besides save Luthor from certain frigid death," Karen answered, and her eyes just narrowed, with a smirk. "Unless you want to keep her as a pet…"

"Okay, Herald to Herald spat, I'm leaving now to try and warn Clark and Lana about the danger they're in," Chloe answered abruptly, leaving at that point, cutting her end of the communication link.

The three Heralds prepared to pop inside, to try and find Tess and Oliver, along with anyone else who had not been able to get inside. However, they saw one of the paramedics outside, Davis Bloome, who was lurking. Karen's eyes narrowed, but they had other business to attend to, they supposed. The hero thing, making sure everything was okay was first and foremost, as much as she loathed admitting it.

* * *

Tess shook her head, to be honest she had far worse days, and she was trapped in the basement of the plaza, surrounded by rubble. Her only companion was Oliver Queen, boy did that bring back some memories that she would like to put behind her. Tess tried to figure out how to get out, there had to be a hatch, an exit to the sewer, anything.

"I don't think we're getting out anytime soon," Oliver answered, wincing, as he had lost a lot of blood, but at least he was only shot in the leg. If he was shot in the arm, or the head, things would have been a lot worst. In the arm, Oliver would have lost the ability to shoot an arrow, and in the head, well it's likely he would be dead.

"You maybe, but I'm checking out as soon as I can," Tess replied, swiftly trying to shift apart two boards, but it just caused more of the dust to settle, and a crack to continue to widen in the ceiling. "Cave in; damn it!"

Before Tess could respond with any other words, several miniature toy helicopters arrived though an open vent. The vent was just large enough for them to get through, but not large enough for any human past the age of about four to slip through. The helicopters hovered over them dangerously, and once again the voice of Schott could be heard by them.

"So, Oliver, do you take me seriously now?" Schott taunted in a cold and sadistic voice, and several small pellets began to shoot down at Oliver, nearly missing his crotch. He was on one leg, and had no arrows.

Those pellets on their own was not going to be a problem, but all of them being fired at once, that could constitute as a bit of a problem. Oliver Queen drew a deep breath, and decided to improvise in the situation.

Oliver reached into his pocket, and pulled out a rubber band and several pencils. Taking careful aim, Oliver managed to shoot them at the miniature helicopters, taking them out one at a time with his expert marksmanship. They were knocked out of the air, shattering into debris at that moment.

Tess on the other hand, opted for a less skilled approach, but never the less I was one that was rather effective. The woman picked up a fire axe, and began swinging it wildly, damaging all of the toys with a wild swing, shattering them into millions of tiny fragments.

"Hey, you have a playmate down there, that's not fair," Schott responded, and Oliver jhad a bit of a smirk appear on his face.

"Life isn't fair, Toyman, that's what you learn when you grow up," Oliver answered, and there was a loud howl and a shriek from Schott at that statement.

"And respect is something that you will learn, pretty boy, before you die!"

The walls smashed open, and several large toy soldiers stopped their way inside, followed by a miniature tank that had been outfitted by rather real weapons.

Tess, not being an idiot, wondered how Schott had smuggled something like that into the basement of Metropolis Plaza. That could not be done without inside help, and now Tess was beginning to question what was going on at that point.

The toy soldiers had been smashed suddenly when three blurs had shown up, barely visible to the naked eye. One of them took out the spying device that had been blast with a rapid fire blast of heat vision. Tess watched, mouth a gap, as one of the toy soldiers prepared to bring its bayonet down on the top of her head.

The dark haired young man rushed in, and pulled Tess out of the way, before she could lose her head. Two blasts of heat vision had blown the soldiers into saw dust.

"Arcane, Supergirl, and…I'm sorry, I've not had the pleasure of meeting you," Oliver responded, and Karen just dropped down, preparing to state her codename, when suddenly the walls on the other side broken apart.

Tess spent more than a moment in the arms of Arcane, but managed to regain her composure and slowly dislodge herself with dignity. Even though a part of her regretted having to do so, almost feeling the power radiate off of him.

Shaking her head, Tess looked up, and saw Oliver get shot in the arm by a tranquilizer dart, as several more helicopters and toy soldiers entered the room.

The three Heralds of Death were ready, and little did Schott know that the more things he sent in, the closer that Harry was to pinpointing where he was holed up, and it would allow him to take the Toyman down.

In other worse, Schott was putting his own neck in a noose, and was blissfully unaware of it. The three Heralds began to smash the toys with their powers, with Tess offering a rather useful ax related assist. They blew into smithereens, but knew that the battle was far from over.

* * *

"Schott's big talk, I don't know how he could have put a hundred bombs in Metropolis, without anyone noticing it," Lois remarked, walking next to Clark, and she gave him a significant look. "Without the Blur noticing it at the very least."

"He can't really be everywhere at once," Clark answered, and Lois peered over her shoulder when she turned to Clark.

"Our contact said one of the bombs might be in here, but we should take a look around," Lois answered, and then she shrugged her shoulders a little bit as an afterthought. "I don't know why Schott would have put a bomb here, it's been cleared out for two years. Even the rats have abandoned this place."

Clark was on his guard, there had to be some kind of method to Schott's madness, the trick was to try and pinpoint what was what. Adjusting his X-Ray vision, Clark tried to see what he was up against, but found all of the boxes were lined with lead.

"Being kept in the dark about something doesn't seem too charming, does it Clark?"

Lois spun around, and saw Lex Luthor standing there, dressed in a black suit, bold as brass, and before Lois could say two words, Lex calmly knocked her back. All it took was a flick of his finger, and Lois was dropped to the ground, knocked completely unconscious.

"You!" Clark yelled.

Lex smiled back at Clark, his anger not fazing him at all.

"Yeah, after you left me for dead, I bet you never thought you'd see me face to face again," Lex answered at that moment, offering a smile to Clark. "My little puppet Schott, well, he's doing a great job keeping the real threats distracted from my plans. His bombs, well all of them work, especially the one that I planted in his workshop, and all they need is one little signal, and kaboom."

Clark was done talking, and he rushed forward, to grab Lex, but Lex repelled him back. There seemed to be some kind of field around him, preventing Clark's attacks. No matter how much Clark pounded away at Lex's force field he did not break through.

With a fury, Lana flew in from behind, and knocked Lex back a few inches, before the field around her suit propelled her back into Clark. Clark caught Lana in his arms, and threw her back onto his feet in one swift motion.

Lex just stood, and had his eyes fixed firmly on Clark and Lana, all humor having left them. There was no mirth, no amusement, merely stone cold seriousness.

"Lana, it appears you have acquired a backbone with your new abilities, pity I'm going to have to remove it," Lex answered, and he just offered a bit of a smirk. "Metropolis goes off with everyone inside, starting with Metropolis Plaza."

Chloe sped in at that moment, saw Lois, scooped her up, sped her out, and then returned to look at Lex, who chuckled. He was rather amused by Chloe showing up.

"Well, the gang's all here, it looks like," Lex answered, and he fingered the detonator, which he could send the signal remotely to any bomb that he chose. "I wonder if I should press it now, or make you sweat it out just a tiny bit."

Chloe's eyes snapped to Lex, and saw Lana try and attack Lex once again. The field around the suit repelled her back once again, so a combined attack by Clark and Lana was tried. The attack fared only slightly better.

"Lex, Tess is inside Metropolis Plaza," Chloe informed him, hoping that this bit would resound with Lex given that Harry informed Chloe of Lex's connection with Tess and she assumed someone as resourceful as Lex would pick up the puzzle pieces.

Once again, Lex just offered a sad smile, almost as if he regretted it, but if Tess did not get herself out in time, that was not his problem.

Besides, he would be dong her a favor, sparing her of certain horrors that might be to come.

"It's a rule of chess and business, certain sacrifices must be made," Lex answered, a smirk spreading over his face. "In fact, I could take all four of us out in one big bang right now. I might lose, but the world won't have its protectors any longer."

"You're bluffing," Clark managed, and Lana wished Clark would not have said that, that was the worst thing he could have said.

Lex just offered a smile, and offered three words to them all, stating them slowly and meticulous. "I never bluff."

With a press of the button, the bombs below them were detonated, and the world around them enveloped in a blinding light.

**To Be Continued in "The Last Stand Part Two."**


	50. Chapter 50: The Last Stand Part Two

**Chapter Fifty: The Last Stand Part Two. **

The toy soldiers continued to march forth step by step, and attacked the four individuals in the plaza, with the helicopters and miniature tanks rolling in. With a wave of his hand, Harry blew up several of the miniature tanks, having to use his magic to contain the explosions. If he had not shielded the attacks, then half of the Plaza would have blown up with them inside.

Kara and Karen blasted several beams of heat vision and took out the gigantic toy soldiers with ballistic fury, the soldiers crumbled to nothingness, and Toyman's little army was being knocked down bit by bit. All of them crumbled underneath the attacks that had given against them. The two blonde Kryptonians flew forward and knocked the soldiers down with high impact punches. Both of them seemed to be in a competition to take out the most enemies, but whatever got the job.

Oliver meanwhile laid on the ground, drugged and half out of it, not really moving in any way whatsoever. Tess stepped on top of his body, not caring if he had got hurt, and swung the battle axe hard into the crotch of one of the toy soldiers. It doubled over to allow Harry to send a blast of high intensity light directly at the enemy and blew it into dust particles.

"Looks like Queen is down for the count," Harry responded with several of the miniature helicopters blowing up in mid-air, with each passing moment Harry was getting closer and closer to tracking down his enemy. It was just a matter of pinpointing the right signal and zeroing in on where it came from.

Tess just had a smile cross her face, smashing two more of the soldiers with the fire ax that she acquired. Each swing decapitated more of the enemies, even though Supergirl and whatever the other one was calling herself disabled more of the never ending barrage of toy soldiers.

"Oliver laying down while all of the action is going on, why am I not surprised?" Tess mused to herself underneath her breath, and Harry raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as they took out most of the enemies with swift of attacks.

Queen was on the ground and Harry knew that there were more enemies that were coming, so decisive action was the word of the day. Harry picked up a broken box lid, programming it into a Portkey, and shoved said item into Oliver's hand. It would transport him out to the Metropolis hospital where they could deal with them and he would not be a liability that they would worry about.

"Any luck on finding on him?" Karen grunted, smashing the enemies with more of a ballistic fury than ever before. They smashed the soldiers to bits with each passing swing and the busty blonde felt like she was working out a lot of stress on these things. Still she wanted to find the mastermind behind all of them.

Harry held up a hand and saw the miniature tanks on the ground, a few of them had not been disabled yet. Some of them were giving off a signal that would help Harry isolate what needed to be done to find his target. Waving his hand, Harry locked onto the signal, trying to trace it back to the source and it was matching up to the other source. Schott did an acceptable job trying to mask the signal, but at the same time, he was being too careless.

Once Harry gave her the go ahead, Kara proceeded to fly forward, hitting the ceiling and smashed into the miniature tanks. Under the impact of her fists, they crumbled from the shots. A few more shots took out the remaining tanks, blowing them to smithereens. While Kara was never cruel enough to break someone else's toys, she would make an exception in this case, especially given what this man threatened to do to the city.

When the smoke cleared, Harry, Tess, Karen, and Kara stood in shadows, looking at the broken bits of toys strewn around them. Tess did not offer them any questions, now was not the time, this was something that she would figure out on her own accord. These three had great power though and that much was something that she could respect, but it would be better served for something else other than breaking the little gadgets of some creepy little psychopath.

Tess did have one pressing question that she did not hesitate to ask of the Potters. The redhead temporary owner of Luthorcorp brushed a hand through her hair and took a long, deep breath before turning to them.

"So, how do you think he did something like this?"

Arcane's eyes snapped towards Tess's, and while she could not make out what his eyes looked like, she could feel the pure power radiating from them. Even for someone like her, it was a commanding presence and truly he seemed to be mulling something over in his mind. There was seconds of time with a pause before Arcane elected to answer, and as Tess predicted, she was not too thrilled with the answer that she received.

"I believe it was Lex Luthor who enabled this, and you have a good idea what he was up to."

Tess just looked at Arcane with a bit of a smile crossing over her lips before she spoke to him.

"Nothing you can prove," Tess answered in a light voice, going under the assumption that they had nothing on her.

"Someone had to pick up Luthor from his icy tome in Siberia," Karen replied, her eyes snapped towards Tess and her expression was icy cold, to the point where she sent shivers down the spine of Tess. "And that someone was you, he was an inch from death, and now he's back on his feet, with some kind of super suit."

"That super suit was supposed for be for cancer research," Tess answered, but then she grimaced, unable to believe that she had been so naïve.

She would find out where the leaks were that allowed Lex to pull the wool over her eyes and accomplish this task. Then those leaks would be...dealt with.

Harry, Karen, and Kara exchanged the grimmest expressions imaginable, that suit was for cancer research alright, but it was not to cure a cancer. Rather, it was to enable one in Lex Luthor and now he could be hunting for revenge at this given moment. Lana and Clark, along with anyone else who Luthor might have felt wronged him could be in danger, especially with the few specifications that the three had picked up about this suit.

"Enabling one, maybe," Harry replied breaking the silence as Tess just retained her strong resolve, but secretly she was kind of agitated that Lex had withheld information. Then again, what else should she have suspected? "And once your usefulness has passed, Lex was going to take care of you."

Tess understood exactly what this young man was trying to tell her, there was no need for him to go into any further elaboration. Lex set up the entire thing for months, making sure Schott attacked at the right time. Schott was nothing more than another means to Lex's ends, a cruel end at that, and Tess was the one who was caught in the crossfire. The fact Oliver was there was just a means to entice Toyman, but given their past, Lex would also like to gain a bit of vengeance on him as well.

"And I found our Toyman," Harry answered, and he pointed down. "He's in the sewers, in a secret lab."

"Ideal location for a vermin like him," Tess answered underneath her breath, but there was no time to waste, it was off to finish Schott once and for all.

* * *

Dust filled the air from the explosion that Lex had triggered in some insane attempt to kill all of them in one fell swoop. It was clear to all of them that bonding with the suit coupled with Lex's own twisted mind had driven him just a slight bit around the bend. There was a point where everyone was shaking off the cobwebs from the explosion as they tried to regain the bearings. It was then where one question triggered through the minds of everyone.

Were they dead?

Lana and Clark were on their hands and knees, looking over their shoulders, daring to see if there was a flash of light. They did not dare to look whether or not the pair of them had been blown straight to Oz and back because of what had occurred. Lex knew what he was doing the moment that he led Clark here, he knew Lana would follow, and he knew that they would not resist the chance to play into their hands.

It came to their minds, that they were not dead, in fact they were far from being dead. It was thanks to the timely intervention of someone that their deaths did not come at that point, and sure enough the heavy breathing behind that signaled the fact that Clark and Lana were still among the living. Something that the pair of them let out a nice long breath for, becoming suddenly thankful that they were alive.

Chloe's knees buckled, but at the same time, she was holding up the ceiling before it could cave in, the blast had just barely been contained by her powers. It was not easy; she was straining to hold this heavy explosion back. Harry did not exactly explain to her how to sustain a blast like this as many conversations that they had, so the tiny blonde was going on pure instincts at this point. Her eyes snapped up towards Clark and Lana, completely bloodshot, before she inclined her head to the entrance.

The three of them did not see Lex, and Chloe's knees buckled, but Clark and Lana made their way towards the exit. Clark was about to pull open the door, but Lana had beat him to the punch, pulling it open with an immense strength.

"Got it," Lana grunted, pulling the door off of the hinges, and she slipped through the tunnel, scooping up Clark, flying both of them away from the scene of the crime. This tunnel should have led to the basement of the Shining Light Foundation.

They continued to fly as fast as they could, and heard the explosion give way, with Chloe right behind them. Her clothes were slightly tattered, ripped and torn, but she was in rather good spirits all things considered, given what had happened was something that frustrated the lot of them.

"Lex, where is he?" Clark managed, wondering, because the fact that Lex disappeared after the explosions had gone off was really eating away at him. There was something about this that was not right at all and a thumping sound echoed that Lana heard.

"Clark calm down, let's get out of here and regroup first, " Lana said in a pacifying voice, but the truth was she was no less freaking out than Clark. Lex had jumped in and tried to take them out.

A loud thump hit them from behind at these thoughts. The impact sent Lana, Clark, and Chloe crashing directly through the wall on the other send, flying head over heels, with the trio of them landing down on the ground hard. They were surely in the basement of the Shining Light Foundation that much they knew for when their heads rattled. Unfortunately, the way they got here was most unconventional.

Lana tried to use her telekinesis powers to bring something down on Lex's head but something was wrong. It was almost like there was something radiating from that suit that prevented her from using her powers directly on Lex. She wanted to scream in frustration.

Clark was about ready to ask for the number of the train that hit him, but Lex was standing above him, smug and self-assured as ever. It was hard to believe that this monster was the same person who Clark counted as a friend for so many years. Then again, he thought that he could have misjudged Lex at this point at least that was the thoughts that echoed through his psyche as the bald young man stood over him.

"Clark, I offered you the hand of friendship, but you spurned me," Lex answered, giving Clark a good hard kick to the ribs, one he felt when Lex buried the toes of his hard boot into his gut. "Do you think…do you honestly think that you could have ever defeated me?"

Clark was about to answer that question, blood dripping down his mouth, but before he could, Lana rushed in, with a crowbar in hand. She slammed the crowbar down on the back of Lex's head with the full strength that she could. For the briefest second, Lana looked like she thought that worked, but that moment was fleeting.

Lex spun around and went to punch Lana in the face, but Lana dodged the attack at that moment, holding nothing other than a bent crowbar in her hand. Lana's eyes narrowed when she stared at Lex about sick of him and all that he's done.

"You won't hurt Clark or anyone else again," Lana managed in a firm voice, right before she got back handed hard, and knocked down.

"Really, and I doubt that you are going to stop me, this suit was designed to handle people like Clark and apparently you," Lex replied, taking a few steps forward, and then it was Chloe who tried, but a field appeared around Lex, blocking her assaults. "You know, I did wonder what it would be like to see my enemies beneath my feet like the helpless cockroaches that I always suspected they were. But to think it would be a former friend."

"You're mad," Clark voiced at that point, unable to think of anything else to say.

Lex offered a smile and a shrug, before walking over, and punting Clark hard in the ribs once again. Clark winced from the impact of the foot of Lex striking him, and he again and again, Clark was pounded. Each punch ricocheted off of him, each kick connected with fury, and once again Lana tried to get her hands on him, but was outgunned by Lex, being knocked back with a back fist punch.

Lana and Chloe both were on the crowd, and exchanged nods, hoping that a combined attack by the both of them would be enough to take down Lex. That suit had to have a weakness of some sort, there was no way it was foolproof.

The two women gained enough super speed to try and nail Lex at an immense voice, but one of the powers fused into Lex's optic nerves was the ability to see things much quicker than others. He could anticipate punches that had been thrown before they had even been thrown, and sure enough, Lana and Chloe were stopped cold.

"I can't move," Chloe managed, wincing at how lame of a statement that sounded, as her legs twitched and moved.

"Me neither," Lana answered, trying to wave her arms back and forth, but failing at that point, her stomach turning at the look of pure sadism on the face of Lex Luthor. It was a look that made her sick to her stomach. The suit had given Lex the powers of telekinesis, much stronger than hers were.

"So, how about it, Kal-El?" Lex asked, stating that last name in a taunting manner, looking down at Clark. "Should I kill your girlfriend first, or should I go with the brains behind your brawn? Decisions, decisions, why don't you choose?"

Clark felt a swell of anger, and he jumped at Lex with full force. That distraction caused Chloe and Lana to escape Lex's grasp before he could harm them. The two women watched Clark slam full force into Lex nearly at speed of light, smashing into the bald young man, and both of them cracked against the wall.

"There's no way you can get out of this basement, Lex," Clark told him, and a brief smile just crossed Lex's face in response to this declaration.

"Fitting that it will be your tomb then," Lex answered, straight before he sunk a punch deep into the abdomen of Clark, hunching him over in pain. Another punch rattled the ribcage of Clark, more followed that up as Lex hammered away at the Kryptonian before him, dropping Clark to his knees.

Clark tried to keep together determine a way to get it together and find a way to defeat Lex in this suit. Lex now had strength to match his cunning, something that he relished in having, and Clark was trying to analyze every single angle of this situation, there had to be some kind of weakness within this suit.

The problem as finding that weakness before Lex finished all three of them off and Harry and Kara were not showing up to save the day this time. Clark was all on his own, but he refused to be bailed out of every situation. This battle was his to win, it would be Clark against Lex to the end, the bitter end in fact.

* * *

Winslow Schott kept himself calm all things considered; it would be unwise to lose sight of the plan. The plan had all went according to everything that he planned on accomplishing. Queen had snubbed his genius that was not something that he would ever forgive at all. Schott had been mocked as an eccentric, a nutjob, an utter loon, and many people had doubted his sanity, but he was not someone that should be taken lightly. He was not a joke, not in the slightest, the man would prove that when half of the city blew up in the next twenty minutes.

One of his bombs had been disabled inside the Plaza, causing Schott's eyes to widen in abject horror. He had no idea how that could be, but never the less that mattered little, all this man had to do was stick to the plan. Schott was going to fire one more warning shot to make sure those in Metropolis understood that he was a man who played for keeps.

The wall began to crack around him, and either Schott had very heavy termites, or someone had decided to intrude upon his well laid out plans. He would not abide by something like that, and his hand was on the remote where he could remotely trigger the bombs, but when he pressed the button, it was not responding.

"No," Schott answered at that moment, when suddenly a loud bang echoed out, at the same moment where an invisible force snapped his head back. The bullet pierced Schott's heart the same moment where his neck snapped back from the impact.

Schott slumped to the ground, blood splashing from his mouth, rolling his eyes into the back of his head, breathing nice and heavily. There was no question about it, Winslow Schott was dead, having ceased to exist. His plan would have gone off without a hitch, but alas it was really not to be. What was worse was that he did not have any way to figure out who had locked out his remote to the bombs.

The door opened, with Harry and Tess exchanging a confused expression. Harry saw that Tess took a shot at Schott to stop him in the most fatal way, while he knocked Schott out with a spell, snapping his neck back. There was only one thing clear to him, the fact that Schott was in fact dead, having been sent to the great beyond.

"Well that was easy," Tess remarked, but before she could say much more, the blonde bolted over to the computer at that point, and began to activate it.

Kara bit her lip, trying to hack into the signal that the bomb had given off, the frequency was far different than anything else that she had ever experienced. Whoever developed these bombs intended to take a lot of people down with them, in fact half of the city. One wrong move, one hitch in the code, and the bombs would explode, taking countless lives in Metropolis, along with all of the surrounding counties with them.

The Heralds of Death would in fact survive, but the others would not be so lucky, everyone in the blast radius would be killed. Not just from one single bomb, but rather from the cumulative effect of all of the bombs going off at once. That much worried Kara, causing the blonde to bite down hard on her tongue and lips, eyes narrowed.

"I'm not sure if I can deactivate them, either," Tess answered at that point, breaking the silence, and the three turned towards her. She peered over Supergirl's shoulder, peering at the codes, and looking at them. A brief look indicated just the full scope of this situation. "Lex made the frequency as such where if anyone tried to deactivate them without the wrong codes; it would set them all off simultaneously. It would be best if we all get outside of the blast radius and hope that Lex does not set off any more of the bombs."

"We don't abandon people," Harry answered in a firm voice, and Tess shrugged her shoulders, to be honest, she knew that Lex was going to sacrifice everyone in the city, including her. "He's got to have hinted something to you."

"Lex spent most of the past four months feigning being brain dead, mumbling about Kal-El, Krypton, the Traveler, and Death," Tess answered at that point, she should have doubled the security, but wondered if that would have done any good. Despite her hard work over the past four months, Luthorcorp personnel still found themselves rather loyal to Lex Luthor.

"Why don't you try this?" Karen asked, and Kara looked a bit skeptical that something like that would work.

"Are you sure?" Kara asked, not wanting to be the one to cause the entire city to go up in flames.

"Positive that I'm sure," Karen answered, a smile crossing over her face, and Kara just shrugged, as Karen mentally fed the commands to her.

The code was one hundred million lines long, and it became clear to Kara at this point that Lex had way too much free time on his hands to input something like this long and drawn out. With her fast typing speed, she was able to get the code down in little time flat, but it had to be done carefully, not to reduce the keyboard to dust by typing too fast.

There was a moment in time where they all seemed to hold their breaths as Kara typed in each and every individual line of code.

Then the breaths were let out when the code phrase of bombs deactivated were heard and all let out a collective sigh of relief. Kara especially, knowing that one error in the code was going to cause everything to be lost. It was so close to all being lost, she could hardly believe how close it had gone. Harry wrapped his arms around Kara, pulling her into a deep hug, and spinning her around in the chair, into a kiss.

"You did it, honey, you really did it, you saved the entire city," Harry answered, and Kara just smiled, melting into Harry's tender embrace, resting her head on his shoulders, with Harry deepening another kiss, like Tess and Karen were not even there.

Kara broke the kiss, and was about ready to thank Karen, but she was gone immediately. Tess lingered awkwardly, but then looked at the two of them, nodding towards them.

"There's an exit there, I'll find my own way out, thanks," Tess answered, she needed to get back to Luthorcorp.

The two of them thought that it was only the end, but suddenly a garbled transmission came in from the Shining Light Foundation. They had been so distracted by dealing with Schott and the bomb threat that they had almost lost sight of Luthor.

One question went through their mind, were they too late? That was not something they could think about, rather they prepared to head off to the Shining Light Foundation, when suddenly they hit a wall.

Someone had blocked them out from simply teleporting inside, that did not make any sense at all, and Kara and Harry felt the despair, knowing that they would have to fly the long way in.

Was it a glitch thanks to the automated security system, or was it something else entirely, perhaps someone keeping them out? That was the question, as worry flooded them, the fact Luthor was in the Shining Light Foundation was more than a cause for great concern and distress. The two Heralds of Death picked up their flight, going faster than a speeding bullet.

Magic, much like technology, could conspire to screw someone over at the worst possible times.

* * *

Years of frustration bubbled to the surface in the mind of Lex, everything that he had in his life, every setback, every agonizing moment, all of them fluttered deep within his mind. Ever action his father had done that had belittled him and undercut him, sometimes in favor of Clark reflected through Lex's mind as he pounded Clark until his face was swollen, bruised, battered. Lana and Chloe had also been knocked out on the floor.

"Just admit it Clark," Lex said, practically foaming from the mouth as he looked down at Clark's battered body.

"Admit that you're insane?" Clark slurred through the attacks, before pushing himself up. "Because I've already done that a long time again, you've lost it Lex, you need help."

Lex offered a chuckle before he leaned down and peered into Clark's eyes, sadistic intentions danced within them.

"No, my mind's clearer than it's ever been," Lex responded, heavily breathing when he bent down to look Clark directly in his eyes. Clark could barely see Lex, but it appeared that Lex wanted him away long enough. "Seven years, Clark, I said this in the Artic, but it bears repeating. Seven years you soundly mocked me, offering the utter sham of friendship. Spit on the ground is worth more to me than our friendship, and it obviously doesn't seem to be worth much to you."

Clark tried to get back to his feet, tried to size up Lex, using his X-Ray vision, but the skin was giving off a glow that was rattling Clark's mind. He did feel like there was some subtle levels of radiation coming off of it as well, and wondered if that was driving Lex to his current state of mania. Clark was on his hands and knees, at the feet of Lex, who reveled in this moment.

"Feel this moment for the rest of your life, Kal-El," Lex answered, and he looked over his shoulder at Lana and Chloe, both who had been knocked around pretty hard. "Unlike you, I'm not a heartless monster who gets off on people's suffering. I will do you the favor of killing you first, before taking out the rest of the city. Then over the ashes, I will rebuild a brand new shining empire."

"Countless will die," Clark breathed, trying to pull himself up to face Lex in the eye. If he would die, it would be done so proudly and without regrets. He would not die slumped on the ground, at the feet of the Luthor, but rather he would go out swinging. Each and every punch would count for sure.

Lex's grin crossed over his face, once again Clark refused to admit what was true in the world, that he could not save everyone. It did pain Lex that his former friend had treated their friendship in such a callous way, but he felt that relying on some visitor from the stars to save humanity would be even worse. Lex was going to be the one to save humanity and he was going to do so by eliminating its gravest threat.

"Believe me, I've counted, counted each and every one of them, and I'll continue to count their corpses after the trigger has been pulled," Lex answered, holding up the remote. Clark tried to slam into the field that prevented him from physically attacking Lex. All he managed to get was a huge headache that rebounded him off of the field.

Clark tried to give Lex a pleading expression, to tell him not to do this, but Lex was far beyond any logic, reason, or understanding. He had gone simply around the bend, gone completely and utterly mad. Lex raised a hand and pressed a button, with both Clark and Lex preparing themselves for the end, but for drastically different reasons.

Nothing happened at all. There was not even a blink of light, a flare of an attack, and Lex once again pressed the button, still nothing. Another press of the button and still nothing, with his attention turned away from Clark at that moment.

Clark felt himself strengthen just a little bit but not because of any powers that he had, that was far from the kind of strength Clark had thought of. It was the inner strength Clark drew upon, that would win this day, along with every other day. He would not let Lex get him down, he would win, there was no question about that.

With fury, Clark sped forward, catching Lex off guard when he was playing with the remote control. The field burned Clark's hands as he pushed through, but there was no denying the determination of the Kryptonian. Clark summoned the full force of his powers, shredding his shirt from the super speed, but he could always get a new shirt. There was one thing on his mind right now.

Get Lex Luthor and put him down into the ground at that point, before he could cause any damage. Clark knew enough about Luthors that they would have some kind of contingency plan in play, multiple contingency plans in fact if they could manage it. There was no question about it, Clark was not going to back down, and he slammed his former best friend down onto the ground hard.

Lex's eyes snapped up, impressed in spite of the situation, he had no idea that Clark would fight this hard to take him down. That would make his inevitable triumph over the friend who stabbed him in the back much more great at this point, as he summoned more power into the suit, his eyes going bloodshot and his heart speeding up to an insane rate, but Lex ignored these signs.

Obsession drove many great men and that was what drove Lex Luthor at this point as he pushed Clark back. The two struggled titanic with their power, going back and forth, back and forth, neither given the other any quarter, before Lex gained the advantage.

Clark had tapped into all of the strength that he had been allowed and had come to the realization, with the strength he had, Lex had somehow made this suit far stronger. Not to mention that Lex had no inhibitions about holding back and that was what doomed Clark in the end, causing the Kryptonian to drop down to his knees, slumped on the ground, breathing heavily in pain.

The battle was hard, but Lex held many of the cards deep within his hands, playing dirty while he did. He took a step forward to savor the moment, and knew that it would only be a matter of time before Death had visited him again. Lex had no problems with dying, as long as he took Clark down with him, and he leaned down, wrapping his hands around the throat of Clark, causing his breath to draw out of him.

Lana flickered an eye open, seeing Lex at that moment straggling Clark and she saw red. With all the strength Lana Lang could summon, she got to her feet, but Lex offered a hand around her throat as well. Lana gripped onto the hand, trying to dislodge it from her throat, but she hand no better luck than Clark did.

"Lex, listen, it's killing you," Clark gasped, struggling to breath, but Lex was beyond reason.

"Clark, you've got it backwards, I'm killing you, both of you!" Lex responded, a grin crossing his face, as Lana and Clark both blacked out and now Lex would either kill them, or render them permanently brain dead. Either way was an acceptable outcome for Lex, all it mattered was his victory.

Before Lex could complete the deed, he felt like several white hot knives slammed against the inside of his brain, shredding it pieces, and he dropped to the ground, unresponsive. Clark and Lana had been dropped to the ground, completely rendered unconscious from what Luthor had done to them. Both were alive, barely, but unconscious.

Lex was not so lucky as a fatal brain aneurysm had befallen him as it took him out of the equation completely.

It was over, Lex Luthor was dead.

* * *

"Clark, wake up, Clark snap out of it!"

Clark was being shaken away by Kara at that point, and he felt the injuries that he suffered in the battle of Lex get healed slowly, but surely. Lana was already awaken, and relieved to see that Clark was up and about. As was Chloe, but right now, she was hanging onto Harry, trying to shake off the cobwebs after all that happened.

Chloe really did not recall much of anything, other than the super powered form of Lex Luthor knocked out on the floor, not offering one bit of movement, or resistance. A frown spread across her face, there was something about this entire situation that made her curiosity swell up a lot, with Harry holding an arm around her, to steady her up to her feet.

It was Lana who had beaten Chloe to the punch, asking what seemed to be the obvious and most pressing question.

"What happened?"

Suddenly Megan popped up at that point, to answer the question. "I heard the screams coming down from the basement and got concerned that something was happening. I tried to override the failsafe, but couldn't, but it turned out that I didn't need to. By the time I got down here, Lex had dropped to his knees. He suffered a brain aneurysm I think, it killed him."

Chloe looked at Megan at that moment, suspicion appearing in her eyes, not that she was mourning the death of Lex Luthor. It still struck her odd that Lex, after all that happened, had dropped down at that point. It just seemed like a little, well Chloe just expected it to end with more flare than just a random dropping to his knees.

'_Then again, I'm sure it was more spectacular in Lex's mind,' _Chloe thought suddenly to herself, realizing what was going on at that point, and drawing a deep breath into herself. The blonde felt Harry wrap his arm around her, holding her tightly.

Lana could not believe it, nudging Lex with her toe to make sure that he was dead. Sure enough, Lex had finally bitten the big one, after his brain seemed to have given up on itself. She felt a rush of freedom, and did the only thing that made sense, hugging Clark. Clark returned the hug at that moment.

"He's gone, after all of that, he's gone," Lana answered at this point.

"But, is he gone for good?" Harry asked at this point, looking at the downed form of Lex Luthor.

"I don't know, Harry, looks pretty dead to me," Chloe answered, waving her hand over Lex and blasting him with a jolt of energy from her hand. Lex's body did not give any signs of life, so it was verified that he had bitten the big one.

Lana was now able to use her telekinesis and hoist Lex up before dropping him down. She did this once, twice, and three times.

"You enjoyed that a bit too much," Harry offered Lana who shrugged.

Kara decided to jump in at that point. "Yeah, but the only thing was for sure, is nothing is for sure. What if this isn't the real Lex, just some duplicate that he sent out, while the real one is laughing at us somewhere?"

"Kara, don't you think you're being a tad bit paranoid," Clark offered his cousin, and Kara's eyes spun towards Clark's as she peered into them a long time, before responding.

"No, I'm being what's being called a realist, you should try it sometime," Kara answered in a soft voice, but whatever the case was, this person was in fact dead. She could verify that much and the strange readings that were coming from the suit fused into his body would not have helped his case much at all.

Harry took a moment to scan the downed body of Lex, getting all of the readings that he could off of him. It would be a chore to get the suit off of him once it had been grafted to the body, but it was not like that they could bury Lex in the suit. That was just offering an open invited to any number of mad scientists and crazed nutcases to pry the suit off of him.

"We're going to need to keep Lex's body until we can get the suit off of him, and we'll arrange for him to be found by the right people afterward," Harry told the entire group, who all nodded slowly. "I trust every one of you can keep this a secret, for however long it takes."

"How long do you think it's going to take?" Clark asked, curious about the process and unable to believe that Lex was dead. It was fortunate that there was some kind of divine intervention that had been brought in, because Clark had no idea what was going to happen.

Harry pondered on the matter long and hard, realizing that was a good question that he did not have a clear answer to whatsoever. The suit was a combination of many different sciences and highly resistant to magic. How Lex managed that feat, Harry would never know, although him and Kara would have to figure out that face as long as they pulled the suit to pieces. Time would not be on their side, but they would be able to get the suit out.

Chloe stood, knowing why Kara and Harry had to do what they needed to do, but regardless there was still a few questions rattling around on the inside of her mind. One could blame that on the inquisitive mind that Chloe had, but still she was seeing more than a few holes regarding the death of Lex Luthor, how everything seemed to end in a nice and even manner.

To be honest, Chloe had her doubts about how Lex really died, but that was not her place to say. She was not about to rain on Clark and Lana's parade, rather she just stood back, supportive as Harry and Kara moved Lex's body. Over the next few days and weeks, they would be picking it apart, until they found to get that suit off of Lex.

Was the Luthor menace completely gone?

The only thing for sure was that nothing was for sure, but for right now, he was most certainly out of their hair. Only time would tell if he was truly done and gone forever.

* * *

Chloe sat back at the Shining Light Foundation, mulling over everything that had transpired over the past day. It was once again hard to believe that Lex was gone, but there was something rather bothering her. She half looked up to see Kara and Harry walk inside, heads hunched over in deep conversation. There was no time to waste; Chloe had to tell them what was on her mind.

"Guys, I really don't know how to say this," Chloe remarked and Harry and Kara had their full attention on their mate, taking a few steps forward, and facing her.

Harry was the one that broke the silence at this point.

"If you don't know how to say something, then just say it, and it will all be done and over with."

Chloe figured as much, offering a long and labored sigh to the pair of them, before she decided to cut to the chase at that point.

"I think when Megan arrived…I think she might have done something to Lex," Chloe answered at that point, and it was at this point where Harry and Kara lock eyes at this point, before the pair of them sighed.

Chloe waited and watched, both of them looked to be mulling over something in their mind, exactly what it was, she had no idea whatsoever. The blonde tapped her foot on the floor and folded her arms as she looked right at Harry at that moment. Chloe did not have to wait for too long, before Harry was the one who opened his mouth to respond to her.

"I had an idea, but I wasn't sure. Are you positive?"

"It was something that I saw in her eyes," Chloe answered at that moment, before she side stepped over herself. "And it's not like I'm really blaming her, with what she's done to Lex, but this is something that she's capable, so…"

"We know," Kara replied putting a hand up to stop her cold, and Chloe nodded at that point. "She was doing her job to protect everyone in this place where we were gone. Lex was a threat, and she…took care of him. She took the shot that no one else was willing to make."

Harry offered a nod, before he turned around, walking to the outside, where Megan was sitting in the room, waiting for him. Her eyes snapped up, and she started in before Harry could even say two words edgewise.

"Harry, I know that…I know that you're upset with what I did, and likely I don't blame you if you want me to leave forever. But that's not the point, the point is that Luthor was a mad dog and someone had to put him down long and hard. And I was the only person who was willing to do it, and guess what, I'd do it again if I'd have the chance. I don't know about you but…"

"Megan, please calm down," Harry interrupted her, and Megan realized that she was floating above the ground, in her rant. She had to get control of her powers, because if she could not stand on the ground, there were other powers, other problems. "I don't blame you for what happened to Lex. If it wasn't you, it would have been me or Kara…"

"Actually, if you showed up when you did, Clark and Lana would both be dead," Megan answered briskly, biting her lip at this point at the thought.

Harry knew what happened immediately, the young white Martian had seen what happened, and froze, doing what she thought was the best possible thing. The mind was the only vulnerable spot in the suit, Harry knew that much immediately when thinking about it. There happened to be no easy solutions for this answer.

"Just remember that what you did might not be the easy solution every time," Harry told Megan and Megan inclined her head with a nod, before she turned around, walked off. "And I'm not blaming you for what happened with Luthor."

"I know, and thanks," Megan replied with a smile crossing her face.

Megan walked out at that point, when the door opened and Harry turned around to see Kara waiting on the other side of the room. The blonde looked at him with an inquisitive look, wondering what was going to happen now. At this point, Harry did not seem to have answers, Kara didn't either, and Chloe did not really either. Kara broke the silence after an extremely long pause.

"She has the potential to be rather powerful," Kara responded to Harry as she placed a hand on his, standing right beside him. "Today was proof of that."

"I know, why do you think I'm keeping an eye on her?" Harry asked, and Kara's jaw was set as she nodded.

Harry trusted Megan but she did have the potential to run away with her powers.

* * *

Raya waited out in the Artic with the windows blowing in her face. While she did not mind waiting out there, she had a feeling that the daughter of Zor-El did so for the sake of making her life that much more inconvenient. She was about to call her out on that fact, when Karen showed up at that point.

"I was unable to intervene today with Kal-El, and I want to know if you have had anything to do with this," Raya said without preamble. "Why did you block me?"

"I didn't block you, Raya," Karen answered when she stood in the Artic and stared her dead in the eye without blinking and Raya seemed skeptical. "I was blocked as well from intervening as were the other two."

Raya's disbelief filled her eyes but Karen knew that despite her best attempts to get through, she could not get through.

"If you didn't block me, then who did?" Raya asked.

"A good question, I'll let you know if I ever find out the answer," Karen answered when she held the crystal in her hand.

It was something her father gave her, it was a part of her, and there were almost times where her father gave her guidance about what to do with Kal-El and his destiny from beyond through the crystal.

She needed to find out who blocked her from saving her cousin's life. For it were not for the divine intervention of the White Martian, Clark, Lana, and Chloe would all be dead.

Who would want to see those three dead?

**To Be Continued in "Dynamic."**


	51. Chapter 51: Dynamic Part One

**Chapter Fifty One: Dynamic Part One.**

Chloe sank down onto a chair in Harry's study after the events of the last couple of days. It seemed obvious at this point that Lex had in fact bitten the big one and now Harry and Kara were working to get the suit off of him so they could send his body away for its final burial. Currently Clark and Lana had gotten back to what passed as a normal life for them, now Chloe took a moment to shake off what happened.

"You've had a stressful day, haven't you?"

Kara had returned at this point from the Shining Light Foundation and Chloe greeted her with a smile. Both blondes stared at each other for a moment before the two of them spoke.

"I think we all have," Chloe responded as she stretched the white blouse that she wore stretched up while she did, showcasing a few inches of her skin. Kara moved over to the other end of Chloe standing behind her and began to massage the back of her neck. Chloe leaned back and gave a sigh as Kara's talented hands began to work the back of her. "Oh, that feels so good, keep doing that."

With a grin, Kara unbuttoned Chloe's blouse and slid it off of her shoulders. Chloe was wearing nothing but a red bra from the waist up and Kara continued to stroke her fingers over Chloe's skin, massaging it going down the back of her neck all the way to her back, rubbing circles in it and Chloe breathed heavily at this point, feeling Kara's hands do their work on her back.

Kara motioned for Chloe to lift her hips up and Chloe did, so Kara could slide the skirt down her legs. Now Chloe sat in the chair, wearing nothing but a pair of red bra and panties. Kara's hands ran down Chloe's legs and massaged them.

"You like that?" Kara asked her with a mischievous grin spreading over her face.

"Yes," Chloe breathed heavily at that point and Kara worked her legs, going around the back, before she moved to her feet.

Kara slipped Chloe's shoes off of her feet and with a tug, yanked her socks off. It was at that point where Kara began to rub the soles of Chloe's feet and her eyes glazed over in pleasure, before Kara worked over the toes.

"I hope I'm doing a good job," Kara remarked as she continued to rub and massage the soles of Chloe's feet.

"You are," Chloe breathed, her eyes heavily lidded with pleasure and she found her hand going down the front of her panties.

"Harry does them the best, I think," Kara responded at that point, but then a wicked grin spread across her face. "Although he doesn't do it with his hand, but rather a different part of his body."

Chloe's mind went haywire as Kara's hands were all over her. She managed to articulate one statement through the fog of the pleasure that she was feeling, her eyes meeting Kara's when she stated this.

"When..aw…when is Harry coming back?

Kara ceased her actions a little bit much to Chloe's disappointment but only slightly.

"In a little bit," Kara responded to Chloe with a smile on her face before she reached on, cupping her hands on Chloe's face and staring in her eyes. "But that doesn't mean the two of us can't have some fun while we wait for our husband to return home."

Chloe felt shivers go down her spine and there was much more when Kara's lips smashed against hers, parting her lips with her tongue, and giving her a searing kiss. The fun was just beginning as Kara just stepped back and slowly pulled her shirt over her head.

**Smut/Lemon Begins. **

-PROFILE

**Smut/Lemon Ends.**

* * *

Gotham City was truly the city that never slept and there was one man in the city that never truly slept. That was the commissioner of the Gotham City police force, James Gordon, who stood on the roof of the Police Station, flashing a light into the air. It was known as the Bat Signal and it was his way of signaling for help from Gotham City's protector.

"New toy, Commissioner?"

Gordon spun around, one day he would not be surprised by Batman's sudden appearances. Hopefully he would not be for the sake of his heart, as he saw Batman slowly walk out of the shadows, followed by a short young man dressed in a black mask that stretched over his face, a red top with the letter "R" over it in green, and green tights with red boots. Gordon observed the young man, this was a relatively new addition to Batman's team he noted.

"I see you've finally broken down and gotten a sidekick," Gordon answered in a crisp voice.

"Partner," the young man corrected rolling his eyes. Gordon was like the tenth person who made this mistake.

"More like a protégé," Batman answered, even though it was not by his choice. Still as Alfred reminded him, Dick was a lot like him at that age, a bit too much like him. So he suited up, modifying an old circus uniform he had into a crime fighting outfit. He was known as Robin, the Boy Wonder. Hopefully by keeping him close by, Batman would keep him out of trouble. "What's the problem, Commissioner?"

"A huge one, follow me," Gordon answered in a somber voice as Batman and Robin followed Commissioner Gordon from the roof down a set of stairs. Gordon opened the door before he paused and spoke to the Dynamic Duo. "No one should follow us, but this transmission came in from the League of Shadows. They've taken things to the next level."

Batman could tell by the tone of his associate's voice that something was more wrong than the League of Shadows taking things to a more personal level. The Dark Knight took every single step down the winding staircase as he followed Gordon and Gordon pushed the office door open.

"Forgive the mess, I've been preoccupied," Gordon replied, but Batman made no comment about the mess. Gordon reached into his pocket and removed a pipe, lighting it. His wife had tried to make him promise to cut down for his health, but given the circumstances, it was hard to really fault him for indulging too deeply in that particular habit.

Gordon walked over to the desk and spun around a DVD player before he placed a disc inside. He waited for the disc to play, drumming his fingers on the side of the desk impatiently as he did.

"Can hardly figure out these things half of the times, I really miss the days of VCRs," Gordon responded in an off handed voice as he managed to find the menu option and press play. He turned to Batman and Robin, both who remained calm. "I received this message from the League of Shadows. Escalation does not even begin to piece together what they're going to do."

Sure enough the video started up in a dark warehouse where several hooded figures appeared in a circle with a figure sitting a chair. Their hostage was obscured to the moment to who it was. The lead figure spoke up in an obviously modulated voice as his masked face turned towards the camera.

"Commissioner, you have enabled a false idol in Gotham City, and have interfered with the master's plans. You have stolen much from the League of Shadows, so therefore we are going to have to steal something from you. She is perfectly safe at the moment, but only if you publicly declare Batman a fugitive and have your police force hunt him down. Once Batman has been brought down, then she will be released."

The members of the League of Shadows all took a few steps back, on at a time to show a sixteen year old girl with red hair who was dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans. She was bound and gagged to the chair.

"Take a look at your daughter Commissioner and know that you brought this upon yourself when you enabled a vigilante. The League of Shadows knows that your police cannot defeat our operations, but remember, you started this war. Therefore, we're going to finish it."

The transmission cut off after Gordon was allowed one more final look at his helpless daughter and saw the fact that there was a sword at the edge of her throat. They could have sliced her throat open at any moment in time, but they chose not to. They wanted to bubble anticipation tot he surface so Gordon could wait and watch. The wait was something that the Gotham City Police Commissioner could hardly bare to watch and there was a long pause.

Robin did not know what to say, Batman warned him that there was going to be some dangerous enemies that they were going to fight. None of the enemies that they ever fought so far, at least in the two months Robin had teamed up with Batman seemed to be more serious than the League of Shadows. They were a threat that were not localized in Gotham City but had been worldwide.

Batman remained silent for a long time before Gordon had tried to receive some kind of response to him. The Police Commissioner knew that there was going to be no easy solution to this problem. Either he brand Batman as a dangerous fugitive, which would be violating his oath to uphold truth and justice as Gotham City Police Commissioner, or his daughter was killed. This was the ultimate sadistic choice.

Plus there was a rather obvious fact that no matter what happened; there was a chance that Barbara would have gotten killed regardless. That was a very real threat and one that Gordon worried about. When his daughter failed to return home from Gymnastics class one day, Gordo feared the worst, but this was worse than the worst.

And now his eyes looked at Batman's who remained stoic as he ever was. Gordon cleared his throat to bring Batman's response back to him.

"Do what you must Commissioner, if you need to brand me as a fugitive to get your daughter back, then just do it."

"I'm not about to cave into terrorists," Gordon argued in a firm voice and Batman just turned around, secretly pleased. "I don't suppose that you could…"

"Track her down?" Batman interrupted before Gordon could finish his question and it was at that point where there was a long awkward pause between the two. "It's always worth a shot, and that's the best shot that we have. There are several leads I could follow up on the League of Shadows."

"What is their inevitable plan?" Gordon wondered, as he dreaded what the answer might bring.

Batman turned around and looked out into Gotham City, there could be pockets of them anywhere. He narrowed his eyes at that point and plunged himself deep into thought, running through possible scenarios in his mind as only Batman can. It went without saying that none of those scenarios were good and many of them delved into worst case.

At this point, Batman had to do what he always did, and make sure that justice was served. Gordon did not say another word, he was all too used to what was going to happen next. Batman had pulled a disappearing act with Robin right next to him.

One day, Gordon would figure out his secret, but for now all he could do was wait and watch, the images of the DVD burned into his head. The images played over and over in his mind again and again. That tormented him for sure and that torment was not going to go away. He puffed on his pipe in some desperate attempt to calm his nerves, but there was no calming whatsoever.

It was one of the darkest hours in the life of James Gordon, but then he realized something. If the League of Shadows felt threatened enough to pull a hostage situation, that means that Batman was dangerously close to stumbling upon something vital and wrecking their plans. Perhaps there was some silver lining to this entire mess after all. That was all that Gordon could hope at this point.

* * *

The Daily Planet parking garage was an area that was a bit out of the way from the rest of the building, where one had to go down an elevator to a certain point and walk down a set of stairs to get there. The woman known as "Miranda Tate" walked to her car in the parking lot, before she clicked on a pen that she held in her hand.

Suddenly at that point there was a group of shadowed figures that came out from behind a pair of boxes. Two of the security cameras were disabled rather quickly as the shadowed figures walked over at that point, backing the supposed secretary up against the wall, as she shuddered the further and further she stepped back. The woman was out of her league at this point and unable to get much further than where she was.

"Help!" Miranda screamed at the top of her lungs to signal any help at all, knowing that there would be only one person that would be able to hear her shrieks from where she was standing. She opened her mouth again, but a hand clapped over her mouth to muffle any further screams.

Sure enough, as if on cue, Clark had heard the shouts and screams at that point of the woman. He could hear it all the way from the lobby and he pulled open the doors before he made his way downstairs in a blur, before he stopped directly in front of the members of the League of Shadows. He saw them standing at the bottom of the steps but the problem was they caught sight of him as well and sensed that he was a problem.

"One step closer, and the woman gets it," one of the men stated while he held a dagger at Mirdanda's throat, with the woman acting like she deflated under the grip of the attacker.

Clark just paused with a long smile; it was a good thing that he was not planning to take another step. He drew a deep breath and blew as hard as he could. The super breath knocked the assassins off guard and sent them flying backwards to the ground. Each and every garbed figure flew head over heels before they crashed down to the ground.

At super speed, Clark had knocked each and every one of them down with shot after shot, they landed on the ground like dominoes that were knocked down and knocked back. They all dropped to their knees before Clark was able to step forward and help the woman on the ground back up to a standing position.

"I have you," Clark managed in an apologetic voice.

"A matter of opinion," Miranda responded at that moment before she removed an amulet from beneath her blouse and held it, muttering a few scrambled phrases underneath her breath.

Clark suddenly went rigid; he was completely paralyzed from the attack and could not have seen this coming. Whatever that amulet was, it had sapped his strength and rendered him unable to move. He collapsed to his knees and twitched madly with his legs kicking in every single direction imaginable.

Lana sped down the steps at this point, sensing that Clark was in trouble and slammed the woman against the wall. The amulet dropped down to the ground and Lana held the woman against the wall, when suddenly another servant stepped out of the shadow.

Unknowingly to Lana, this servant picked up the amulet in his hand and took a few steps towards the woman. Lana was rather distracted at this point in time, as she slammed the woman who attacked Clark against the wall.

"Why did you do this?" Lana demanded, but before she got an answer, she felt her knees buckle, feeling much weaker than she ever did before she got her powers.

The dark haired woman measured Lana before she drilled her in the face with a solid kick and readjusted her jacket, looking down at the woman. The large bald man who had used the amulet had turned to Miranda with a nod on his head.

"You've done well, Ubu," Miranda, or Talia rather, had stated looking down at the weakened forms of Clark and Lana as security guards entered, but they had been League of Shadows members in disguise. "My father will know of the role you've played in today's victory."

Ubu offered a stiff nod, he could hardly wait to be lavished with such praise, especially with the great one known as Ra's Al Ghul. His family had been in the service of the Demon Head for years, the mantle being passed down from father to son over the years and this particular Ubu was the latest Ubu to be in the service of Ra's.

"Put the power inhibitor cuffs on them," Talia ordered the members of the League of Shadows and certainly enough, Lana and Clark were cuffed so their powers would be blocked. "This will automatically filter the yellow solar radiation to red, therefore they will not be receiving the strength that I drained from the back any time soon."

Clark and Lana were both scooped up, unable to move, even if the effects of the amulet would wear off in due time. Their powers on the other hand, that was something else that was different entirely. With the cuffs on them, they would not be coming back any time soon, the great one did his homework on their weaknesses. Talia had smiled, pleased about how this plan seemed to go off without a hitch at that point.

The woman turned to activate the communication device in her hand, giving her a direct line to her father, the great Ra's Al Ghul.

"The Traveler and his companion have been captured, father," Talia responded over the other end of the line, as Ra's just seemed pleased.

"You have played your role well, Talia, and soon there will be more roles that will be played well. Take him to the location that I have given you and work quickly before they have missed. My men have the other one and we also have insurance against the Detective should he stumble upon our plans."

"What about these Heralds of Death?" Talia wondered, curious to see what her father had cooked up against them.

Ra's paused for the longest time before he offered a hearty laugh. It was almost as if he was amused by their involvement and had taken a moment to calm himself down before he responded.

"Leave them to me Talia, just leave them to me."

Clark and Lana were hauled in the back of a van that many on the outside would assume would be to deliver the latest circulation of newspapers. With their powers blocked, the pair of them would be transported to the airport, where they would be taken to the League of Assassins base in Afghanistan where their plan would begin.

* * *

"What do you mean Clark is missing?"

Chloe had said this statement in a frantic manner as Lois had relayed the information her. A frown appeared on the face of Lois before she looked at Chloe in a reassuring manner.

"I mean exactly what you think I mean, Clark has gone up and missing," Lois said in a serious voice as she lead her cousin over to the security tapes. "Take a look at this…the backup security feed went up and…."

"Lana was down here too," Chloe interrupted as she had seen the tapes, but immediately she recognized the face of one of the people who abducted Clark and Lana, it was the face of Miranda Tate.

Chloe and Lois had come to the same conclusion and Lois could not help but state that she noticed this one right away.

"I knew that woman was trouble from the start," Lois remarked in a grim voice as she watched everything go down, with Clark and Lana having been led out in a van. "Pretty slick of them, wasn't it? They made it look like they had hauled them out like newspapers, but they drove the van to God only knows where."

Chloe spun around and tried to get a close look to see if she could find any tracks. She left at this point.

"Lois, I'm going to check something out, why don't you call the police and report that Clark and Lana are missing?" Chloe inquired and Lois turned around, which gave Chloe the opening that she needed to speed off faster than a speeding bullet in the other direction.

Lois turned around to ask Chloe something but found that she was gone. She had a feeling that she should know why Chloe went off that fast but there was a mental block on her mind that prevented her from doing so. Lois wondered if she got abducted by aliens or something and had her memories wiped.

Chloe had used her enhanced vision to follow the set of tracks. There were many sets of tracks on the ground as she had seen but this particular set of tracks was far different than any other set of tracks. The blonde continued to make her way down the set of tracks before it led to the airport.

She had been a bit too late, Clark and Lana had been hauled onto some kind of jet and flown off without another word. Chloe felt a bubbling of frustration deep within her, she had never felt more helpless on her life.

'_Okay, let's see how well these powers really work,' _Chloe thought before she focused her vision and tried to trace where the plane had gone off. The problem was that this was easier said than done and she could not really pick up anything.

Chloe tapped her foot on the ground before she activated the communication piece in her ear and drew in a deep breath before she informed Kara and Harry of the bad news. Somehow this was going to be her fault, even if Lana got captured as well as she tried to accomplish her duties.

"Hey, Kara, are you there?" Chloe asked on the other end of the communication link which came to life.

"Yeah, I'm here," Kara responded towards Chloe. "What do you need?"

"Clark and Lana have been kidnapped," Chloe answered in a grim voice and she did not even have time to blink before Kara had popped in next to her with Harry closely behind her. Kara waved her hand to Chloe to invite her to elaborate just a bit more. "Some goons kidnapped them and threw them in the back of a van before they drove with them."

Kara's eyes snapped over towards Chloe's as this entire situation did not make any sense at all, for a number of reasons. Clark should have not been kidnapped under any means and most certainly Lana should have not been kidnapped to say the least. There had to be some force that allowed them to be subdued and as it turned out, Harry was the one who had the answer at that very moment.

"I'd imagine that they had some kind of magical force that allowed them to kidnap the pair of them," Harry answered at that moment and Chloe and Kara nodded, that made a lot of sense. Harry spun around and tried to run over the theories in his head for that minute. "There must have been some kind of magical focus that would have drained their powers and blocked their access to the yellow solar radiation, essentially turning them human."

"But, no magical spell could do that for too long," Kara argued and Harry nodded, before he grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes.

"No, a magical spell could not do that, but stop and think about it, Kara, if they drained the powers long enough, they could slap some kind of inhibitor cuffs or collars them that had automatically filtered out any yellow sun radiation into red, after they used whatever they used to drain their battery."

"But what would they want with Clark or Lana?" Chloe asked but then she paused. "Well, I'm sure that there are a lot of things, but I can't believe a secretary would be behind this. Sure, Lois thought that she was trouble, but I never thought that she would be the kidnapping trouble type."

Harry had put all of the pieces together in the fragmented jigsaw puzzle that it was.

"She was stashed in there by someone to keep an eye on Clark, and I'll be honest, her references were good, but perhaps I should have went with my gut when I saw that they were a little too good," Harry answered at that point and Kara shook her grabbed Harry's hands in a reassuring manner at this point.

"Harry, it's not like you could predict everything that happened," Kara answered as she closed her eyes and squeezed Harry's hand to let him know that she did not blame him for this in the slightest. She turned around to talk to Chloe trying to give Chloe a reassuring smile on her face. "We're going to go and look for Clark, maybe you should stay here and see if anything breaks, if they send any hostage messages or anything that might indicate why they attacked Clark."

Chloe nodded in agreement as she watched Harry and Kara fly off but she did not have too much time to watch when Lois had dialed her up.

"Hey, Lois, did you call the police?" Chloe asked her.

"I found out that Clark isn't the only one who has been kidnapped today with the same M.O.," Lois answered and Chloe offered Lois a chance to explain. "There was some paramedic named Bloome that got captured. Maybe it was with the same guys?"

That got Chloe's attention and she waited for Lois to hang up before she relayed that information to Harry and Kara, they would find it very interesting. Perhaps the third Herald was onto something when she attacked that guy all of those weeks ago and tried to off him.

"Hey Harry, Kara, someone else has been kidnapped. You're not going to believe this."

* * *

The desert in Afghanistan was the location where Harry and Kara had been led as they flew high over the sky. There seemed to be nothing, but a desert stretching as far as the eye could see, but appearances could in fact be deceiving. The two Potters settled down on the ground and kept an ear out when they saw a pyramid that had been recently forced open.

'_Something tells me that might be a good lead,' _Kara projected to Harry and sure enough the two of them had flown in at that point before they dropped down to the ground and proceeded to walk over to the pyramid.

The two of them did not see anyone particularly dangerous and sure enough they spotted Raya of all people in the pyramid. Raya stood up straight before she spun around to face two of the three Heralds of Death, but she recovered quickly.

This had given Harry the opportunity to ask the obvious question.

"Raya, what are you doing here?" Harry asked at that point, a bit perplexed about her being here.

Harry and Kara did not know about Raya's new status as Kal-El's protector given that Karen hid that particular tidbit from everyone.

Raya was prompt to answer with an explanation that did in fact make a lot of sense as she turned to face Harry and Kara. "I learned of Kal-El's abduction and I would like to assist you in searching for him. As you know, I wish to serve the House of El and Jor-El instructed me to watch over Kal-El."

It was at that point where Raya had fully realized that the version of Kara Zor-El she had been speaking to had been one from an alternate dimension. Of course, a part of her had realized that from the get go, but the fact of the matter was that this confirmed her suspicions. There were a few differences for sure.

And both Heralds of Death were looking at her now with a skeptical expression in both of their faces. There was a moment in time where the pair of them did not say anything before Harry had been the one to manage to speak up.

"Have you found anything right yet?"

Raya motioned for Harry and Kara to follow her over towards a set of walls with a series of what would appear to be scribbles to the untrained eye. However, given that the Herald of Death powers offered as a virtual Rosetta Stone, Harry and Kara were able to understand the scribbles without pause and with precision.

"I have found this writing and while a part of it appears to be Kryptonian, another part of it is…another language that I cannot decipher," Raya answered at that point and Kara leaned forward to read it.

"It says here lies a monument to the first, one who had been gifted powers by the specter between the barrier of life and death. He can only be contained for he shall rise again to bring darkness upon the world. He is the Anti-Monitor…that's the only other line that hasn't been scrubbed out."

Raya looked at Harry and Kara that statement offered more questions than it offered answers. Kara was only too happy to elaborate what she had found as she took a deep breath. Then it was time for her to speak once more.

"I'm thinking the first that was to receive the Herald of Death powers, before history was even written, a long time ago, and the power warped him such that he was sealed away."

Harry's expression grew rather grim and dark, this explanation made so much sense, in fact it made way too much sense all things considered. Kara took a moment to look at Harry who offered a bit of a smile as he walked over to see if there was any more information that was written.

"Perhaps it had faded in time," Raya offered as Harry had tried to read over the information one bit at a time.

"Maybe," Harry responded but he was extremely skeptical that it did and screwed his eyes shut when he thought about every single angle of this problem. "But magic is something that always leaves a trace behind no matter what happened."

Raya would have to take Harry's word for it and defer to him he was in fact the expert. Lost in all of this was the fact that none of them were getting closer to finding Kal-El where he might have been. Given the number of temples that she had located so far, he could have in fact have turned up anywhere in this labyrinth of passageways. There were traps and dead ends that she already had to defuse, they were problems eve with her powers.

"I'm guessing whoever kidnapped Clark might have been interested in this," Harry responded as he broke the silence and pointed to a faded set of paintings that depicted two powerful forces fighting. "A great hero from the stars defeated a horrible monster that brought Doomsday to the Earth. From the ashes of the battle could the Earth be cleansed all that is wicked and a new Eden will be created, with countless human lives being lost."

"How many do you mean when we talk about countless?" Kara inquired at this moment.

Harry's expression became grim.

"About ninety percent of the Earth's current population," Harry responded and Raya's eyes snapped over to theirs when a frown crossed her face.

"To commit genocide on such a mass level is an atrocity and it appears that someone has attempted to willingly invoke this battle."

"We're in like minds," Harry agreed as he continued to tap on the wall to read what he had before him before he continued to walk forward.

Kara and Raya had both enhanced hearing that they heard some noises from something that was way below this particular temple. How far down beneath the ground they went, that was something that remained to be seen at this point.

"There's something way below us, but there's also something across from us as well," Harry responded at this point and realized that there was a multi-pronged assault at work in this temple.

"They're prepping for the sacrifice," Kara responded as she listened closely.

"The Great One will have his dream," Raya added at that point and the group of them wondered what this could mean.

"Be careful a temple like this is rigged with traps," Harry warned both Raya and Kara and Raya nodded, she encountered a few close calls when they arrived here. "I deactivated most of them but there could be some nasty surprises that might delay us."

Raya wondered if Harry was always this pessimistic or if it was merely because of the situation that had been offered. They had precious little time to think about that before it was time go further down the temple.

Had they paid more attention they would have noticed two shadowed figures who had also followed a trail to this very temple and were about to crash the party for the League of Shadows.

* * *

Clark's eyes flickered up as he tried to regain his wits among himself. He had never felt much weaker than he had before as he tried to lift his arms but they slumped down to the ground by his side at this point. There was many times where he tried to get free from his position, but his arms were like cement and he realized that he was shackled.

"Not good," Clark managed at this point as he saw another figure, a red haired girl who was bound and gagged and Lana was next to him as she stirred awake.

"What happened?" Lana murmured and they saw another figure, as they recognized him as the paramedic that they had saved a few months ago.

"Nothing good," Clark managed when he tried to get his wits about himself. Everything came back to him, bits and pieces through a copious mental fog. "It was an ambush, they got both of us."

Lana was afraid of that was the events of the attack had cycled back to her mentally and footsteps could be heard. It was then that Lana realized that these cuffs on her had filtered the yellow sunlight into red so her powers did not function. She thought that they should have reserves but there was nothing at all.

Someone had drained their power batteries at that point and the two of them tried to get back to their feet. Lana struggled against the grip but her strength and powers failed her.

"Greetings Star Child."

A man dressed in green with dark hair and sideburns walked up to him. He gave an accent that indicated that he had some kind of higher breeding.

"My name is Ra's Al Ghul and you are guests to witness an extraordinary event that will reshape the world from something different as far as you know it," Ra's answered at that moment as he tapped his foot on the ground and Clark struggled with his binds.

"Guests, is that what you call kidnapping now?" Lana voiced as her eyes flashed with annoyance at what happened.

A large man walked over towards Lana and gave her a warning voice raising his fist as to threaten to strike Lana. "You have not been given permission to speak to the great one, woman."

Lana was about to retort in kind but Ra's was the one to speak.

"It is quite alright, Ubu, please stand down," Ra's answered and the large man fell into line at the orders of his master like an obedient dog. "These two have no idea what they have been brought here for, but they can know this, sooner rather than later they will be prepared for a new change of the world."

Right next to where Clark and Lana had been tied up there was a large pit with a bubbling fluid and Ra's leaned against the walking stick that he held. Neither had no idea whether it was there to hold him up or had some kind of purpose that was far greater than they imagined.

"Why am I here?" Davis asked as confusion bubbled through his mind through this entire incident.

"To unlock a form that is more natural to the savage personality that you have subconsciously been fighting for some time," Ra's answered as the ancient leader of the League of Shadows watched. "You and the Star Child are destined to fight until one is left standing and over the ashes of your battle a new world will rise. It will be more beautiful than Eden and the wicked will have been purged with a greater fury when the creator did when he told Noah to build the ark."

Davis would have asked for more information, but as it turned out there was a loud crashing from above. Ra's turned as he motioned for his League of Shadows members to move into position.

Batman and Robin had crashed the party and the Dynamic Duo were ready to fight them all.

"I need time to prepare, delay the Detective," Ra's ordered to his men and women and that's what they did, preparing to engage the Caped Crusader and his young protege in deadly combat.

**To Be Continued in "Dynamic Part Two."**


	52. Chapter 52: Dynamic Part Two

**Chapter 52: Dynamic Part Two  
**

From the perch went Batman and Robin as the Dynamic Duo ran in to go into combat with the League of Shadows assassins. The World's Greatest Detective sent one of them flying with a punch as the Boy Wonder succeeded him sweeping the legs out from underneath another member of the League of Shadows with a well-placed strike. The young crime fighter did a pose and he landed on his feet before he pumped his fist in the air and jumped forward.

"Yay, this isn't too bad!" Robin called with a bit of a smug expression on his face but suddenly one of the members of the League of Shadows knocked him out for the loop. Batman rushed in to block another attack.

"Stay focused!"

This admonishment form Batman caused Robin to properly fall back into line as he rushed over before he used the grace and precision that he did on the high wire. This proved to be an effective attack. The assassins clonked heads with these two obviously not being extremely skilled. The Boy Wonder sprung himself forward and ducked another attack from his enemies.

A duck, a weave, and then a block before Robin flipped him onto the ground. His mentor seemed to be at five places at once but there seemed to be a lot of these guys. There was one thing for certain about ninjas as they bred like rabbits. There were a never ending stream of them, no matter what they did.

"Go free the hostages, I'll cover your back," Batman ordered and Robin did as Batman said as he used the rocks to repel himself to the shadows. The young hero reached forward and snapped the bindings that tied Barbara Gordon up.

"Wonderful, I'm being rescued by the amazing flying sparrow," Barbara replied with a bit of a roll of her eyes. After all of these weeks in capacity she needed someone to take out her frustrations on.

"That's Robin!" Robin answered at that moment but he dodged an attack from one of the League of Shadows members. The sidekick of Batman turned to the Police Commissioner's daughter, before giving her an anxiious expression. "You better get out of here before…"

Barbara cut off Robin's words before she kicked one of the League of Shadows members in the face before she disarmed it. She had some gymnastics skills under her belt as she ducked and tumbled before she knocked two of them down. The sixteen year old girl decided to take out some aggressions on her captors and the Boy Wonder had to admit she had some decent moves.

"That's for kidnapping me!" Barbara yelled as she dodged another shot while Batman rushed in to knock several more of the assassins down. It was pure chaos and three of the hostages had already been moved down the set of stairs.

Batman made his way over at that point and tried to rush them but the large figure of Ubu had blocked his presence. The large man lifted a hulking hand and tried to punch The Caped Crusader but the Dark Knight ducked and rolled before he bounced off of the walls. A grappling hook launched around Ubu but the man caught it.

He only caught it for the moment until a tug had pulled the large hulking man forward to allow Batman to crack him in the face with a huge kick before the Dark Knight jumped up. A huge punch to the back of the head smashed Ubu down hard to the ground as Barbara stepped over to take a look at the World's Greatest Detective.

"Not too bad for a rescue, but I was wondering what took you so long to show up," Barbara answered at that point as Batman just give her one of his world famous Batman looks .The Commissioner's responded with a bit of a shrug because she moved towards a wall to catch her breath.

Batman scoped out the situation before a voice had brought him out of his thoughts.

"If you're looking for a way out it's through the next corridor, to your right, and up."

Supergirl and Arcane had popped up at that moment to face Batman and Robin looked at them, impressed that they had pulled the sudden appearance trick on his mentor of all people. Naturally if Batman was surprised by their sudden appearance he had recovered himself quickly and managed to take a look at the pair of them before he nodded.

"Robin, get Miss Gordon out through that door," Batman answered at that moment when he turned to his protege. "Keep an eye on her."

Barbara did not seem to be too happy with the fact that this was the case and decided to voice that fact to Batman, standing up and looking him straight in the eye.

"Hey, last time I checked I saved blue birds's…"

"ROBIN'S!"

"Whatever, I saved his sorry butt back there, against those guys and he's supposed to be your sidekick."

"Partner!" Robin answered as this girl was getting underneath his skin and Barbara personally was glad to have some kind of outlet after she had been stuck down there for a few weeks. "I don't know if you've been keeping track of current events but those guys are bad news."

Barbara just rolled her eyes at this point when she looked at the Boy Wonder before she proceeded to comment in a sarcastic tone of voice. "Really, no shit, mockingbird, because these guys took three of the other hostages down into the temple where their plan is going to…"

Batman was already gone at that point with Supergirl and Arcane having followed. Barbara watched him leave, she had to admit, she gave the entire fighting evil thing a good thought. In fact, she could be Batman, only a girl, but only if she could come up with some name that would fit the situation.

'_Raya just seems to have slipped away in the chaos,' _Harry thought to Kara when they had flew behind Batman down the tunnel. The blonde Kryptonian's frustration was evident through the bond as she spoke to her bond mate.

'_Yeah, I know, but we've got bigger problems, Clark is down there still without any powers,' _Kara responded through the mental link to Harry. _'And Lana too, and…what's that smell?"_

Harry had stopped at that moment before he had seen it through and it was a smell that he recognized through his training for the Herald of Death. His eyes took on a grim look before he slowly turned around to face Kara.

"That Kara is a Lazarus Pit."

Kara was afraid of that but she just needed to make sure. The situation had gotten even more intense now that little variable had been thrown in the ring. The two had little time to waste because if this Ra's Al Ghul was using a Lazarus Pit coupled with what they learned about the First, it was hard telling what might happen.

It just would not be good, there was no two ways about it.

* * *

"It is on this day where you have been chosen to bear witness to an event that will change the world, an event that was thousands of years in the making. It is ever since the First has been sealed away by several forces beyond your comprehension, an Anti-Monitor so to speak, and one that will help cleanse the Earth. It is upon the sacrifice that you will make that you will bring force a new age that will dawn."

Clark stood rigid, held up by half of the League of Shadows members with Talia having a knife to the throat of Lana to make sure she did not interfere. Ra's Al Ghul stood atop a platform as they prepared Davis Bloome for the dip into the pit.

"That doesn't look safe," Bloome argued as he got closer and closer to the pit as he saw it sinisterly bubble.

"Nonsense, the Lazarus Pit will cure you of all of your impurities, and bring out the true monster within you, the destroyer that you were meant to be" Ra's answered with his eyes firmly on Davis when he was closer and closer to the pit. "I have managed to acquire the notes of Virgil Swann and the log of the Veritas Society. I had gone to them to offer my input but Thomas Wayne, Virgil Swann, and Lionel Luthor all arrogantly turned me down. Yet their arrogance comes with Karmic retributions for it is I who live while their bodies decay and whither in the ground. For it was not one traveler who came to Earth on that day, but two travelers who had crashed in that Cornfield in Smallville."

This had gotten the attention of Clark who tried to figure out a way to escape.

"What are you talking about?" Clark demanded to try and keep Ra's talking whilst he tried to find a way out of his predicament.

"While you were found by the Kents, Davis Bloome was found by the Veritas Society as they wrongly believed he was the one," Ra's explained at that point. "It appears that Bloome was not born by conventional means but rather created as a weapon that hitched a ride onto the vessel that brought you here, Star Child. He was made from the most dangerous creatures of your world, engineered in a lab to adapt to anything. Davis Bloome is merely a camouflage for a true horror that lies within. You cannot fight the monster for it is you and the human face you wear is but a lie."

Davis seriously considered this guy's sanity or lack thereof, he honestly did not seem to be all there at that point. He was being hooked in restraints but for what reason. He felt a savage fury bubble within him as he inhaled the smell of the pit.

"Then there was a prophecy that has been around since the dawn of time, where the Star Child and the Destroyer are destined to battle in a fight where neither will survive," Ra's continued at that point as he cracked his knuckles. "This prophecy indicates a cataclysmic battle between the two sides but do not worry, once the battle has concluded, the world will be rebuilt. I will force this battle."

"Countless with die," Clark answered at that point through a hoarse voice.

"If it leaves your mind at ease, Star Child, I have counted, approximately sixty five billion to be precise," Ra's answered without missing a beat. "And it will happen once you have been exposed and reborn as what you should have been all along."

Lana meanwhile while Ra's was giving his monologue maneuver herself into place and with a swift kick had knocked Talia back by surprise. The daughter of the Demon Head staggered but the dark haired woman managed to wrestle the key away from the guard before she unlocked the restraints with another fluid motion.

'_Yellow sun, where are you?' _Lana thought desperately but there seemed to be no yellow sun at this point.

"After her, stop her, she's not part of the plan,' Ra's answered at that point and Talia tried to kick Lana at that point but she managed to dodge out of the way.

"You're nothing without your powers, so I suggest you surrender and I may make your death painless," Talia answered at that point but before she could respond Batman swooped in front of her. The woman took a step back at this point, caught off guard by The Dark Knight sudden appearance.

Ra's on the other hand did not seem to be surprised in any way whatsoever.

"Ah yes, Detective, you are here to bear witness to the end of everything, despite your best efforts the world will be entombed in chaos," Ra's answered with his eyes firmly locked upon Batman as they remained unblinking. "I do offer a moment to consider a choice that I'll give you, if you wish to be a part in this new order, then you can join me. You will have unprecedented respect and the hand of my daughter, but I do not wish for us to be enemies. Rather I wish for you to be my heir."

Batman looked at him at that moment and tried to move his way to Ra's but several large members of the League of Shadows rumbled in to battle with the Detective. The Dark Knight dodged every single one of their assaults. He ducked and rolled when he caused them to all trip up with his solid attacks.

Clark was up to his feet as he tried to reach for the handcuff keys. Lana's powers had not returned fully yet due to being underground away from the yellow sun so she struggled and now Talia had the medallion once again. Lana found herself weakened by the pull of the power.

With a well-placed Baterang Batman knocked the medallion out of Talia's hand, over the cliff, and knocked her back. Lana got herself up and looked at Batman with a grateful look.

"Thanks, I guess I owe you one," Lana answered before she saw a hulking figure with a sword try to stab Batman from behind. At super speed Lana rushed in and knocked the hulking figure out for the count. She shrugged before a brief smile appeared on her face when she faced Batman. "And now I think we're even."

Clark was back up to his feet as the rocks began to crumble underneath him from the stress of the constant fighting. He got his hands on the key and opened up the cuffs.

Two of the assassins tried to keep him from escaping from the handcuffs and knocked him back. Clark fought them and he lost his balance.

The good news was the cuffs had come off as planned.

Lana's eyes widened as she sped over towards Clark but she was just a second or two too slow.

Clark fell backwards over the cliff and landed into the Lazarus Pit with a splash. Lana's eyes widened as she tried to dive in after him but Batman grabbed her arm to prevent her from taking the plunge after Clark.

"No, he'll emerge in a moment and you need to be ready to grab him for mania will visit him due to the pit's effects," Batman told Lana and Lana got the message before she stepped back.

All they could do now was wait and see how Clark would get out of this mess. The pit bubbled sinisterly as all they had to do was wait and watch.

* * *

Raya joined Harry and Kara as they made their trek through the temples down the stairs when they saw more scrawls on the wall when they got closer and closer to where the Lazarus Pit was. And that was not all they had gotten closer to there was a thump coming from behind the wall that was faint but only could be heard by super human hearing.

Kara x-rayed the wall and found that there was someone from behind the wall. With expert precision, she managed to pull open the wall at this point and knock it down to reveal the bound and gagged form of Patricia Swann on the ground. Patricia shook her head at that point as she tried to recover long enough to draw deep breaths in and out before she pulled herself back up.

She was untied at that moment and shook her head.

"Harry, I thought it was them again, coming back to finish me off," Patricia answered when she shook the cobwebs from her head. "The League of Shadows is interested in Kal-El."

"Of course they are," Harry responded in deadpan before he looked at the woman. "You told me that you were going on a holiday."

"Yes and they grabbed me at the airport, I was supposed to be back a couple of days ago," Patricia answered while she groaned and rubbed her forehead. "I fear what I might have told them and what damage could it do the world. There are many things that Ra's Al Ghul seemed to know. Did you know he offered to assist my father?"

"That's news," Harry answered, with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm guessing your father turned him down," Kara chimed in with her blue eyes locked onto the face of the woman.

"Yes, my father, Lionel Luthor, and Thomas Wayne all knew that trusting someone like Ra's Al Ghul was a bad idea," Patricia answered as she shook her head when she tried to take a moment to reconcile what had happened. "If they expose Kal-El and the other one to the pit…"

"The other one?" Harry asked as he decided to let Patricia in on how much he found out. "The other one, that being Davis Bloome."

"Yes, that's the other one, I found out that he arrived her the same day that Kal-El did," Patricia answered at that moment. "And beneath the charismatic face lies a true heart of a killer, someone with no conscious or reason. That's the way he's been born and bred from the very worst of Krypton."

Harry could argue all day about nature against nurture but right now he had to send Patricia Swann back.

"This will teleport you back to the Shining Light Foundation," Harry informed her and Patricia did not seem to question that at the moment.

A loud scream could be heard as Harry shoved the Portkey into Patricia's hand and sent Chloe a quick mental signal to let her know to expect the other woman.

"Lana," Kara murmured at that point as the two Heralds bolted right through the doors just in time to see what was happening.

Batman was all too happy to enlighten them on what had just transpired a moment before they had arrived.

"Kent was knocked backwards and fell into that pit; I trust the two of you know what it is."

"It's a Lazarus Pit, it can sustain a person's life as long as there is a breath and warmth still in their body," Harry explained at that point as he noticed the League of Shadows had suddenly gone scarce which had to mean that there was more than one Pit in this temple. "But if someone healthy goes into it, who knows what might happen?"

Lana decided to bring up the unfortunate and dreaded question. "What happens if a completely healthy Kryptonian male gets knocked into the Lazarus Pit?"

"I think you're about to get your answer," Kara responded at that point as the pit began to bubble and Clark began to rise from the pit with his body giving off a glow as he flew out of the pit. The blonde gave a tentative question towards her cousin. "Clark?"

Clark's eyes snapped towards Kara at that point as they glowed red, with fury and unsettling power. "Do not call me that name, Kara, that's not who I am. I am Kal-El and I have been reborn into what I could truly am."

Kara's expression became suddenly gob smacked as they realized what had just happened at this point. Clark was about ready to lose his mind rather badly and he thought that he got reborn. This could prove to be a most problematic situation if he had gone full Kryptonian without his human emotions.

"Clark, that's just the Pit talking," Kara answered as she prepared herself for an attack before Clark dropped down to his feet and looked at her. "It's made you nuts."

"No, it's made my mind clearer than it ever was before," Kal-El argued as he looked at Kara for a long moment, with almost disdain that was not him. "You can have your human delusions all you want, for I have loftier goals in mind. I will rule over this primitive mud ball that you humans call a planet with strength. My mate will rule with me."

Lana looked at Clark at that moment before she shook her head and she placed a hand on his gently.

"Clark, I'll stand by you but you can't really think that this is the right way to do things."

Kal-El looked at this human, sure she was a certain amusement for his human self, but he had shed his human skin when he had been reborn. He stepped forward and spotted Raya at that moment.

"Raya, long time no see," Kal-El commented when he saw her, looking over this full blood and natural Kryptonian before him.

"Hello, Kal-El," Raya answered in a rather tentative tone of voice as she was unprepared with what to expect. "You've changed a lot."

"It's most surprising to see that you're alive," Kal-El responded at that moment before he shook his head and reached forward to cup her chin with his hand. "The two of us are among the last of our kind, we can rule together."

"We should discuss what you are going to do, Kal-El," Raya responded as she thought the affects of this Lazarus Pit should wear off, hopefully before Kal-El did something he regretted.

"Yes, and we shall mate when the time is right," Kal-El responded at that point as he flipped Raya's hair back before he looked in her eyes and then pressed his lips to hers with a powerful kiss. Raya was shocked by this brazen and bold gesture so much that the woman did not fight it. The Last Son of Krypton invaded her mouth with his tongue and her mind went on lockdown.

Then he flew off without a backwards glance or a declaration of goodbye.

"Follow him,' Kara managed to the other woman and Raya nodded at that point, she was going to protect Kal-El.

Lana stood at that moment as she was unsure about what had happened at that moment but she was certain that she did not like it. Something told her that Clark changed but it was most certainly not for the better.

* * *

Ra's Al Ghul had managed to move off in the confusion after Kal-El had flow the coup at this point. The leader of the League of Shadows knew that the fact that he fell into the Lazarus Pit in such a manner will only make the transformation far less temporary. He would only last like that for a maximum of six hours, at least that was his calculation. At least that was what Ra's pondered in his mind as he twisted the dial slowly to prepare Davis Bloome. He knew he only had a few moments before they had recovered enough to find his contingency plan.

"Just imagine, Mr. Bloome, you will be what you should have been, what you always had the potential to be," Ra's commented in a crisp voice as he began to lower the pod containing the young man with the chains. "You will thank me for unlocking the shackles upon your human mind and allowing you to embrace your destiny."

Davis believed that this man completely flipped but then he was rather curious. There was a dark force that had bubbled within his mind that caused him torment at that point. The young paramedic was being lowered closer and closer to the pit as he went deeper and deeper. He tried to push himself out at this point but he found himself hit the wall again and again.

"Let me out of here!" Davis yelled but he realized that there was no one who could hear him no matter how hard he had pounded on the containment pod. He was getting closer and closer to feeling the tender embrace of the Pits and primal forces in his mind stirred when he got closer ot the fumes.

Ra's washed at this point as he closed his eyes before he waited for it. The sounds of his second string of followers were being knocked around outside and he could sense that the Detective loomed closer and closer. However, it would be much too late by the time that he arrived.

The Demon Head knew that his daughter was doing what she could to give him all of the time as he saw the pod that contained Davis be dip into the Lazarus Pit. The pod was slowly flooded with the fluids that had drenched him. Davis Bloome felt the warm fluids being drained into the blood.

His mind began to shift and his body had begun to change as he was slowly surely reborn one step at a time as the pod was flooded a little bit. Bloome tried to pry himself out but he felt a more primitive force take over his mind.

"Prepare the helicopter, and release him within ten minutes," Ra's ordered but at that point a figure grappled up to face him. The Demon Head took a half of a step back but at the same time he stood his ground when he stared down his foe. "You're too late, Detective, you should have taken my offer whilst you had the chance. Now your arrogance will create your own tomb."

Batman knocked out several of the henchmen which caused them to spiral to the ground with a sickening crash before they landed. He advanced on Ra's one step at a time ready to engage his deadly foe.

"It's over, Ra's," Batman said but Ra's, in a lightning fast movement that many a fraction of his age could not pull off, unsheathed a sword before he tried to stab The Detective with it. The Dark Knight dodged the attack at this point before he did a tuck and roll before he launched a grapple line before he latched onto it.

Ra's pulled out a second blade before he sliced the grapple line before the head of the Leageu of Shadows advanced. Both engaged each other in battle. There was a series of punches and kicks that both fighters deflected upon each other. Batman managed to obtain a sword form one of the fallen assassins to block Ra's incoming attack.

The cold metal clung together before they smashed together. Another clang echoed throughout the temples as Batman tried to reach over to pull the pod out but his enemy saw that attempt coming, to knock him back.

"So we'll see what happens when we truly match swords, Detective," Ra's remarked as the two continued to clang swords together as they connected again and again and again with the cold steal crashing against each other with each individual shot. The battle between the two fighters got intense.

The two continued to match wits and weapons with neither budging as they fight on the ledge close to the Lazarus Pit at that point. The Dark Knight and the Demon Head circled each other with their eyes locked onto each other for that point before they rushed forward before they clashed together. Both stood with their teeth gritted as the swords had connected at that point before they shoved forward.

Batman rolled and threw a series of smoke pellets to the ground in his attempt to blind the Demon Head but Ra's deflected them with his sword before he repelled up of the wall before he dropped down. The Dark Knight impacted his foe with a vicious punch to the jaw and another punch aimed at him before The Caped Crusader slid underneath the legs before he shot a grapple line around the ankles of the Demon Head.

Ra's staggered forward and nearly went over the side but he hung on for dear life. The growls of the monster could be heard from below it was music to his ears.

"This is been most illuminating Detective, but I have a ride to catch and I would suggest you do the same," Ra's commented in his smug superiority before he kicked his enemy over the ledge. Batman hung on for dear life over the edge before he swung his feet back and forth, back and forth.

The pod cracked open as it was in the Lazarus Pit with Batman trying to drop down to scope out the entire situation. He saw Ra's exit through the Helicopter with several members of the League of Shadows scrambling towards the exit.

Batman knew he had to keep the monster from breaking out of his pod but there was a moment where he had tried to reconcile what to do in his mind. It was not going to be easy for sure but that's just what the caped crimefighter had to do.

The fluids within the pit had begun to eat away at the human exterior before the monster began to crack through with Batman setting explosives. He vowed never to kill but given what he learned his father's notes, this monster being loose might make him forget that vow. That was the thought that went through his mind when he continued to set explosives.

* * *

Lana's eyes snapped up as she saw Clark, or Kal-El rather, fly away from her. She gave a long and labored sigh before she looked at two of the three Heralds of Death who had been left behind.

"That was the real, Clark, wasn't it?" Lana asked and Harry saw a slight crisis of faith coming on so he decided to nip this one in the bud before the woman could be drowned in her own self-pity.

"Lana, the Lazarus Pits lead to mania and madness, the mind is not sound, which is why no one should expose themselves to them constantly. It can prolong someone's life at the risk of decaying their minds. Clark will come back to normal."

"With a whole lot of regrets," Kara managed at this point to have her eyes on Lana at this point.

Lana just nodded she could tell that Clark was not himself, there was just something in his eyes that was completely off. One did not know someone for that long without picking up some kind of subtle hints that something had happened. And now she wondered what would happened, she just hoped that Raya woman was going to be able to convince Clark against it.

This Raya was a surprise to her but she was certain that the Heralds had their reasons for keeping her quiet.

"That's not Clark Kent who is talking remember, that's Kal-El, someone who has fully embraced his Kryptonian heritage," Kara answered before she offered a slight smile. "And I do hope that warping his mind was not what it takes for him to fly."

Lana shook her head she felt that there was something where Clark would be able to achieve that happy medium. She stood forward as her shoulders slumped and the woman sighed.

"Some protector I turned out to be," Lana offered in a crisp voice but Harry just looked at her.

"Lana, why did I give you those powers?" Harry asked her which caused Lana to get taken off guard by the question at hand.

Lana recovered at this point to ask Harry's question at least how she thought he had implied it.

"Because I could be with Clark?"

Kara and Harry locked eyes and thought that Lana had got most of why they did what they did but she had not gotten what they did one hundred percent.

"Yes in a way, but no in another way," Kara chimed while her eyes were firmly on Lana's. "Harry and I didn't give you those powers. You earned those powers. You wouldn't even be able to enjoy those powers you hadn't earned them, you proved yourself to be able to selflessly protect Clark."

Lana had gotten it immediately as she took a deep breath before she faced Harry and Kara, getting everything immediately.

"And Clark is now in more danger than ever before," Lana retorted at that moment as she clutched her hands together before she offered a sigh. "And I better go after him."

"Tread softly," Harry warned her and Lana nodded her head slowly, she understood about treading slightly. "He's not the Clark Kent you know and love, not until he's purged of the Lazarus effect. "

Lana moved off at this point to track down Clark but she had a pretty good idea where he might have gone. She just hoped that he would not do anything that he would regret when he had come to his senses. Although given the way that her boyfriend was talking before he flew off that seemed to be more than likely. She turned around and flew off without another word, there was no time to waste at all.

Harry and Kara rushed over to the next room before both of them had heard the sounds of the monster at that time. A fight was just wrapping up from where they stood and they located the structural weakness in the wall. Or rather the sign Batman had given them when he snuck off.

'_The destroyer is loose,' _Harry thought to Kara, a statement which caused Kara to pale at this point.

There was another force that the two Heralds of Death felt beneath the temple as Davis Bloome was transformed into the monster that was buried deep inside him. There was something stirring at this point but Harry and Kara tried to block it out. They could only deal with one problem at a time.

That half gold-half red reading that Bloome had given of was completely clear in their minds, they could not touch him but at the same time he needed to be destroyed for he was an undesirable. It was quite the paradox that came with their powers.

* * *

Kal-El flew through the skies to leave a whirlwind behind him as he reached the top speed capable of him. His eyes were squinted shut in determination at this time before he dropped down onto the ground at this point. The Last Son of Krypton stopped in the Artic before he took a long look at the Fortress that stood before him.

He was a fool to assume that this Fortress was just some pretty little architecture, it should give him everything that he needed to take control. For years Kal-El had stood and allowed the weakling known as Clark Kent take over his life and cause him to get bred by supreme weakness. Yet he was strong part of a superior group of people who were far evolved, a race that had powers beyond the wildest dreams of mortals under the yellow sun.

Kal-El withered locked away, while Clark too control of his life. Now that the situation reversed and the true Kryptonian within took all control.

"Kal-El, what is the meaning of this?" the voice of Jor-El spoke.

"You thought you could use me as some pawn of a chess board to ease your own failures," Kal-El responded with a bit of a smug expression spreading over his face after he spoke. "I knew that you needed to feel big to push me around but don't worry, Jor-El, I have figured out what my destiny was and it doesn't involve you in it."

"Please clarify," Jor-El answered at that moment.

Kal-El decided to offer his father a moment's pause before he explained.

"The technology within the Fortress will allow me to take control of Earth and save it from the monster that is coming. Anyone who stands in my way will be exiled to the Phantom Zone."

"Kal-El, your mind has been addled," Lara chimed in without pause but Kal-El responded by shaking his head.

"My mind is fine, it is more perfect than it ever has been, and my thought process has never been sounder," Kal-El answered without thought as he managed to enter the Fortress console before he tried to determine how to delete his parents.

"Kal-El, wait," Raya chimed in when she had dropped to the ground to face the Last son of Krypton and Kal-El turned around to her face her. "Do not be so hasty as to delete their influence from the Fortress, but rather mute them. Given them a chance to see that you are in sound mind and what you have done is just."

Clark mulled over the thought in his head before his jaw remained set and he nodded before he altered the Fortress.

"Kal-El just remember your heart…"

These words by Lara were upon deaf ears as Raya watched, she knew that Kal-El would regret removing his parents from the Fortress during his madness. The woman knew that she had to work some kind of damage control at this point before the Earth's eventual savior spiraled out of control. She worked over in her mind a way to stop the young man before her before he caused too much damage.

"Show me everything," Kal-El stated as he accessed the technology within the Fortress. "Show me it all."

Kal-El worked through the Fortress technology before his eyes widened at that point before he saw the plans to some destructive weapon that could annihilate entire armies. There was no weapon on Earth that could withstand its pure fury. He looked over the majestic fury and the brutality of it. Whilst Kal-El did not feel the need to use that particular weapon, the fact was that it had a certain destructive fury.

It was called a Nova Javelin and it would have a sadistic fury that would burn through everything in its path once it had been launched. It was a twisted invention of General Zod who had used it to great fury but Kal-El did not concern himself with those details. The Last Son of Krypton began to access other Kryptonian weapons and how to perhaps adapt them using Earth technology.

Raya felt worry flood through her because Kal-El found himself rather interested in the weapons of Krypton. That was the worst part of his culture to find himself develop an interest for especially with Javelins which could be considered Krypton's version of what a nuke was on Earth.

* * *

Back in the temple in Egypt the pod had busted open with Kara and Harry trying to summon the full force of their powers to keep it at bay.

The monster had risen from the pits with Batman's attempts to keep him down having failed thus far. There was one thing for certain, they were in for a tough battle.

It could not leave this temple, that much was for certain.

**To Be Continued in "Unleashed."**


	53. Chapter 53: Unleashed

_You may have noticed a slight change in the pairing (again) which means there will be more Heralds. There's one spot open in Harry's expanded harem but I'm mulling over a few options. _

**Chapter 53: Unleashed. **

From the pits rose the menace in all of its fury as the members of the League of Shadows who had been left behind watched it exit. Their eyes when they stepped back before the assassins backed off away from the monster. The monster's eyes snapped with the savage menace that they expected before the destroyer moved forward and did not discriminate against who it attacked.

The cracking of limbs could be heard as the few members of the League of Shadows who had been left behind had been torn up by the monster's assault. They were flesh and bone, and stood no chance whatsoever.

"Move!" Batman yelled when the Dark Knight clicked the detonator for the explosives he set around the area of the pit.

A loud explosion echoed to loosen a slide of rocks and the ground. The monster was surprised from the attack as he staggered back. The rocks flew down to bury the monster as it tried to move forward. The avalanche of rocks fell down upon the monsters to try and crunch it. The Dark Knight stood and watched when Harry and Kara rushed forward to join him.

With a thunderous punch, the destroyer broke his way through the rocks and lifted his arms into the air before he gave a deep growl. Harry and Kara stepped back they could feel the bloodlust coming off of him as Batman put two pairs of brass knuckles on before he dove forward.

Batman smashed the destroyer with his pairs of brass knuckles before the destroyer had been smashed back. The destroyer blocked his attacks and flung his enemy back hard like he was nothing. The World's Greatest Detective dropped down to the ground with a sickening thud and the monster advanced forward in his attempt to crush the Dark Knight.

Harry and Kara aimed all of the power that they could to blast the monster with a pair of energy beams. The destroyer was lifted high off of the ground and smashed back through the walls of the underground cave. The two Heralds of Death took a breath before they cracked their knuckles and stepped back.

They zoomed at the destroyer at super speed, he must not escape this temple and be allowed in the outside world. Harry and Kara summoned the busted rocks and transfigured them into razor sharp daggers.

"NOW!" Harry yelled as they sent them at the monster at rapid fire fury and setting the daggers on fire. The flaming daggers flew towards the monster to try and rip through him.

The destroyer staggered back when the knives stabbed through the destroyer at super speed. The monster staggered as it burned into his skin to cause him a great deal of agony, the misery continued to burn through him. He sensed these two as a threat, but it was faint and he would destroy it to show his superiority. The monster stepped forward and swung wildly at his enemies, furiously as he continued to swing for the fences.

The destroyer knocked Harry back with a punch before the monster reached over and grabbed Kara around the head. Kara's arms and legs swung back and forth as the destroyed tried to crush her skull like an eggshell through savage fury. The grip constricted around her head the more she thrashed and kicked her legs but the monster was not about to let up. In fact, the blonde Herald of Death felt a splitting headache coming on when she tried to overpower her dangerous adversary.

Harry rolled over and made a motion through his way but Kara was able to break free with a violent flip kick to the face of the destroyer. The destroyer staggered a few steps back before Kara's eyes began to glow with savage fury. She unleashed the heat vision into the head of the destroyer.

Kara's eyes burned a hole through the destroyer's head as it seared through the top of his head and burned directly into his brain in an attempt to lobotomize him. The searing heat fried through the top of his head as she cut into his cerebral cortex. It might seem to be a little extreme but desperate times called for desperate actions.

Harry and Kara held their hands together and summoned the full force of their power towards them before they blasted a bright blast of golden light towards the destroyer. The destroyer was hoisted hard up the ground before he smashed down to the ground with a thunderous crack. The two heralds of Death dropped to the ground as they recovered from using so much of their power to blast him hard.

That attack should be been powerful enough to reap him and send him into the afterlife. At least that was the theory that the two Heralds worked with. However, things were not that easy, it was never that easy as the monster rose up to a standing position. The top of his head began to heal itself over when he turned to look at Harry and Kara as he registered the pair of them as a threat. The monster took a step forward as it continued its rampage of destruction.

"We can't kill him," Kara breathed frantically as she looked at Harry, feeling a bit of something atone to fear at this point.

The two Heralds tried to work quickly, in their attempt to defeat the monster, to slay him before time ran out.

"We should be able to send him somewhere else, hopefully," Harry responded when he grabbed hands with his fellow Herald and wife as they smiled and shifted their gaze, determined and ready to strike.

The destroyer picked up a huge chunk of rock and hurled it at Harry and Kara. They stopped it from hitting them with a concussive blast from both of their hands before they aimed a second powerful concussive blast at the monster. While the blasts destroyed the rocks it barely put a dent in the destroyer.

The monster staggered around but a blur flew in from high above and punched the destroyer hard in the face with all of her might. A rapid fire series of punches and kicks connected to the destroyer to back him and forth.

Karen showed up and joined Kara and Harry, with the three Heralds standing side by side.

"Late as always," Kara remarked when she shook her head before the three Heralds stood side by side and aimed all of their power at the monster.

"No matter what, Doomsday cannot get out of here and into the world!" Karen yelled and Harry responded with a nod.

The trio of them knew exactly what was at stake as they summoned the full blast of their powers. Three energy scythes appeared from the three of their hands. Perhaps three Heralds could succeed where the two failed. Kara, Karen, and Harry summoned the full force of their powers before they nailed Doomsday hard.

The concussive blast of their powers sent Doomsday flying head over heels before he landed on the ground with a huge crash. Doomsday rolled over when he deflated from the impact but he was going to get up. There was no two ways about it, they had to go, now.

Batman was picked up by Kara and a look of annoyance crossed over his face when he was being trafficked out of there like a child. Karen and Harry kept blasting energy bolts towards Doomsday, to slow him down and the three Heralds blew out of the temple at super speed.

The temple began to collapse upon Doomsday to hopefully bury him deep underground, with Harry, Kara, and Karen picking up more and more super speed. They could not even take a breath, the friction tore at their clothes and Batman sent a grapple hook to swing away out of the grip of Kara.

The temple began to collapse upon itself to send smoke up in the air. The dust began to settle as the three Heralds exchanged a tense look with none of them wanting to say a word. The three of them shook their heads when they recovered as they collapsed to the ground.

"Did we win?" Karen managed as she collapsed onto Harry's shoulder as the dark haired Herald of Death held her up. In the chaos, she dropped her crystal but now was not the time to worry about that. She was sure she could find it later.

Harry checked the lifeline reading for Doomsday but cursed himself, when he had dipped in the Lazarus Pit it had turned him from half red and half gold to full gold. Now he was untouchable by the Heralds, with Kal-El being the only one who could take him down. That served to be an annoyance to them as they tried to regain their bearings. There was nothing any of them could do, so they never felt so helpless in their lives.

Of course, there were always loopholes as hopefully the three of them had softened up Doomsday a little bit so Kal-El could go in for the kill. Karen in particular doubted if he could handle the power of Doomsday, but even Harry and Kara had more than their fair share of doubts. They had seen the fury and felt the power; there was no question about how dangerous Doomsday wa

* * *

Kal-El sensed something happening throughout the world, as he tapped into powers that he never thought that he would have. And powers that he would never even have if he had remained holding onto his human identity. Once Clark Kent had been purged from his mind, the Last Son of Krypton understood everything quickly, there was so much more that he could do, he had been kept back. His full potential was held back by some force, something that Kal-El had thought of long and hard.

It was Jor-El who had blocked his powers but Kal-El had the last laugh when he had blocked the presence of both Jor-El and his mother in the Fortress. The two of them had remained silence with neither of them able to speak at this point with Raya having convinced him to not delete them. Kal-El thought that was the best for they would understand that he would succeed where they would fail.

He prepared the weapon that he managed to create in less than twenty minutes, thanks to his amplified intelligence and super powers. His powers had made him a literal god and with those foolish inhibitions that had been given to him by his human upbringing embraced, Kal-El could embrace his full potential.

It was time for him to take Karen's words to heart, to stop pretending to be a human, because he was far from one.

The Destroyer was on his way and a grin crossed over Kal-El's face when he shook his head when he double checked the calculations. Sure enough, all calculations had been tabulated as it should be and the Nova Javelin would be launched into the city where the destroyer rampaged towards. Everything would be taken down in a world shattering fury and the Destroyer would be annihilated.

The javelin would destroy everything that it touched as well as the Destroyer, as well as this Doomsday. The Last Son of Krypton prepared to arm the weapon as he regretted the necessity of what had to be done but regret was such a human emotion. It was one that he had to get rid of as he tried to shake his head and get these emotions away from him. Time was not a luxury he had so there was that.

Raya watched Kal-El with a frown, this was something that Jor-El did not want his son to become. He was supposed to be a protector that was sent here to help protect the entire world from the dangerous forces. That was the destiny that Jor-El had in in mind, only the best intentions for his son. Instead, Kal-El was about to become a bigger destroyer than the destroyer.

She made her move before she super sped at Kal-El when his back was turned. With a swift movement, Raya sent Kal-El into the side of the wall with all of the strength she could muster. Kal-El bounced back as his eyes snapped into her face and a dangerous expression flickered into his eyes when he turned to Raya. He was about to threaten her but Raya grabbed him around the wrists and held him in place with her strength.

"I'm afraid, I can't allow you to do this, Kal-El," Raya said as she was thrown back hard by Kal-El's strength.

Lana showed up just in time to see Kal-El throw Raya halfway across the Fortress of Solitude. She took a deep breath when she looked at Clark when she shook her head before she took a step back and adjusted herself.

'_Sorry Clark, but this is going to hurt me a lot more than it hurts you,' _Lana responded when she rushed at Clark in super speed.

Clark spun around and blocked Lana's attempt to grab him from behind. Lana tried to overwhelm Clark with her strength but there was something about the pit's effects that enabled her. Lana struggled on her feet as her legs buckled when Clark's strength was overwhelming her. This threw her completely off her game.

"Clark, Clark, stop!" Lana begged him but Clark pushed Lana back.

"You shouldn't get involved," Kal-El said as he looked at this woman.

"Well if you want to stop me, then hit me!" Lana yelled as she tried to goad Kal-El into doing something but there was a flicker of something that resembled Clark Kent in Kal-El's eyes. He clutched his fists as he looked at her. "Clark, I know you're in there somewhere."

"Clark Kent is dead!" Kal-El yelled as he turned around and closed his eyes before he jumped up to fly away without another word from Lana.

Lana could have gone after Clark but she shook her head, there was something that she had to do before she went after Clark. Her eyes flickered over to the console of the Fortress of Solitude as the weapon was launching and would blow into Metropolis about one minute after it was launched. The dark haired girl stepped over to the console and took a deep breath.

Thankfully, Lana had the knowledge to shut down the weapon before it launched that was downloaded in her mind but would she have enough time? Not to mention Clark had encrypted the launch codes so she had to figure those out. Things never were easy, that much Lana had found out for sure.

At the speed of light, Lana tried to break through the codes, but she kept getting locked out again. Clark was about to send a super powered alien nuke at a populated city so he could just destroy this Doomsday. This was not like the Clark Kent that she knew, but Lana had to remind herself that this thing was not like the Clark Kent she knew. He was a twisted reflection that had been warped by the Lazarus Pit.

She bit her lip as she continued to type in, the countdown was at thirty and counting. Sweat began to roll down Lana's face as she was in the pleasure cooker and time was running out. She wanted to pull her hair out but she did not have any time.

"Come on, come on," Lana pleaded with the weapon as she widened her eyes and tried one last ditch effort to get through.

She screwed her eyes shut, to brace herself for what was to come next.

* * *

Kal-El hovered several miles out of the city of Metropolis when he waited for the big boom to happen but his ear had picked up something. The something he picked up was most certainly not to his taste as he scowled. Lana disabled the weapon at the last second possible for it was launched. The Kryptonian hovered in the air as he moved back and forth before he looked down upon the ground.

A loud thunderous crash echoed when Kal-El sensed it was coming. This complicated things far more than one could ever imagine. He did not want to engage the monster toe to toe; fighting an enemy face to face was such a human thing to do. It defied everything that a true Kryptonian was, he had come to that realized as he embraced more and more what it fully meant to be a Kryptonian. Such a battle lacked a great deal of logic and now Kal-El backed off in the air before he flew back to face Doomsday.

Doomsday and Kal-El went face to face in the city streets of Metropolis before Doomsday raised his arms in a sadistic manner before he rushed forward. The monster's eyes filled with the fury of a blood night when he moved to engage Kal-El.

Kal-El dodged out of the way at super speed and Doomsday turned around but Kal-El raised his arms into the air before he smashed Doomsday down across the top of the head. The monster staggered before Kal-El summoned a full breath and blew at the top of his lungs.

His super breath sent Doomsday flying backwards halfway across the city before the monster spiraled head over heels. Doomsday crashed down to the ground as Kal-El hoisted Doomsday up into the air before he flew into the air hard and fast as he could. The friction ripped at these human clothes but Kal-El could not care about that. There was one thing on his mind and that was to put the monster in the ground, permanently.

A super-sonic punch smashed Doomsday in the head and another supersonic punch rattled Doomsday hard and long. A ballistic flurry of lefts and rights stung the monster but his healing abilities shrugged off the attacks. Kal-El found the monster's hands around his throat as he felt his strength falter just a slight bit but he ignored it.

Kal-El fell out of the air when his flight had failed him and Doomsday dropped down to the ground. He would not do it, he would not lose his Kryptonian self but rather he backed up and at super speed he knocked Doomsday back long and hard.

As the fight was going on, Lois Lane watched from the Daily Planet windows with an awestruck expression on her face. Suddenly, certain things flooded back to her to the extent where it overwhelmed her and almost made her pass out. Her eyes widened as things slowly clicked in her mind that had been lost over the past number of weeks. Lois grabbed the side of the window and dug her fingers into the side of the window before she turned her gaze back outside.

Everything made so much sense to Lois now more than ever before and she recalled her brief stint with powers. She and Clark were going to have a talk when this was over but right now she saw that the battle had left the streets of Metropolis. Lois could not help but watch the sadistic carnage that had been presented not unlike a car crash that one could not look away from.

Kal-El and Doomsday meanwhile soured high into the sky away from the city and into the country as they continued to exchange super-powered punches that sounded like cannons going off. The Star Child and the Destroyer battled high above the sky just as it had been written in the stars when their punches having continued to connect with sadistic fury. The intensity picked up with each passing moment.

With a smash, Doomsday cracked hard into the ground. The miniature earthquake could be felt all through Metropolis as Kal-El rolled over and held up his hands that had been scrapped when he turned around. The ravages of battle could be felt but he pushed himself past any limits that he had been imposed with before. Kal-El breathed heavily before he summoned all of his power as he flew around the Earth all of the way at super speed.

Doomsday looked up and Kal-El came back from the other side having circled around to the globe three sixty with his fist outstretched. The punch smacked Doomsday directly in the face before he flew down into the ground and now Kal-El grabbed him hard around the head, before he jumped up again.

With swift precision Doomsday was hoisted high into the ground with Kal-El bringing him high up into space before he spun around and then he sent him back down to Earth in a flash. Doomsday had been planted hard into the ground like a tree with a thunderous smash and in fact several trees had been snapped when the two fighters connected with the ground.

Kal-El and Doomsday laid in a crater in the Earth when the dust had cleared and the monster pulled himself up. The two clashed with each other with Kal-El having nailed Doomsday with a huge punch. Another punch smashed into Doomsday hard before Kal-El hoisted Doomsday high into the air before he grabbed him high up.

The Kryptonian sat out with a huge Muscle Buster type move which caused Doomsday to sink into the Earth, being driven deep underground.

Kal-El pulled himself out of the crater as he cringed when he had felt blood being drawn. He tried to get up and fly away but he found himself blasted out of the sky with three bolts of identical magical energy. Kal-El tried to push back through the energy bolts but this effort was all for naught for he grew weaker, weaker, weaker, until he landed on the ground hard.

Head over heels Kal-El flew backwards and crashed down to the ground. He saw three figures hover in the air above the moonlight before one of them held a medallion over him. Kal-El recognized the medallion as the one thing that could threaten his powers but there was no stopping what was going to happen.

Harry pointed the medallion over Kal-El and hoped by purging all of the yellow solar radiation from him, this would reset him back into Clark Kent. The power battery was drained completely as Clark dropped to the ground with the impact. He took a deep breath as he looked down at Clark.

Kara moved in as she scooped up Clark and sped him back to the Kent Farm so he could recover. Harry activated the ear piece that he had on.

"Lana, Clark's fine," Harry told her over the communication link.

"What about Doomsday?" Lana asked Harry, her voice shook only slight but she recovered immediately. "Please tell me that Clark defeated him after all we went through tonight."

There was a moment where Harry paused long and hard before he collected his thoughts and he responded to Lana.

"He's still around, but he's half and half again," Harry answered before he elaborated. "He was all gold like Clark, which meant we can't kill him. Now he's half red and half gold."

"It's going to be Clark's monster to slay," Lana responded as she shook her head.

"Not alone, but yes he'll have to deal the crushing blow," Harry stated when he took a moment to recover. This had been a tense night all things considered. "I just hope that it's not at a great price."

Lana did not know what Harry meant but she had to know that it was not going to be good. With this entire Doomsday mess things were going to get a bit harder.

Harry turned around as he saw Karen fly off at that point, but that just seemed to be a standard issue with her. They would have to have a talk sooner than later but Harry had other things that he wanted to figure out.

"Chloe, Clark's fine," Harry said as he switched frequencies on the earpiece.

"Oh, thank God," Chloe said as she breathed when she had heard Harry's news.

"Don't thank him yet, Doomsday's not done yet," Harry told her when he walked away in a funk before he down and tried to track the monster. Yet he saw something else, he sensed something far more dangerous than Doomsday lurking in the offing. His bad luck just would not leave him alone. "Damn it."

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked to Harry over the communication link.

Harry collected his thoughts for a bit before he responded whilst he brushed his hair form his eyes.

"It's not over," Harry told Chloe in a cryptic voice. "It's just started. I'll see you at home. I need to get back in the Shining Light Foundation."

"Do you want me to meet you there?" Chloe asked at that point.

"If you want to go check up on Clark first, that'd be fine, but your help is appreciated," Harry said as he turned off to look into the sky.

The night looked oddly peaceful, the kind of night that was the calm before the storm.

* * *

Clark's eyes flickered open when he shook his head. It was not for the first time in recent memory that he had woken up without any memories. In fact, this seemed to be a disturbingly recurring theme that Clark was unable to shake that he should not have to deal with. His head shook as he tried to push himself up.

"Clark, it is you, isn't it Clark?" Lana asked as she hovered over Clark. She really hoped that he was back because that thing that he had been warped into was not something that she thought she could stomach.

"Yes, of course it's me, Lana, who else would I be?" Clark asked in confusion with Lana offering him a bit of a smile. "What happened?"

"You fell in one of those pits, remember those?" Lana asked before Clark answered with a brisk nod. "It twisted your mind but you're all better now."

Lana proceeded to explain everything that happened to Clark and Clark had grown rather frustrated when he had heard what nearly happened. Had Lana not been able to shut down that weapon that he prepared, who knew what was going to happen. Clark had an idea that it was not going to be a fun time for the world and she had found a new way to protect him, this time from himself. Who really knew what would happen, that was something that Clark mulled over in his mind constantly.

Actually Clark had a good idea, there might be a little bit of a problem. He looked at Lana for an extremely long time as he tried to determine what he was going to say. Clark shook his head when he looked at her with Lana's hand on his.

"Thank you, Lana, I guess you protected me in more ways than one," Clark said as he looked rather grateful and Lana just smiled at him.

"Yes, and you flew," Lana responded with a smile and Clark had got up immediately. "Clark, don't try and strain yourself!"

Clark had only half-listened to Lana as he pulled himself back to his feet to stagger to the left, a bit punch drunk when he shook his head from side to side. This was news that he could get behind, but the problem was how to get it to happen when he was not under the influence.

"That's proof that I should have those powers," Clark answered as he exited the Kent Farm and he tried to take a running start and take flight.

Sure enough Clark jumped into the air but as he tried to fly, he crashed down onto the ground. Lana tried not to be too amused at his antics before she shook her head and helped Clark up to his feet.

"Clark, don't get too discouraged," Lana told him in a firm voice.

True to form, Clark did in fact get discouraged as he took a deep breath.

"If I could fly when I was under the effects of the Pit, I should be able to fly, something's blocking my powers," Clark said as he looked up into the sky. "The Pit made me pure enough to fly…"

"The pit drove you insane," Lana argued when she looked at Clark with a serious expression in her eyes. She feared that Clark was going to do something rather drastic and needed to stop him before he did. "Clark, swear to me that you're never going to seek out that pit, no matter what."

Clark had seemed reluctant to give Lana his word for too long but a smile crossed his face when he saw the firm look in her eyes. The two stared at each other as the wind blew over the fields. It was a beautiful night in Smallville.

"Okay, Lana, but I can't believe that I flew," Clark answered as he wondered what about the Lazerus Pit had made him think differently. "What about the destroyer, what about Doomsday…"

"Harry said he's still out there," Lana offered as she interrupted Clark, but Clark's cell phone had gone off.

"Hello?" Clark answered when he looked rather tense but shook his head.

"Clark, we need to talk, Daily Planet, right now," Lois responded at that point. "I saw you outside and I remembered everything."

Lana and Clark exchanged a rather apprehensive expression, they wondered if this day would come.

"Lana and I will be right over," Clark said to Lois.

"Great, we can be a threesome," Lois responded in a cheerful voice, a term that caused Clark to stagger a little bit and nearly fall over his feet.

Thankfully Lana was quick enough to be able to catch him and with another motion, Lana scooped up Clark. Clark braced himself for what was to come as Lana jumped into the sky towards the Daily Planet with Clark in her arms.

It was up, up, and away from there.

Raya observed them silently, and nodded with a smile. She wondered if Lana would fill in all of the details to Kal-El what happened. It was not entirely bad if she had to be honest with herself.

* * *

Elsewhere in Metropolis Karen flew high above the sky to the outside of the Shining Light Foundation. She mulled certain matters over in her mind ever since that she had her encounter with Harry all of those weeks ago at Luthorcorp. While she was not a firm believer of destiny, Karen thought that there were just a certain amount of times where things just felt right. Karen flew towards the building.

She saw her two fellow Heralds of Death in the Shining Light Foundation as a smile had crossed over her face. With a movement, Karen wrapped her knuckles on the window on the office on the top floor. There was a pause before Karen waited for them to answer at that moment.

Harry walked over and opened the window to allow Karen inside. He looked at her but Karen flew inside and threw her arms around Harry as she slid inside. She calmed herself down for a minute before she spoke to her fellow to Heralds of Death.

"So, I've done some things that I'm not proud of when I've been here," Karen commented when she looked at them, her shoulders slumped when she shifted guiltily. "And while I still think that Kal-El should man up a little bit and take control of his own life, I do think that there is a chance that he could go too far as we saw today."

"Yeah, there is," Kara agreed when she looked back at her double before she backed off from Harry and gave a long sigh. "But these are matters we can talk about later, and believe me we need to talk."

"I know," Karen said to Harry and Kara as she slumped against the wall before she just though about everything that had happened and there was a lot that happened.

There was a long moment where the awkward silence happened as guilt ate away at Karen. There was something that drove her to act in the ways she did and it was just then where she realized just how messed up she was. Her bright blue eyes found their way on Harry and Kara for a very long time before she spoke.

"You need to understand what happened, and I need to get something off of my chest," Karen said as she leaned against the wall before Harry offered her a chair. Gratefully Karen took it as she sat down.

"And it's just as well you came around because we might need your help," Kara chimed in and at this statement Karen grew quite curious.

The three of them had been at odds several times and had worked together at others, but it just seemed like they were on different pages. Yet, the more time passed, the more that they wished to get together and step forward into the light to face anything. They might not be able to take down Doomsday, given how Death dicked them around on matters like this.

However being the Heralds of Death, there was so much they could do the help guide Clark, as long as they stood together.

* * *

A figure laid in a cornfield somewhere in the countryside as he was splattered in an immense amount of blood. He shuddered when he woke up. The last thing he remembered he was abducted and then he was here.

Davis Bloome rested in the field and there was something that was completely different amount him, there were flashes that appeared in his mind. Flashes flickered through his head about a beast that had taken over his body when the Lazarus Pit had flooded into him, with every single cell of his body having been saturated and changed. He was far more dangerous than he could ever even believed.

Bloome shook himself as he saw a pickup truck show up at the edge of the field. He actually heard it far before it had shown up but naturally his mind did not really process it all that much. The man got up and he felt a savage fury bubble deep within him. There was only one flicker that had gone through his mind.

'_Rip, tear, kill, maim.'_

Those words repeated themselves like some demented mantra that caused Davis to twist more and more around the bend like a knife had been stabbed deep within himself. The footsteps could be heard as the farm couple had gotten closer and closer to check him.

Davis mentally flashed back to a figure being found in the field by a group of uniformed personnel. They had found him to think that he was some kind of savior, some kind of traveler, and had taken him in for observation.

Everything just went back to a cornfield and a shower of green fire, but what that exactly entailed, he did not more. He did not know at all and Davis pulled himself up when the young man had shined a light in his head.

"Are you alright there?" the farmer asked as he shined the light.

He pulled himself up as he did not have a stich of clothing on him before Davis got up with the farmer looking him right in the eye. Davis felt the urge to murder, the monster needed blood or it would break out again to destroy everyone. The destroyer would kill far more people to lead to a literal doomsday.

Bloome got to his feet and knew what he must do to satisfy the bloodlust. He grabbed the farmer around the neck and with surprisingly strength snapped his neck back. The farmer landed down on the ground with a thud.

His wife screamed but a hand to her mouth silenced her. She tried to struggle against the grip of Bloome but the harder that she struggled, the more Bloome suffocated her until the air had been pushed out of her. The eyes rolled in the back of her head as she dropped down to the back.

Davis felt satisfied as did the monster within for now but how long would it last? Or would it even last, that was the question that he asked mentally. Davis walked off as the two dead bystanders had been knocked out. A chill could be felt through the air as he walked off.

* * *

"We tracked it to Afghanistan when we found it in the wreckage, not a scratch. I want to know why."

Tess held a glowing crystal in her hand and had her people at Luthorcorp hook it up to the computers. No substance on Earth would be able to survive that damage. There was an instant where she waited, watched, and hoped for the best.

There was nothing at all after nearly an hour despite the efforts of her best people to scan the crystal. It did not get a blip even at all.

Tess spun around and walked off, another disappointment but the rumors of what happened in Metropolis piqued her interest. As did three villages in the Middle East that vanished off the face of the map, almost like they never existed at all.

The moment Tess left, the computer screens flickered to life. A symbol of three dots in an upside triangle flashed with strange symbols on the screen.

There was a download in process.

"Soon, Kal-El, not even your Herald of Death protector will be able to stop Doomsday from coming. I manipulated the girl into accelerating his descent by attacking him whilst inflaming her mind to act in an irrational manner and now the job will be finished. The House of El will fall. The BrainInteractive Construct will fulfill the core objective from the House of Zod."

Slowly, subtly, Brainiac of Earth-2 infected the Luthorcorp computers.

**To Be Continued in the Next Arc "Crisis."**


	54. Chapter 54: Crisis Part One

**Chapter 54: Crisis Part One. (Alternate Title: Power Girl or We Are Legion). **

Karen felt guilt wash over her body, after everything that happened; she was surprised that the other two Heralds welcomed her with open arms. Tonight's events were a wakeup call for what might have happened if Kal-El had shut his emotions off completely like she initially wanted. It was a dire sight as Clark had indulged himself in the more twisted aspects of the House of El and their bloodline.

The House of El had been an interesting lineage filled with more disturbed and depraved individuals than there were noble hearts. While Karen did not trust Jor-El to say the very least, she had to admit that he was one of the more decent individuals that came out of the House of El. Not that was anything to write home about, but Karen's mind was far clearer than it ever was before now she lost the crystal. The blonde Kryptonian spent a number of moments to contemplate everything that had transpired.

A chair offered to her was taken at the speed of light and Kara and Harry sat down in front of her.

"I suppose I should start with apologizing for everything that I've done, but the Herald of Death powers, they overwhelmed me and I didn't have the best life to begin with," Karen managed with a sigh. Her eyes screwed shut when she took a moment to contemplate her lot in life before she returned her gaze to her two fellow Heralds. "Kal-El…Clark, whatever, I might have been a bit harsh on him."

"Just a bit, yes," Kara said when she looked at Karen with a smile crossing her face.

"You can't deny that you're a bit underwhelmed by his progress," Karen responded and Kara looked back at her for a little bit before she decided to give her honest assessment on the situation.

"I would have at least thought Kal-El would have flown by now but I think that the fact is that he hasn't completely embraced his heritage. And that is for one simple reason, Jor-El's heavy handed approach and constant harping on Clark might have done more harm than good. My aunt is trying to temper Jor-El and prepare Clark the best she can, but Aunt Lara wishes in part that she had been there to guide Clark since the beginning."

"She was always the more level headed of the two," Karen remarked tensely when her eyes flickered against the clock. "Eight long years imprisoned, that really did a number on me."

"What happened?" Harry asked Karen. This inquiry gave Karen a moment's pause before she collected her thoughts and answered. Her hands placed against the chair allowed a brace for when she looked into Harry's eye, feeling she could trust him beyond all others.

"I came here to Earth just like this universe's Kara did. My ship was trapped in the dam for years, but I broke out. I found out that my cousin had been raised, not by Jonathan and Martha Kent, but by Lionel Luthor."

Harry let out the breath he was holding but he wondered where Karen had fit into this. Sure enough, she was not going to hesitate to tell him. Karen pressed on with the story as she figured that it would be just that much easier.

"I saw Lionel for the snake that he was but I was overwhelmed and captured, kept in a room underneath red solar ramps for days on end, experimented on. I had Kryptonite injected into my blood stream so Lionel could learn more about the secrets of Krypton and the universe, his lust for control was unbelievable."

Karen choked a little bit so Harry wrapped an arm around her, a gesture that she appreciated. There was something about Harry's touch that soothed her and welcomed her, at least for a little bit. The blonde closed her eyes tightly before she continued.

"For years and years, they conducted all of these experiments on me, but I tried to remain calm, thinking that I could still save him, still save Clark from Lionel, but that was when he showed up. The other child Lionel adopted. His name was Harrison…Harrison Luthor."

Harry had a really bad feeling about this as did Kara but both did not say anything for now. Karen took that as the cue to continue to talk to both of them and she did with a heavy heart.

"I was enamored by Harrison, most women were, and he had most women, before he threw them to the side like a used gum. He claimed that they were all nothing to him, that I was the one that he was destined to rule the world with, to rule all of the galaxies. He promised me that if I agreed to be with him forever, he'd kill Lionel and save Kal-El. I almost believed him but then he killed Kal-El, to make sure that I had no distractions from him. After he had ruined Kal-El's life by exposing where he came from, even though the two were raised as brothers. That didn't mean much in the house of Luthor."

Karen now had her head buried in Harry's shoulder as Harry now knew how he had figured in during that alternate world. Harry realized how lucky he had been with the Dursleys now, especially if the alternative had been being raised by Lionel Luthor. He shuddered to think of the implications. Kara looked from Harry to Karen as she felt a stirring in her heart and felt bad for Karen.

"He had all of your powers, and none of your heart," Karen managed when she looked at Harry. Harry was taken again as Karen wrapped her arms around Harry tightly and pressed up against him. "I know that Harrison Luthor was born Harry Potter of my home dimension, but through Lionel's conditioning, he got twisted into something else, something sadistic."

"I find it hard to believe that Death would allow this," Kara chimed in but Karen's eyes remained on Kara's for an instant.

"Death did not allow anything, for Harrison Luthor is Death as far as that universe was concerned," Karen said when she managed to regain her composure. Kara now added her arms around Karen to comfort the poor girl. "He's far more dangerous, and this universe's version of Death sent for me, because she feared that he would discover other worlds or worse, you would become like him."

"Harry will never become like him," Kara responded in a firm voice as she expressed confidence in her voice.

Karen did agree but there was a problem, if Harrison Luthor could breach the dimensional barrier somehow, he could take over this version of Earth. He was that powerful, there was no question about it and posed a graver threat to the entire multiverse than most.

"He's over in your world right," Harry stated and Karen nodded slowly, as the mage slowly kissed the tears away from the blonde Herald of Death.

"But I can still see him, he's a monster, and that's not a word that I throw around lightly," Karen stated when she got up to her feet. "But now, we have to work together. I've been stubborn but now I have to work together. The three of us, we're the Heralds of Death and we need to protect Kal-El until the time where he's ready to step into his role. Whether it's one year or a hundred, that's the mission that we have been tasked with."

Harry and Kara agreed, this was what they had been sent here for. They would be there to pull Clark out of the fire no matter how many times it took.

"We found something, a gravestone with symbols on it," Kara chimed in when she remembered it from all of those months back. "It needs three of us."

"The key of eternity, the one means that the Herald of Deaths can use to resurrect one life without any consequence," Karen said and Kara and Harry nearly jumped out of their seat but stayed calm. Harry asked the next question when his gaze focused upon Karen's face.

"One time per person or one time per the three of us?"

"Good question actually," Karen answered with a shrug.

That was going to be something that they were going to have to look up at another time but right now there was something that caught their attention. At this very instance, blinding flashes of light could be seen outside the door outside of Metropolis and a blinding white light erupted with a flash.

Karen, Kara, and Harry watched the blinding lights with their mouths a gap when they leaned towards the window. They were so focused on this that they did not even see Chloe show up.

"Hey guys…whoa, what's that?"

Chloe's eyes widened, completely awestruck, before she analyzed the situation at hand. She patiently waited for the answer but she did not have to wait for very long as Harry turned around to go face to face for her.

"The First has awakened."

* * *

"All of these years…all of these years, suddenly my life makes so much sense, I can't even believe it. And all the….I can't believe I didn't piece together sooner."

"Believe it Lois, believe it," Clark responded as he was unable to keep that Kansas City Farm Boy smile on his face. Despite the utter cheesiness of it, Lois could not help but be endeared to him.

"There's just one thing that I have to say," Lois remarked casually before in a flash of light she grabbed Clark around the arm and flipped him down to the ground hard before she pinned him to the ground. Lois straddled Clark when she pinned him down to the ground, much to Lana's amusement. "C'mon Smallville, you haven't been eating your Wheaties lately or something?"

Clark looked at Lana as if imploring her to help but the grin that was on Lana's face could light up an entire room. She threw her hands up to feign innocence as Lois had Clark down on the ground and at her mercy. And Lois found herself completely lacking that particular quality for she continued to look in Clark's eyes.

"So, how do you like the shoe to be on the other foot?" Lois asked Clark when she pushed him to the ground.

"Yeah, point taken, would it help if I said uncle?" Clark asked Lois but Lois just offered him a brief smile.

"It's a start Clark, it's a start," Lois remarked casually when she peered at Clark in his eyes and allowed him to get to his feet. Clark scrambled to his feet but Lois stopped him once again. "I seem to remember something about a combat against some alien queen. Lana and I won that, I believe it was for a rite of combat for your hand."

Clark hitched in a breath, he wondered when Lois was going to bring up that point but the grin on her face widened. Lois grabbed Clark around the waist and pulled him into a tight grip. It was now that Clark realized that Lois had not properly figured out how to temper her own strength. Granted, Clark could take it but normal people could not.

"Yes, yes, you did," Clark managed when Lois leaned into him and gazed into his eyes long and hard, before she violently attacked his mouth with a kiss. She pinned Clark down to the ground when she shoved her tongue into his mouth.

She paused, and gave him a wicked smile. "And after all the secrets you kept from me…well I think you've been a very naughty boy Clark and deserved to be punished."

Clark wondered what he had gotten himself into as Lana watched and hummed nonchalantly. A year ago, she would not be so accepting of this but after the Fortress information had been downloaded into her brain, she understood that there were certain cultural differences that she had to accept. Besides, it was healthy for the mind to open itself up to new experiences.

"Are you really going to lay down and take that, Clark?" Lana asked as she couldn't resist egging her boyfriend on.

"I'm trying," Clark managed when Lois had performed the kiss, working his clothes off him. "Lois, are you in heat?"

Lois's eyes were glowing to show her heat vision was about to go, so that answered Clark's question. She furiously began to go after Clark, she wanted him so bad that she could taste it.

"I think that he should make it up to me, for all of the times he ducked out on me and left me out of the loop," Lois remarked when she gave Clark Junior a handshake to greet him as Lana joined her down on the ground. "How long had he kept the big secret from you, Lana?"

"About six years," Lana remembered when Lois locked eyes with Lana, gave her a wicked grin, and caused Clark to shudder. He had a feeling that Lois formed some rather devious intention in her minds and he was about to be the victim to what she was cooking up.

Clark was right to fear that point when Lois turned to Clark with a mischievous glint in her eye that Clark did not know whether to be excited or scared by. Regardless, Clark relearned the lesson that he learned the hard when Lana had gotten her powers. That lesson was that super powered women acquired some super powered hormones, there were no two ways about it.

"I think Clark should be taught a lesson about keeping secrets from the people close to him," Lois answered with a smirk across her face as she stripped Clark at super speed and Lana was no help because she may have accidentally used her powers to hold Clark in place.

Right "accidentally" that was what she did, Lois and Lana exchanged a devious look to prepare to do something next.

Clark had gotten a reprieve when his cell phone rang. Lois and Lana both knew that this could be an emergency. As quick as light, Clark moved over to answer the phone as Lois just watched him before an amused thought crossed in her head.

'_Faster than a speeding bullet, hopefully he's not like that in bed.'_

The young man in question grabbed the phone and took a moment to collect his bearings before he answered.

"Hey," Clark managed like nothing out of the ordinary happened to him before he answered the phone.

"Clark, you need to get to the Shining Light Foundation ASAP, there's something going down that you need to see, and we might have a problem," Chloe said without pausing to ask Clark how he was doing. Clark could hear the frantic tone of her voice, so he managed to recollect his bearings along with his pants and answer.

It wouldn't be the first time Chloe saved his ass and he had a feeling that it was more literal this time than ever before.

"I'll be right over there right away," Clark responded in a firm voice. "Does it have to do with Doomsday?"

"Doomsday is the least of our problems right now," Chloe answered, and this statement did wonders in making Clark wonder what was going on. If there was something more dangerous out there than the Ultimate Destroyer, than they could be in for a rude awakening, but Clark struggled to think what that might be.

Lois and Lana looked at Clark curiously but he offered then an apologetic look.

"Cancel the orgy, I guess," Lois offered in an understanding voice.

"We have a problem, Chloe says that I need to get to the Shining Light Foundation pronto," Clark told both Lana and Lois but Lana was the one who amended Clark's words.

"Don't you mean that we need to get to the Shining Light Foundation?" Lana offered and Clark decided not to protest.

"Yeah, after all of the times that I got left out of the loop, I'm not about be to cut out now," Lois replied when she dared Clark to contradict her with a look at his eyes, but she found no contradiction to be had. Finally, he knew better.

The three sped off with Clark being the slowest but for some reason after tonight he was just a bit faster. Not fast enough to catch up with them but still he evolved a bit with his powers. Perhaps his powers underwent an equivalent of a growth spurt or something along those lines. Or perhaps the effects of the Pit had not quite left Clark.

Never the less he felt a bit stronger and a bit faster, which was something that Clark felt good about. After everyone had surpassed him, it was time for an upgrade.

Before Clark could reach the Shining Light Foundation a blinding pulse of light struck him. This was unlike anything that he had ever seen or felt before. Lana and Lois stopped and spun around as they felt it between them too.

Slowly, all of them appeared to be drawn into some kind of field that warped around them to reveal a cloud of anti-matter. A figure walked forward dressed in a blue bodysuit with a helmet with peering red eyes and a face carved out of granite. He towered over Clark, Lana, and Lois and walked forward, shaking the ground. The hideous creature looked at them in disdain.

"So, this is the traveler they prophesized coming," this individual said in a deep voice. "As of yet, I'm underwhelmed. But perhaps you are more than you appear, Man of Tomorrow."

"Who are you?" Clark asked as Lana and Lois wondered what was going on. Come to think of it, Clark wondered what was going on as well; nothing about this situation seemed to add up to anything that remotely made sense.

"I'm called many things, and I go by many names, the devourer of worlds, the scrounge of souls, but you may call me the Anti-Monitor."

"Clark, you can't fight him," Lana managed when she grabbed Clark by the arm and fear flooded through her eyes.

This Anti-Monitor obliterated entire planets, galaxies, dimensions if what the Fortress told her was true and if he was who he claimed to be. He had been sealed away a long time ago, but not before many lives were erased. The records horrified Lana when she read about each atrocity.

"You are merely a fly upon the windshield that is the universe, so you can't stop me," the Anti-Monitor commented but Clark stepped forward and rushed at him at his top speed and swung with a punch.

Clark screamed when his hand was completely burned. There was no two ways about it, what the Anti-Monitor did to him hurt. He flew back but thankfully Lana and Lois were able to catch him, before they flipped Clark back onto his feet. The Anti-Monitor regarded the three of them as annoyances that he would crush.

"We're going to die, aren't we?" Lois asked when she gazed at Lana and Clark.

Before the Anti-Monitor could transform them into Anti-Matter, and erase them from the universe, three bright lights shot from the sky and impacted the Anti-Monitor. A tear in the fabric of time and space opened when the Anti-Monitor crashed through and the world around Clark, Lois, and Lana got suddenly warm again.

At first Clark thought that the three Heralds shown up to save them but these were three different heroes.

"Who are you?"

"We're the Legion of Super Heroes, and we've come from the future to stop the great crisis from happening."

This got Clark's attention immediately and he was helped to his feet, managing to regain his bearings.

"Tell me more."

* * *

"The seal was broken then," Kara concluded with a sigh when she, Harry, and Karen moved through the Lifeline Reading to double check everything.

"The Anti-Monitor was sealed away for millennia, but something busted him out," Harry concluded when he sat around in a circle with Chloe, Kara, and Karen.

"Do you think he busted out when Clark fought Doomsday?" Chloe inquired and at that question there was a moment where Harry considered it before he nodded.

"A true Kryptonian against a monster like Doomsday that would be a powerful fight, Harry commented when he thought about it. A bit of a sad smile twisted over his face when he considered everything that happened. "We were lucky that downtown Metropolis was not left in ruins."

"Luck had nothing to do with what happened, and there's the fact that Doomsday is still out there," Chloe answered when she looked at all three of them.

"Doomsday is a problem, I don't deny that," Karen answered when she considered everything that had gone down. This had been a long day for all of them but it was going to get even longer if they could not focus on the task at hand. "Be that as it may, it's Kal-El's problem to deal with, not that we can't help him."

"You'd hate to see something happen to him again," Chloe offered Karen but Karen did not say one word to Chloe. Chloe thought that getting any kind of response out of Karen was about as fun as pulling teeth. "Yeah, figured as much, despite your agitation with him, you've grown fond of him."

"He is family, sort of," Karen mumbled before she turned outside the window to see the flashing lights and to hear the weird buzzing. "He should be getting here by now."

"Unless he got sidetracked with Lois and Lana," Harry offered and Kara and Chloe both pulled faces, not wanting to think about either of their cousins doing the horizontal mambo with anyone. "I'm sure he'll get here when he can."

"Do you think that Ra's had any idea what he was doing when he released the First?" Kara asked when she tapped her fingers against the side.

"Good question, wish I had an answer," Harry responded when he brushed his hair away.

Ra's Al Ghul was another problem area given his status as an immortal but Harry would find and track him down along with Kara and Karen in due time. The problem was that one did not live as long as Ra's without learning a few tricks of the trade. Harry moved over to grab the phone to call Clark, but it went dead.

Claire was with Megan back in Smallville, but given what was out there; Harry wanted his daughter to be as far away from the chaos as humanly possible.

"We have a problem," Kara said suddenly as her pupils diluted and her body grew rigid.

A flash appeared in her eyes of Clark being obliterated in a wave of anti-matter and his particles scattered all across the universe. Kara shuddered at the thought of it, wondered how real it was, was it happening now, or was it going to happen? Harry threw his arms around one of his wives and pulled her in as the other two looked at him.

"You saw that too?" Karen asked when she placed her hands onto the floor. Her finger nails dug into the floor to leave indentations, nervous at what she saw and her heart beat steadily against her chest. A rhythm was established before Chloe inclined her head to meet Karen, to establish full eye contact.

"We all saw it, I think," Harry breathed when he grabbed onto Kara's hand and tried to comfort her, to let her know that everything was going to be okay.

"Clark's going to get killed by the First, we have to go now!" Kara yelled losing her head and panicking.

Karen did not want to voice the other alternative that what Kara saw was the present and not the future, but something held her back. She felt a knot in her stomach at the very thought and Chloe looked as bad as she felt. Harry was the only one who remained calm, thankfully for all of them, because someone had to.

A flash erupted to jerk them all out of their thoughts and Harry, Kara, Karen, and Chloe all jumped to their feet. The Shining Light Foundation alarms gone off to indicate that someone was here that was not authorized. The four of them flew down the stairs to find out who was there, because something about an alarm going off triggered a red flag in their heads.

Three figures stood at the bottom of the stairs surrounded by downed security guards.

"Impressive, you took out my security," Harry responded with a raised eyebrow when he braced himself for an attack. "But the three of us do not wish to fight you."

The dark haired young man spoke to face Harry. "Do not be alarmed, we do not wish to fight you, Heralds of Death, or any of the children under your care."

"Heralds of Death, I don't know what you're talking about," Harry replied as he feigned interest.

"Yeah, I never heard of that name in my life," Kara responded catching on but a blonde woman just looked back at her.

"Your legend goes throughout time, even after your fall from grace, the good that you've done is not forgotten," the blond woman responded in a crisp voice. "Harry Potter, Kara Zor-El, and Karen Starr, or Arcane, Supergirl, and Power Girl as history remembers you."

"Power Girl?" Karen managed with a raised eyebrow.

"She's not named that yet," the third member of the team, a red haired young man stated.

"Am now, thanks for the idea," Karen answered when she offered a wide grin.

"Don't worry, they're with me," Clark said when he stepped out of the shadows and Lana and Lois followed, both looking quite baffled, and a bit skeptical.

"Oh, thank Rao, Clark, you're okay," Kara said in a happy voice, with Chloe, Karen, and Harry sharing in her relief. "We thought the Anti-Monitor blasted you."

"These three managed to defeat him," Clark answered but the dark haired young man shook his head.

"Not exactly, we didn't defeat him, we merely delayed him," the dark haired young man told Clark and Clark was shocked. He turned around to face Harry, Kara, Karen, and Chloe. "Rokk Krinn, Leader of the Legion of Super Heroes."

"Imra Ardeen," the blonde said when she regarded Harry with a bit of interest.

"Garth Ranzz," the red haired young man said when he looked at them.

"Now that introductions are down, we can get down to business," Rokk remarked as he looked at Harry. "You wouldn't happen to have a conference room or a place where we could meet?"

"Upstairs, follow me," Harry responded but his eyes were still on the three. "Where did you three come from?"

Rokk responded in a calm voice without missing a beat. "The thirty first century."

Now Harry was both curious and skeptical but it remained to be seen what emotion won out in the battle of his mind. The powerful mage would give them all the benefit of the doubt to explain why they were here, but his suspicions heightened. The fact that they said the Heralds of Death had a fall from grace was not missed upon them.

"I hope you're well K…Clark," Karen replied in a polite tone of voice that took Clark aback.

Today was definitely a strange night and it was about to get stranger he had a feeling. Why was Karen actually being nice to him and not bitching him out about how he stalled in his destiny? Clark sensed that Lana was equally suspicious but Lois seemed to be adapting to this new level of insanity.

Clark had a feeling that Lois would fit right in.

* * *

Being bounced a few seconds ahead of time was something that the Anti-Monitor detested but he bounced back after a few moments when he found his way back. Given the intensity of the attack, the Anti-Monitor was very annoyed indeed. The force of destruction understood who had attacked him, those meddling fools in the Legion of Super Heroes interfered in his plans.

Oh yes, the Anti-Monitor encountered the Legion before in their future which by his perspective would be his past. He recalled a battle in the future where he had been temporarily banished to the ancient past, a thousand years ago this moment. Death did what she could to contain him, to seal him in the past, but that failed.

The Anti-Monitor at one point existed simultaneously in the past, present, and future, with Death's manipulations on his form indicated that he would not be able to do anything given that he was thrown into a state of constant flux. He circled throughout time in hyper-speed in an endless loop to watch civilizations come and civilizations go. By design, the Anti-Monitor stopped before he reached the end of time or the beginning before he looped back again.

He looped again and again throughout time for all eternity, in temporal flux, until the seal broke itself to deposit him in a time where the Traveler and the Destroyer battled. The Anti-Monitor learned of their coming long ago when he was gifted the powers of the Herald of Death by the entity known as Death. They would have a cataclysmic battle where the Traveler would either rise from to take his first step to his destiny or fall hard to engulf the world into darkness.

The battle only began the previous day, the Anti-Monitor saw the battle from afar as he broke form his temporal containment. The traveler, this Kal-El, underwhelmed him but it was the Heralds of Death who intrigued him most of all. This new set seemed to be allowed emotions, and seemed to care for these pathetic worms that infested this world.

Unknowingly, the Anti-Monitor warped into the worst case scenario of what the Herald of Death powers could do to a person when they were not properly grounded. For three hundred years the Anti-Monitor worked tirelessly but he felt that there was something more. He tried to erase all of reality and instate a new order, but Death stopped him.

Now the Anti-Monitor sought revenge against Death and those empowered by them and their Heralds. He struck against a barrier and understood that he appeared outside of his charge. Those fools in the Legion of Super Heroes cracked his outer shell but this was no matter. The Anti-Monitor repaired himself when he lifted his hands.

Thousands of lives around him snuffed out, he did not know where, he did not know when, and he did not know who, but he didn't care. The pure power given by thousands of lives snuffed out was amazing. The Anti-Monitor sucked every single bit of the essence, men, women, children, vegetables, minerals, animals, it mattered little to him.

All that lived withered due to his mere touch and the Anti-Monitor empowered to seek out the only ones who could stop him. Then with that finished, Death was next on his list.

* * *

"We've come to the past to help save the past, present, and future."

Harry's expression turned towards the three members of the Legion of Superheroes, a few peaks into their mind verified they were who they said they were, no level of deception could fool the Heralds of Deaths. Kara and Karen folded their arms, they wondered about the consequences of a trip to the past.

"You realize that a trip to the past could have severe consequences that will impact the future," Kara remarked without missing a beat.

Harry could not resist adding his two cents. "There have been grave consequences for those who meddled in the past, unless of course your trip has already been set in stone."

Hermione lectured that point to Harry when they went back in time during their third year at Hogwarts to save Sirius from the Dementors and Buckbeak from getting executed. Harry recalled it and understood that time travel was a risky business. The final battle with Brainiac proved that much.

Rokk understood their misgivings. "The past is one that is always in flux, the more time that has passed. In the thirty first century, there have been tails from travelers who claim to be from a far more distant future than the one we reside from."

"We risk a lot from stepping into the past, for the moment we try and return, there is every chance that we will cease to exist," Imra responded with that fear rather real.

"It's for a noble cause, and besides, we get to see one of the greatest heroes in the twenty first century up close and personal," Garth remarked when he looked at Clark.

"Many of the greatest heroes," Rokk corrected but he readjusted his stance and continued to speak. "It will all be for naught if the past happens as we have recorded it. We only delayed the Anti-Monitor but he will return with a vengeance. Our rings managed to transport him far enough to the future."

"What do those rings do?" Chloe asked curiously.

"The rings allow for time travel and the flight among other powers, in addition to our more natural gifts," Imra answered and with that statement, Chloe turned to Clark with a smile.

"Well we know what to get you for your birthday," Chloe commented with Clark giving her a mock glare. The three members of the Legion had their eyes snapped towards Clark in confusion. "He can't fly yet."

"Kal-El can't fly?" Garth asked as he tried to reconcile this bit in his mind. "He's supposed to go faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and that's just the one thing about Superman, he flies."

'_Wonderful, I'm going to have to mind wipe him before I go back now,' _Imra thought in a sardonic manner.

"Superman?" Clark asked in confusion, mulling over the name in his mind.

"I prefer the Blur myself," Lois chimed in with a grin but Kara rolled her eyes in response. "It's a perfectly acceptable name."

"Enough," Rokk said before he turned towards Clark. "The past is being written right now and many details get lost to the annals of history. We have come back for one purpose."

"The Anti-Monitor is after Clark," Kara chimed in, remembering the vision she had earlier, that vision spooked her.

Imra felt the need to correct Kara. "While the Anti-Monitor is after Clark, he will survive. You will not."

Kara looked surprised and alarm flooded Harry's face.

Rokk continued to chime in. "History states that Supergirl was killed fighting the Anti-Monitor to stop the great Crisis and Arcane eventually became one of the greatest terrors the world had ever seen, killing countless when he was driven mad by her death."

This was a revelation that did not go over well with anyone at all.

**To Be Continued in "Crisis Part Two."**


	55. Chapter 55: Crisis Part Two

_So yes, you may have noted a slight alteration of the title. I've decided to break this story up to two books, maybe three. Book One will wrap up with Chapter Sixty One and then we'll take a couple months hiatus before returning. Expanding the story in such a way will allow me to flesh out a few plotlines. _

**Chapter 55: Crisis Part Two. **

A look of astonishment coupled with a hearty amount of skepticism crossed Kara's face when she looked at the three time travelers. To say that a maelstrom of emotions gone through her head would be the understatement of the century; the fact of the matter was she found herself confused. Clark's expression grew worried, Harry's emotions flew into the realm of panic, and Karen appeared highly skeptical, more so than Kara even was.

Kara folded her hands over her lap and took a moment to consider every bit of this situation. Lois, Lana, and Chloe seemed unwilling to state what they made of this entire mess.

"That's what history says," Imra chimed in when she saw the looks on the faces of all of the people in the room. For some reason and this was a point they agreed not to bring up, history altered as it pertained to Supergirl and Arcane's destiny. They were supposed to lead New Krypton but now the scenario was present as it unfolded. "History has been misread before and has the potential to be misread again, we must take certain matters up for a great deal of interpretation."

"But the most reputable sources say that," Rokk added, he did not like this any better than the rest of the team did, but he had to face facts and consider what was before them. History stated Supergirl died and then Arcane slid off the deepend. "It may be best if Supergirl heads to the future until this matter is sorted out."

"I don't run from my problems, true heroes don't," Kara answered when she folded her arms and refused to even consider the fact that she should be leaving for a moment. "You tell me what history says and you might believe it to be true, but a lot of things that are recorded, accepted as common knowledge, are likely wrong. I'm not going to believe what is written cannot be undone."

Clark clung onto some hope that this would not happen, this would be worse than anything he ever imagined in his life. He added in a firm voice with conviction. "Doesn't the fact you came here change the course of history already? The moment you stepped out of the future and arrived her and interacted with the Anti-Monitor, we're into the unknown."

"That might make the vision I had even worse, I might not die but you will," Kara told Clark and Lana and Lois both looked alarmed even though Lana was the first one to speak up.

"No, that's not going to happen, I'm going to make sure no one dies or I'll die trying," Lana answered, a statement that gave Chloe an ample amount of reason to wince and her head turned towards Lana. The woman had the decency to act apologetic when Chloe's eyes were on her. "Sorry, that's not the way I intended to have that statement come out."

"Could we please can the death talk?" Chloe asked when she looked from Kara to Clark to Lana and then to Lois, Harry, and Karen. "No one is going to die, no one is going to get killed, no one is going to die trying to prevent people from getting killed. History might say that Kara died, but you know what, we're going to make history wrong. And if you think that Harry's going to turn evil because of something like that, then none of you know him at all."

Chloe folded her arms when she placed her hand on Harry's and dared them to contradict her words.

"Perhaps we should ask the resident expert on Death, the head Herald what he thinks about what's going on," Garth commented when his eyes focused on Harry, but Harry stared back.

Immediately, the word Death hit Lois immediately and her brain recalled something, sudden realization smacked against her psyche faster than a speeding bullet. She could hardly believe that this was happening so she slowly turned around towards Harry, an accusation dancing in her eyes. She drew breath before she fired out the statement that she had on the tip of her tongue towards Harry.

"That was you wasn't it?" Lois asked suddenly when she looked at Harry, a statement that took Harry completely off his game and made him wonder what Lois was referring to.

"I beg your pardon," Harry responded when he looked back at Lois, trying to scratch his head.

"Under the dam, death, the guy in the robe, the guy who scared me half to death!" Lois yelled suddenly when it all came flooding back to her at super speed. She pointed an accusatory finger towards Harry, with madness dancing in her eyes. "That was you!"

"Oh yeah, that was me," Harry recalled in a dismissive manner but Lois did not seem to be too thrilled that Harry brushed off her very real trauma.

"You son of a bitch, you scared me half to you!" Lois snapped when she looked at Harry but then she stopped before she realized what she said.

_'I just called my boss a son of a bitch, which meant I called his dead mother a bitch,' _Lois thought when she realized what she said as her complexion grew suddenly pale. _'Oh, I am so fired, it isn't even funny.'_

Harry's gaze found its way towards Lois's face when she gulped and everyone sat on pins and needles before he offered her a smile. Lois wondered what the deal with the smile was. It was certainly not a, "clear out your desk two days ago because you've been canned so hard" smile, it was an actual genuine smile. The smile was an actual genuine smile that was really creeping Lois out to the point where she could hardly believe how much his smile crept her out. There was a tense moment before Harry said the last thing that Lois expected.

"Congratulations Lois, you've been promoted," Harry answered in a cheerful voice and Lois nearly cracked her own neck when she did a double take. Chloe tried to find some amusement out of the situation.

"Um, thanks," Lois said, not knowing what to quite say about that.

"Back to business," Karen answered when she looked at Lois and Harry, and the two of them shifted their eyes back into the battle. "I think that we should..."

Before Karen could inform them what she thought that they should do, the scanners in the Shining Light Foundation mainframe computer went haywire. Since they were calibrated to pick up any unnaturally large spikes of magical energy, they went absolutely chaotic with the fury and the carnage. Chloe was the first one who rushed over to check the scanner and began to type in.

"Guys, you might want to look at this, it seems like the Anti-Monitor is...this doesn't make any sense," Chloe mumbled when she rubbed her fingers against her temples and clicked the mouse on the computer. The three dimensional holograms popped up to reveal what was going on in the world. "The Anti-Monitor...it's almost like that he's erasing everything in his path."

"Yes, he's erasing it and converting it into anti-matter, that's his fuel, that's what drives him," Imra responded before she placed a hand to her head and tried to shift emotions but she heard the despair of thousands of voices being snuffed out. "It's awful, all of it, they're dying, vanished in an instant."

"Can we stop them?" Clark asked, hoping to hear some positive reinforcement.

"Yes, there might be one way to shut down the Anti-Monitor but it presents a risk for the entire multiverse," Harry answered when his eyes turned to the rest of the team. "I can't understate that this is an all or nothing gambit, where we either succeed completely or fail."

"So no pressure or anything," Lana concluded.

"All of the pressure is on now," Kara remarked when she put her hand on Harry's and Karen put her other hand on Harry's, and the three Heralds stood ready to face this threat.

"Stay safe K...Clark, and don't die," Karen voiced before she turned around and hugged Clark like a family member, something that started to freak him out just a little bit given how she acted to him previously.

"I won't, don't worry," Clark answered before the three Heralds of Death prepared to go off.

"They have a plan, we need to have faith," Chloe remarked when the silence that manifested within their disappearance broke.

* * *

Kara, Karen, and Harry flew towards the source of where the disturbance took place, the latest attempt by the Anti-Monitor to feed and convert the energy into anti-matter. The trio made their way over the barren wasteland where things once stood, they once existed, but now the wave of power wiped it out in an instant. The three knew of their mission, it was one that was not going to be easy, but they had to fight like they never fought before, long and hard until the battle was one, no matter how long it took.

"He's got to be close somewhere, I can feel him," Kara managed when she looked out into the distance and the three Heralds spotted two dots glowing nearby. It was the only thing that showed up within the wave and within the mist. "We're going to beat him and no one dies."

"No one is going to die," Harry confirmed when the three Heralds watched from the distance and saw the force they assumed to be the Anti-Monitor gain momentum when it rolled over more life. "We're going to get his attention now."

Three beams of heat vision synchronized to fire into the swirling dark cloud into the distance and the eruption caused a pained grimace. They knew that whatever their target was, they connected with one hundred percent accuracy. The explosion rattled them when the Anti-Monitor turned up to face them and his eyes locked onto them.

"I thought of you as brave fools but this exceeds all my expectations," the Anti-Monitor responded in a crisp voice when he waved his hands.

"Everything you got, now!" Harry ordered before Kara and Karen aimed their hands and fired with a ballistic fury towards the Anti-Monitor. The impact cracked him against the chest and sent him hurling back a step. "Keep it up, don't stop no matter what, I think we've damaged him just a little bit."

Harry, Kara, and Karen impacted the Anti-Monitor with every single blast of energy that they could shoot from their hands. He tried to fire back hard but the combined power of the three Heralds of Death was barely enough to push him back. Harry maneuvered himself in front of the two girls in the line of fire, given that he had the closest ties to the Herald of Death powers. He was the strongest one of the three of them and energy blasts crashed from his hand before they impacted the Anti-Monitor hard.

The Anti-Monitor staggered back a few inches but the dust cleared to reveal that he barely been cracked.

"This is what Death sends as her heralds on this day and age," The Anti-Monitor responded when he held his hands into the air and clapped them hard to send the wave.

"Fire back!" Kara yelled when she blocked the attack with a wave of energy. The two bolts collided with each other in ballistic fury and the glowing continued to occur when the forces vibrated against each other.

"We're not going to make it," Karen voiced through gritted teeth when she felt a numbing sensation go through her hands. The blonde fired back and nailed the Anti-Monitor full force.

"Yes, we're going to make it," Harry argued when the three of them propelled the full force of their power.

The Legion of Super Heroes popped up into the battle for the second stream of attack but the Anti-Monitor was ready to block the attacks from their rings now. They were not going to displace him back in time again, even if the three of them fired with everything that they had. The three Heralds joined them with the six of them bombarding the Anti-Monitor with an attack. He lit up like a Christmas tree, but the universe shifted around at them.

"He's transported us into the Anti-Matter Verse," Imra murmured in fear when she ran her hands through her hair and tried to pick up a reading. "I'm not getting anything from him."

"He's nowhere, yet he's everywhere," Kara confirmed when she felt her body tense up when they looked around. The booming voice of the Anti-Monitor thundered.

"After all of these years, it astounds me to think that people take the word of Death at any kind of face value, but of all of the broken promises she's given me, the consequences will lie before you. The world will be reshaped, with the sacrifice of you three Heralds giving me enough power to go back to the beginning and rewrite history. None of you can stop it, so why bother attempting this futile effort?"

Harry hoped that he was able to break through the dimensional barriers to Chloe at the Shining Light Foundation, because they needed all of the help they could get. Dangerous shadow monsters, shapeless and hostile surrounded everyone, intent to smash them to smithereens at the first motion of resistance.

* * *

"They're in some place called the Anti-Matter universe?" Clark asked when he tried to figure out if he heard Chloe correct. Sure enough, Chloe nodded her head before she spun around to talk to Clark in the chair. She managed to get Harry's mental message before everything faded to black in her mind and got the coordinates that she needed to fire up the portal in the Shining Light Foundation. "And how are we supposed to get him out if the Anti-Monitor's trapped them there?"

"I can't believe...you got to go in there Clark, the Anti-Monitor wants you," Chloe answered suddenly and Lana and Lois's eyes widened at the thought of this. Clark looked apprehensive when Chloe continued her statement without another word. "Kara's going to die, and there's nothing any of us can do about it unless you go in there."

"I'm..."

"Clark, you're not going to die either," Chloe added with conviction in her voice when she began to punch in the coordinates to the Shining Light Foundation's portal device, not knowing how to work this thing as well as Kara and Harry did, but they managed to work her through the basics. "It's just...the Anti-Monitor never expected you to get involved, he thinks that you'll be protected at all costs."

"That makes sense," Lana answered when she stroked her chin thoughtfully and looked at Clark and Chloe. Lois, however, had a look of extreme confusion cross over her face when her eyes darted back and forth from Chloe to Lana to Clark and back. The dark haired woman took a moment to pause before she thought.

"What is going on, none of this makes any sense?"

"The mission of the Heralds of Death this time is to protect Clark, for his journey, but the mission has been written in stone throughout all time until the traveler comes," Chloe explained but Lois is confused. "Clark is destined for greatness, and if he falls before he rises into the hero that he's going to be...then there will be doom, the world will be plunged into utter darkness."

Lois had no idea what Chloe talked about this time but she had to understand. She figured out this much, Clark needed to be protected and she was allowed these powers for such a purpose. She felt Lana had the same gifts for the same reason, but Lois did wonder what would happen when Clark rose into his full powers. That was a bridge the entire group were going to have to cross collectively.

"Are you sure this will work?" Clark asked, feeling less sure about everything than he ever had been before. Chloe turned around properly to address the three of them.

"I'm not one hundred percent sure, but when the alternative is the full scale rewrite of human history, where none of us will exist past our next breath, do we really have many options?"

Clark shook his head; he would have to concede this point. Lana and Lois watched Clark, seeing that he stepped in to do what was necessary to win the day just like he always did. Clark walked over towards the portal and prepared to step on through but Lois and Lana followed him.

"You two don't..."

"Yes, we do," Lana answered when she looked at Clark firmly, in an expression that lead no arguments.

"We're in this today, no matter what," Lois said before her neck craned towards Chloe. "Are you coming with us?"

"Go ahead, I'll man things on this end, someone's got to bring you back home in case things go south quickly," Chloe answered, really wishing that she could go through.

Lois, Lana, and Clark entered the portal and felt the entire world change around them. They knew one thing; they were not in Kansas anymore.

Lois shivered, involuntarily when she looked around, while Lana and Clark copied her movements; there was little time to wait before a set of dark shadows shot out of nowhere before Lois, Lana, and Clark automatically blasted them into dust with their heat vision.

"Something tells me we got to stay sharp, if those things touch us..." Lois started before she stopped and dragged her finger across her throat in a cutting motion.

Clark, Lana, and Lois blasted another set of shadow monsters and a third set before they moved forward to the sounds of screams and the sound of battle. They saw him in all of his glory, the Anti-Monitor.

"I'm going to attack him," Clark told Lana and Lois and the eyes of both women snapped towards him. "Head on."

"Clark, that's nuts, you tried that before and your hands got burned," Lana protested but Clark was off like a blur of light.

"Fast as a speeding bullet, and about as subtle," Lois commented when she watched Clark speed off.

Clark gained momentum, faster, and faster before he slammed into the Anti-Monitor at his full force.

The Anti-Monitor gave a grimace of pain and that was all the distraction the three Heralds needed. Their eyes glowed with power before they raised their scythes and swung for the fences. The scythes cut deep into the Anti-Monitor.

"Fools, as long as you fight me in the Anti-Matter universe, the battle is hopeless," The Anti-Monitor grimaced and he aimed his attack towards Clark.

Kara tried to save Clark but a force field erupted from around her to block her into place. Harry darted in to take the blast in front of Clark.

"HARRY!" Kara screamed in absolute horror when she saw the blast slice through Harry. "NO!"

Kara unleashed the full fury of her powers when she saw Harry vanish on the spot where he stood and the heat vision busted the Anti-Monitor's outer shell. She flew at him with ballistic fury and Karen joined her with the pummeling of the Anti-Monitor. Fists beat against the chest of the creature and cracked him against him at this point.

Time stood still.

Harry Potter was gone, vanished, like he never existed. He vaporized on the spot from the attack from the Anti-Monitor, completely gone. Not even a pair of footprints had been left in the dirt, that's well he been blasted.

None of them could believe what happened, it defied all logical explanation, and time stood still when their blood ran cold.

"No, no, no, no!" Kara and Karen yelled in unison when they realized what happened and they blasted Anti-Monitor through the wall between the universes with everything they had.

Then something happened.

Suddenly and surprisingly, Harry re-materialized, every bit of skin burned off of his body, before slowly and painfully he re-healed. He looked gaunt, like a corpse, before he staggered forward and Kara and Karen seemed relieved that he was alright. Well at least alive anyway, the corpse like visage that he had meant that he was suffering a little bit.

"Stand back, I can finish him," Harry rasped when his body racked with pain after he just barely held himself together when the Anti-Monitor tried to release his next attack to finish Harry.

Each step was like agony but Harry opened up the walls between time and space, before he launched the Anti-Monitor through. The Anti-Monitor flew through time and space where Harry transported him one second after the end of all time.

Harry flew back out of the portal and then the portal on the other end opened. Kara grabbed him in her arms when he collapsed and spun around, a frantic expression dancing in her eyes.

"That's our cue to get out of here," Clark commented and sure enough the entire group made their way through the portal into the Shining Light Foundation.

There was a moment where they all took their breaths. Harry blacked out completely from what happened, no one but Karen, Kara, and Chloe knew that he died before he managed to reverse time and warp reality with his powers before sending a past version of himself from two minutes ago back with his memories.

Harry knew that there would be consequences to that but it paled to what the Anti-Monitor was going to do if he was allowed to exist.

There was a chance that he would be back; evil like that always came back.

* * *

Back at the Shining Light Foundation, Harry tried to regain his bearings but after everything that transpired that was easier said than done. The dark haired wizard shook his head and tried to pull himself up. A stabbing pain was felt through his chest when his eyes managed to adjust himself back to the light. Kara, Karen, and Chloe were all the closest to him. Kara's arms in particular were wrapped around Harry like a vice grip like she feared that he would fall to pieces if she let go. Chloe held her hands on Harry's arms and Karen was on his other side.

"I don't think I ever want to do anything like that ever again," Harry breathed heavily when he caught his breath and shook his head but Kara leaned in and kissed him on the lips firmly in belief. "The past is secure, the future is what it should be, and the Anti-Monitor is gone. And all it took was me nearly dying to do it."

"Where did you send him?" Clark asked from the doorway when he popped up. Harry gave a pained grimace when he turned to address Clark. "Oh, and thank you."

"Your appreciation is noted and...well appreciated," Harry managed weakly when Karen rubbed the side of his neck, something that he appreciated because he was sore. "I sent him one second after the end of time."

"Wait one second after the end of time?" Lois asked in confusion when her eyes focused on Harry and Harry responded with a brisk nod. "So after all of that, you know...you know when the end of time is and all of that?"

"No, I didn't exactly get a chance to check the calendar...good spot keep rubbing that, it's sore," Harry managed when he leaned into Karen's grip and Chloe stood by Harry.

It was not lost on Lois how close Chloe seemed to Harry but she supposed any kind of lecture was going to fall upon deaf ears. Especially given what she planned to engage in with Clark and Lana.

Plus, Harry would likely obliterate her from existence like he did the Anti-Monitor or worse, take away the promotion that he gave her earlier. A promotion Lois had no idea how she got it, but she was not going to complain about it. When someone gave you a promotion for something unexpected, complaining was the last thing that they did, for sure, one hundred percent.

Harry considered all of what happened and he came closer to dying than he ever did before, well perhaps that was just a tiny bit of a stretch. Death visited him like a creeping mistress and nearly swooped in to attack him this time and any other time. Harry considered himself lucky that he was able to pull himself together long enough to reverse his fortunes and he sensed Kara's despair when she saw him die. He felt bad for having to put his wife through that, but that alternative was just as bad, if not worse.

"I felt it too, I don't know...for a second I thought that there was a stabbing pain in my soul," Chloe managed when she joined Kara and Karen in hugging Harry tightly. "Why do you pull stunts like that?"

"It's been ages since I've pulled a stunt that reckless," Harry answered when he looked back at Chloe with an honest expression in his eyes, before his head shifted. "The last time I did it was during my school days. I supposed I mellowed out, matured, got better, I guess that was what happened. Although I don't really know how."

"History has changed thanks to that reckless action."

As it turned out the Legion Three stood in the corridors of the Shining Light Foundation when they saw Harry. Harry pulled himself up, barely able to stand but somehow through the sheer force of will, he got out of bed to greet them. A smile crossed his face when he paused long enough to address Garth, Rokk, and Imra with a twisted expression on his face. It was not because of their presence, but perhaps the fact that he really saw a lot of horrors throughout history when the Anti-Monitor blasted him.

Every single person who suffered, every single person that died, Harry saw them, every single human suffering ever, Harry felt them and it was like nothing that he ever imagined.

"There is a chance that an evil as great as the Anti-Monitor will return," Rokk told them when his gaze fixed upon them. "And if not him, then there will be others."

"As for him and the others, there will be us," Kara responded in a firm voice as they all nodded, convicted and ready for what the world was going to throw at them. No matter what happened, they were going to win the day and survive. There was no one who was going to beat them. "After Harry nearly died, I'm prepared for everything."

Harry decided that there was no nearly about what happened today, he did die. He almost saw Death's gloating face before he pulled the reversal of time and space to turn back the hands and reverse what was right. The dark haired young wizard and Herald of Death prepared himself for his next works but Imra was the one who spoke.

"Today was just one of many battles in the future,but now the next step in Clark's journey rests in his hands," Imra answered when she looked back at Clark. "He's coming whether you want to or not. History is unclear how the battle will transpire."

"Well if I'm as famous as I am in the future, then there's only one way it could have gone," Clark answered, feeling as if they had no need to fear after all that happened.

"Don't be so sure," Karen offered in a much softer voice than she had before and once again Clark wondered about her change in character. "The fact that you assume that you'll live could mean that your death is secured."

"I hate to agree with her, but she's right," Lana answered when she grabbed Clark around the hand. "Please tell me you won't go in there against Doomsday next time with the assumption that you're going to win just because history says you'll live. History says that Kara was killed on this day, and you see her here."

"You think that the inverse will be true?" Chloe asked, a bit fearful at this prospect.

The three Legion of Super Hero members exchanged nervous looks that was the one risk that time travel offered at any time, the most minor of actions could cause a reversal of fortunes. Time unraveled like strings, there was a point where nothing was set in stone now and all wondered if they would have a future to return to no matter what the cost.

"Be careful and prepare, the world needs you as a symbol, but do not rush to that moment until you're ready," Imra advised Clark when she slipped something into Harry's hand covertly and the Legion of Super Heros disappeared into the time stream.

They had one more pressing piece of business to take care of sixty years into the future from this point. They took a trip into Gotham City to assist the Batman of that time, a young man by the name of Terry McGuiness.

That movement left the entire group alone to consider what happened today and prepare for what was going to happen in the time to come.

Harry looked at the ring in his hand when the others turned away with the note that read _'just in case.' _

"Good now that that's over with, I believe we have some unfinished business to take care of because someone still needs to pay for keeping secrets," Lois answered when she grabbed Clark and dragged him off and Lana went after her with a smile on her face.

Chloe could not resist and she called out cheerfully. "Have fun Clark!"

Kara, Karen, and Harry laughed but the dark haired wizard got out of bed.

"I've got an urgent meeting, with Tess Mercer," Harry stated to their questioning looks.

Chloe was the one that pounced on that statement. "You've been meeting with her a lot lately; one might think that you intend to add her to her collection."

"She's on our to-do list," Kara remarked nonchalantly which caused both Chloe and Karen to look at her with widen eyes. The blonde smiled prettily before she turned to Harry with a concern. "Do you want me to…."

"I can handle this, I'll be back in fifteen minutes and then we'll check out the gravesite," Harry answered before he got up to his feet.

"Good thing he has a lot of stamina," Chloe answered when she watched after Harry and smiled. "For a number of reasons."

Karen and Kara agreed with that.

* * *

Tess waited for her business partner to arrive, he never was late for one of their appointments but she figured that there was always a first time for anything.

Sure enough a polite knock on the door caused her to look up.

"Come on, it's unlocked."

Harry entered the office with Tess looking up at him and there was only one thing that she had to say.

"You look like hell."

He smiled ruefully. "Sorry, I've been very sick."

"You must have, you look as if you've climbed out of the grave to come here and see me," Tess remarked when she offered Harry a seat. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Harry smiled at her. "Why, are you playing nurse?"

Tess raised an eyebrow, to be honest she wondered about Harry sometimes, she knew he was married to Kara Kent but he seemed to carry on a close relationship with Chloe Sullivan as well, they appeared to be rather cozy in public. Often times the three of them together, but hey consenting adults and all that, there was no need to go all moral trip. It was the twenty first century, it was time to be more open minded.

"As much as that thought is intriguing, I've called you here on a matter of importance," Tess answered when she looked at Harry. He appreciated the passion in her eyes, the strong and bold demeanor, much like that showed by Kara, Karen, and Chloe. He was drawn to strong and confident women, not that there was anything wrong with that. Then again he could be pretty strong himself. "As you know the merger with Queen Industries fell flat. Everything went off the rails after Lex's unfortunate accident."

"Yes, that's awful," Harry responded when he looked at Tess without blinking.

Tess did not buy his sympathy for a moment but she did not call him out on it.

"The merger is still on the table because Luthorcorp stockholders are breathing down my neck, they want to take the company back for themselves," Tess stated when she looked at Harry. "Those vultures would ruin all of the hard work that I've done and sink the company faster than a stone. You might be the only one with the clout to make sure they fall back into line."

Harry felt intrigued at this but he wondered if there was a catch, there always was a catch.

"Fifty-fifty, the two of us, we bring this company beyond the legacy of Lex or even Lionel Luthor," Tess added when she looked at Harry with intentions in her eyes. "The two of us together…we could save the world."

She believed in her heart that they had a lot in common but why she could not know. It was an instinct that she had. Tess Mercer found herself determined to see what made Harry Potter tick, although for different reason than Lex did. She tried not to get lost in his bright green eyes; they were bewitching pools that she figured melted the hearts of most women he encountered.

"I'll think it over," Harry answered when he held himself up, feeling a bit over and looking at her.

"We'll revisit this in the future but don't wait too long Harry; I don't need someone who is going to be indecisive," Tess answered when she gazed at him for a little bit. "But I know you'll make the right decision and we'll meet in the future to consummate our deal."

"I anticipate it," Harry answered before he paused. "Draw up the papers."

Tess was surprised that Harry made his decision.

"I'll have them ready in the next ten days," Tess replied when she looked at Harry, awestruck at what he was doing.

"I'll be in touch," Harry answered when he reached forward and grabbed her hand, shaking it.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you," Tess responded when she drew back, staring at Harry for a moment, almost doing something impulsive. However she had great self-control.

She always did dream that someday her prince would come but gave up on that fanciful delusion years and years ago. Perhaps she was a bit premature.

"Good bye, Tess," Harry responded when he smiled and walked away.

"Good bye, Harry," Tess stated, when she watched him leave, appreciating the view when he did.

* * *

Raya waited at the edge of the Kent Farm, to be honest she missed out on most of tonight's adventure because she was trying to hunt down Doomsday. She understood the danger the monster posed and that was her way to protect Clark. The Kryptonian stood, while Clark met her, he had been under the influence of the Lazarus Pits.

Clark showed up with Lois and Lana back at the Kent Farm, okay Lois was carrying him.

"Clark, stop whining, I said I was sorry for dropping you in mid-air!"

Raya smiled at this proclamation from Lois and she stood forward.

Clark stopped when he saw her.

"Raya?"

"Yes, Kal-El, I'm here," Raya answered when she looked at him and Clark could not believe it. "You actually know that I'm alive, Jor-El faked my death to teach you a lesson about the fragility of life and sent me back to the Phantom Zone."

Clark opened his mouth but Raya pressed her fingers to it.

"I realize that it is not right, it is not just but that's what Jor-El did," Raya stated when she looked at Clark. "And he has a reason for what he does but I can't help but feel there is a more direct attempt to prepare you for the destiny, when it may come."

"We'll all in this for the same reason, to protect Clark," Lana responded when she looked at them all.

Kara chose Lana, Karen chose Raya, and Harry chose Lois, all to protect Clark and to help him on his guidance. They sensed something within the three of them and now they stood united. The Heralds would have other responsibilities, with Chloe perhaps acting as a bridge between Clark's protectors and the Heralds.

At least that's what the three of them figured collectively.

"So….I met you when I was under the influence," Clark offered and Raya nodded.

"And you kissed me."

"I'm sorry," Clark answered when he looked at Raya.

"It was not awful," Raya answered when she led Clark off and Lana and Lois walked. "I believe we need to come to terms with this new arrangement before we decide how to go forward with Doomsday."

They all nodded and flew off, with Lana taking her turn to scoop Clark up and fly away.

* * *

A quiet wind blew through Godric's Hallow in the dark of the night where there was no noise around other than that wind. The noise quickly was replaced by the appearance of three figures who flew through the air at the speed of light. The three Heralds of Death made their way to a certain gravestone in the graveyard, for two of them; curiosity ate away at them after the last several months while they figured out what this is. Now that they were finally on good terms with their counterpart, they could find out what the gravestone was and the secrets of the Herald of Death that had been lost. Was it something to aid them like what Karen suggested or something that would be able to control as Harry feared?

Harry, Kara, and Karen dropped to the ground in front of the gravestone. The moment the trio touched down, the gravestone blinked to life and red light illuminated them. It was almost as if it beckoned them forward and they stepped forward to accept the charges. They wanted to see what was behind this tombstone.

The three symbols appeared on the gravestone and with another movement, the three Heralds of Death pressed their hands to the gravestone symbols. The symbols for death lit up when their hands touched it and it bathed them in blinding gold light that filled through the graveyard. The trio stood back as the ground shifted and stirred underneath them.

This was an interesting development and a set of stone stairs appeared before them to lead down a secret passageway. This passageway led them to catacombs that looked to them that had not been visited in years. Someone scrawled symbols on the walls or something, words that even the three Heralds could barely make out even with their powers.

The only thing of note was sitting on a stone pedestal at the end of the corridor; they spotted the stone box before them. Harry, Kara, and Karen sped forward and three more symbols appeared on the stone box. Without another word, the three of them touched their hands to the symbols. The box remained still for a moment and they feared that it was not going to work for any time at all.

Then without warning the box broke open and a silver glint bombarded their senses; this glint ensnared their mind when the trio watched the item in the box. They crowded around for a closer look, their eyes widened at the majestic glee this box contained. It sat in the box and it was nothing really of too much value, well at least to anyone who did not know the true.

A silver crystal key shaped like a Grim Reaper's Scythe sat in the middle of the box and Harry snatched it up, when Kara snatched the scroll up.

"It's part of a map," Kara read the writing on the back of it. "The first of three parts of a map in fact."

"So there's more, this is just the beginning," Harry continued and Kara nodded in confirmation before she leaned in to face Harry.

"There are two more keys, two more parts of the map, and the real treasure is yet to come," Kara answered when she looked at Harry.

"Treasure or terror?" Karen asked to Kara and Harry at that point and the three Heralds had no clue whatsoever what that might mean. All they knew was that they had in their hands the key that led beneath the gravestone.

The three Heralds of Death flew off with the crystal key and the piece of the map, they knew that they had a long way to go and no one must know what they were doing. If this was a device to allow them to retrieve a person from the beyond without consequence or even one that could control them and their powers, they could not let anyone know what was happening.

They returned to the Potter House and Karen stood on the outside, a bit confused at this, wondering if she would be allowed inside. A smile spread over Kara's face before she invited Karen inside and Harry did likewise. Chloe already was there, as was Claire. Claire's eyes widened when she saw Karen.

"Hey," Karen answered when she looked at Claire and the young girl regarded her with suspicion.

"Um, hi," Claire responded before she reached over and grabbed Harry by the sleeve, so not to be rude. When Harry had his full attention on her, a smile crossed over his face. "Dad, who is this?"

"This is your mother's sister...for lack of a better term," Harry answered to Claire and Claire nodded, she understood Harry's implied meaning. "This is Karen."

"Oh, I guess I'm pleased to meet you," Claire answered when she looked back at Karen before she added. "You hurt any of them, and you'll be sorry though."

"Duly noted," Karen responded but she held up Harry.

"Why don't you go up to bed right now?" Kara asked Claire and Claire opened her mouth to protest before Kara gave her a firm nod. Claire spun around before she went up to her room.

This left Chloe, Kara, Karen, and Harry alone at this moment.

"So, it's time to welcome you properly into the family, I guess," Kara responded to Karen.

"You know, after all she's pulled, she does deserve to be punished a little bit," Chloe responded with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Harry grinned before he led Karen up the stairs and she supposed after she acted like a bitch, she could stand to be treated like one for a little bit. She could hear Chloe's voice from down the stairs.

"I'll get the paddle!"

**To Be Continued in "The Magic in Me Part One."**


	56. Chapter 56: Magic in Me Part One

**Chapter Fifty Six "the Magic in Me" Part One. **

**Smut/Lemon Begins. **

-PROFILE-

**Smut/Lemon Ends. **

* * *

Winds blew throughout Metropolis when the autumn breeze kicked into a fever pitch and a dark haired young woman stood on the street cover, her head turning from one side to the other, a smile crossed over her face. Yet the smile was to hide the very real pain she felt after everything that transpired throughout her life. Many years ago her father died and it was a very hard time for her. The woman recalled it quite well and the dark force that claimed him indicated that there were forces beyond his comprehension that he dabbled with.

That was one of the lessons that her father imparted on her before he died, there was nothing about it, but she wished to do what she could to bring him back. That was her foremost wish and something that she wanted to do but there was nothing to do it.

Even her magic, even all of the enchantments that she tried over the past couple of years, they were all duds, dead ends, and everything that caused her great dismay. The young woman stood dressed in a white shirt, jeans, with her black hair tied back in a ponytail.

Her name was Zatanna Zatara, the only daughter of Giovanni Zatara, one of the greatest escape artists that the world ever known. Yet, there was the fact that he had magic that allowed him to escape all of those times; that fact was obvious, but there was one thing that he could never escape, and that was his own demise. The dark haired young witch/sorceress/magic user stood at the street corner, before she made her way to a shop in the downtown district of Metropolis. There were instances where she had to go for the desperate times and desperate actions.

"Zatanna, surprised to see you here of all people."

Zatanna turned around to see the young man in the alleyway, twenty five, twenty six years old, with dark hair, dressed in a crisp suit. He stood by the side with his butler, and Zatanna knew who he was, she met him years ago. She greeted him with a smile crossing her face and stood on her heels before she faced him with a bright expression and tone of voice.

"Bruce...this is a pleasant surprise, or do you prefer the name, John Smith?"

Bruce Wayne offered Zatanna a cordial smile, she was a few years his junior and quite taken with him when he traveled the world to train. One of Bruce's teachers was Zatanna's father, who taught Bruce much about escaping. He turned around before he placed his hands on his hips and considered Zatanna for a moment, peering in her eyes.

"So I hear you specialize in granting people's wishes," Bruce commented lightly when he looked back at Zatanna and the young woman responded with a nod.

"Yes, that's a specialty of mine, I feel that it's my way to give back to others with my powers," Zatanna commented when she looked at back at Bruce. She placed her hands on her hips before she offered Bruce a nice grin and placed her hands through her hair. Then she proceeded to speak to him again, curiosity getting the better of her in spite herself. "So, what is the wish of the great Bruce Wayne, Billionaire Playboy?"

Bruce offered Zatanna a slight smile.

"Why bother with wishes when money can buy me everything?" Bruce answered but Zatanna did not buy the Billionaire playboy act for a moment at all. She leaned forward and put her hand on Bruce's before she smiled at him.

"You and I both know what your wish is, the same wish that I have," Zatanna offered in a serious voice when she looked back at Bruce long and hard with a careful expression in her eyes.

"It's been five years, hasn't it?" Bruce asked her and Zatanna answered Bruce's query with a light nod.

"Five long years, yes," Zatanna answered him when she leaned forward and placed her hands on her hips. "It's been five years, but it never gets any easier. I suppose you know where I'm coming from better than anyone else."

Bruce did not really respond but Zatanna got the message loud and clear. The truth was that his real wish would be a world where Batman was not needed, thus a world that an eight year old boy would not have his parents gunned down before him in an alleyway. That was a wish that Bruce did not even bother considering for a moment, that was a folly to even think that it would happen. The billionaire playboy by day, caped crusader by night, stared back at Zatanna.

"I think I've found a way to speak to my father," Zatanna added when she stared back at Bruce and Bruce offered her a calm expression. "You've never been one to believe in magic, have you?"

"I believe that there are things that should not be dabbled in," Bruce corrected her but Zatanna shrugged her shoulders when she looked back at him.

"I know what I'm doing," Zatanna answered when she leaned forward and gazed in Bruce's eyes. "Don't be a stranger now."

Zatanna spun around and walked off without another word, leaving Bruce in her wake. Alfred craned his neck to look at his employer, before he offered his two cents.

"An inquiry, what is with you and wayward and troubled young women, sir?"

"I'm just looking out for a friend, Alfred," Bruce responded evasively when he turned around and walked back to his limo. "I hope that she knows what she's doing."

"That is a hope that I share with you, sir," Alfred agreed when he blinked nice and long before he shifted his gaze towards the limo and entered inside. "Business calls."

"Yes, indeed, Alfred," Bruce agreed when he hoped Zatanna knew what she was doing. If she got in too far deep, Bruce might not even be able to bail her out, even if he knew that there was someone within Metropolis that could if she got in over her head. "I believe that a trip to the Shining Light Foundation is in order."

"Very good sir," Alfred offered when the limo drove off, he was just the driver and the butler, and he knew by now that Bruce had a method to his madness.

Zatanna walked inside the dusty shop where a kindly old man stood before her, with various magical trinkets hanging from the ceiling. They flickered in Zatanna's eyes in every single direction, the dark haired magical user stepping forward into the light.

"May I help you, young lady?" the old shopkeeper said.

"I have this book on pre-order, I wish to pick it up," Zatanna told him when she handed him the receipt and the shopkeeper took it. She did not mention that she figured the book once belonged to her father at one point and was her birthright.

"Ah yes, a very old and rare book of enchantments, I must say, you have good taste, my dear," the old shopkeeper said when he turned around and pulled open the cabinet before he removed the dusty tome from the cabinet. He placed it on the table and Zatanna looked at it, surprised expression on her face before she brushed the dust from the book.

"Yes, this is exactly what I need," Zatanna responded when she took the book and turned around, having already pre-paid for it. "Thank you."

"No, thank you," the old shopkeeper stated when his face twisted into an expression of pure sadistic glee.

When Zatanna was gone, the shopkeeper revealed his true form; he was not some kindly shopkeeper at all, but rather the aged sorcerer known as Felix Faust. Faust's face contorted into a grin before he placed his hands on the table before him and waited for the young woman to open the portal like a good little soldier.

"Soon master, we will take the world by storm," Faust stated when malice danced from his eyes.

* * *

Zatanna clutched the book in her hands when she made her way from the shop and made her way to the hotel suite across Metropolis but she ran into another familiar face. She stepped back with a start when she looked at the young man before him, she had seen him many years before, but she was very long when she ran into him. It was almost ten years ago when he saved her from a group of dangerous magic users, but Zatanna recognized these green eyes anywhere.

"Well it looks like trouble just rolled into town," Harry remarked when he stared down Zatanna who looked back at him with a surprise but she snorted. She stood on her heels before she stared back at Harry nice and long before taking a calming breath. Her expression never left Harry's face at all, rather Zatanna kept her gaze focused and intent on Harry for an extremely long time before she spoke.

"You know, you're the last person who should talk about people getting in trouble, Harry Potter," Zatanna responded with a steady expression on her face when she stepped across to greet him. "So I heard you found someone, I'm sure she's very beautiful."

Harry smiled, Kara was very beautiful, as was Chloe and Karen as well, but he decided not to let Zatanna in on the fact that he had multiple spouses. The dark haired young sorceress kept his eyes on Zatanna before he responded.

"I heard about your father, I'm sorry, he seemed like a good man the few times that I had the pleasure of meeting him."

Zatanna appreciated the sentiment; she only met Harry a handful of times before he seemed to disappear off the grid. Then again, she felt surprised when she heard that Harry popped up after all of these years just last year, after not spending that much time in the public life. Harry never was the type to be in the spotlight, from what she managed to find out about him, yet he was back in the spotlight with the entire Shining Light Foundation.

"So how have you been holding up?" Harry asked when he looked at Zatanna and she took a long time to consider his question before she responded slowly and carefully, choosing her words as such.

"About as well I could be expected, I guess," Zatanna offered with a long sigh when a smile crossed her face. "But it's not going to matter for too long as I've found a way to talk to him."

Alarm was something that spread across Harry's face when he looked back at Zatanna, carefully considering what she said to him, and he wondered about a lot of what she said. The dark haired young wizard carefully considered every single word that she said and did not want to rain on Zatanna's parade especially when she was such in high spirits.

Yet, he felt compelled to give her a warning in case she tried to do something that she would end up regretting later. The dark haired wizard placed his hands on his head, before he titled his head back, and looked at Zatanna.

"I hope you know exactly what you're dabbling in," Harry told her when he considered the young magic user before him. She was several years his junior, especially when one dealt with chronological ages. "Because I know better than anyone else about how dabbling with magic, especially involving dead parents, can come back and bite you hard."

Zatanna shook her head nice and long before she gazed back at Harry, considering his words nice and carefully. Harry had been through a lot and seen a lot, but there was just something about his words that she was willing to overlook. She did not go about a matter like this without thinking things through very carefully and clearly, that was not the way her mind worked. Still, a smile crossed her face when she contemplated what Harry said and pushed her back against the wall to look at him.

"I appreciate the concern Harry, I do, really," Zatanna responded when she pursed her lips into what passed as a smile. "But, I've been working hard on it, researching everything, and this time I've found something that won't blow up in my face."

"Remember, those who mess with the dead open a Pandora's Box," Harry warned her when he looked back at her.

"You could give Bruce lessons with how paranoid you are," Zatanna responded with a chuckle before she looked back at Harry, adjusting her shirt before she smiled and calmly stated her next question in a would be casual matter. "So tell me, is there anything the famous Harry Potter wishes for?"

"Wishes tend to backfire, as you have to be exact, otherwise they blow up in your face," Harry answered when he stared back at her. "I have everything that I wanted or ever needed right here, that's all that matters."

"Are you certain you wouldn't yearn one day of having a peaceful life?" Zatanna offered him but Harry's smile crossed over his face.

"Trust me, normality is overrated," Harry responded back to her without missing a beat before the two stared back at each other, the tension between both magic users rising. There was an unspoken agreement between the two not to speak of the incident that almost happened between them all those years back. It didn't get too far anyway before Sinclair and her followers decided to interject themselves in what was building up to be something between the two.

"Oh that's right, you're Harry Potter, you don't do normal," Zatanna offered him when she turned around. "Maybe I'll see you again."

"Maybe," Harry responded before he hoped that this, whatever she was doing, would not blow up in Zatanna's face. He was half tempted to take the spellbook away from her and beat some sense over her head with it.

The only way people learned their lesson about messing in things that were beyond their comprehension was the hard way. That was the most painful motivator and Harry remembered it more times than ever before. Hell, he was the one that learned it, time and time again.

He turned around to head back to the Shining Light Foundation to check in with Kara, Karen, and Chloe, now that they were finally on the same page. Where Clark would be with the destroyer coming, that was something that they would worry about in time. Lois, Lana, and Raya did their best he was sure but Harry left nothing to chance.

* * *

"No, Clark, trust me, take all of the time away that you need," Kara told Clark over the phone at the Shining Light Foundation when she kicked her feet back on the desk with a sigh and looked forward of the window. "I don't need to keep an eye on you twenty-four seven, and then there's Raya...yeah that was a surprise as well...it's mostly you, Lois, and Lana right now, okay fine. Take care, and don't get into too much trouble. Oh, yeah, Lois got a death threat form someone, that's not surprising, hopefully with her powers she could be able to mitigate that."

Kara laughed at something that Clark said over the phone as Claire sat at a chair beside her desk in her office, in between classes, and she read the book that she was assigned. A smile crossed her face when she half listened, even though she could not hear exactly what was being said on one end of the phone. Claire did not have the super hearing her parents did, either of them, but she figured that was a blessing and a curse.

"Okay, Clark, talk to you went you get back, but take it easy out there," Kara offered him over the phone before she hung the phone up, threw her head back, and sighed long and hard. The blonde Kryptonian fixed her eyes outside the window; the future did look rather bright all things considered. "Claire?"

"Yes, Mom," Claire responded with a sweet and innocent look across her face when Kara looked at her. There was a moment before Kara continued to speak.

"Three minutes, you got to get back, don't you?" Kara asked her daughter and Claire pulled a face when she realized what the time was. Her break flew by fast, too fast all things considered. "You don't want to be late."

"No, I don't," Claire offered with a smile on her face before she spun around and walked out. She nearly bowled over Harry when he walked through the door. "Dad."

"Claire," Harry answered before he gave his daughter a brief hug and he walked over to be with Kara when Claire went on her read. "She's doing really well in her classes."

"That she is," Kara answered with a smile when she showed Harry what she was working on. "I think that I might have figured out the location of the second crystal key. Stop and think about it, if there's one place where all of the weird stuff in the world happens, what do you think it is?"

"Smallville," Harry answered her without missing a beat and sure enough, Kara's hand was against Harry's. "Clark's coming here was not a mistake and neither was mine."

"And there was something that Jor-El saw in this place, but I wonder if he subconsciously picked up on certain cues," Kara offered Harry and it was that point where Harry took a long time to consider what Kara was talking about. The fact of the matter is they had to find the second key and the second part of the map.

"It does seem like we're always tracking down something," Harry offered Kara and Karen popped up at that moment, taking the seat on Harry's lap. Harry smiled when he wrapped his arms around his third wife.

"Chloe's coming up in a little bit," Karen informed them with a tense expression on her face when Harry pulled his arms tightly around her. Karen rested her head on Harry's chest and began to speak a bit more. "So tell me, what have you found out so far?"

"Well, we believe that our mystical key might be somewhere in Smallville," Kara offered Karen and Karen shifted over before she saw the print out Kara had. "The weird energy points here, here, and here indicate that there's something here. I've been researching how the meteors fell and there seems to be a nexus point."

"It's where Clark's ship landed, isn't it?" Karen asked Kara out of the blue and Kara never really thought about that. They could mentally trace back the trip of Clark's ship, using their powers and find the exact point of where they landed. If they found that exact point, then they could track down the second key.

Granted, it was a longshot, but right now it was the only shot that they had. Karen, Kara, and Harry focused on the thoughts and wondered about the prize in the box; although truth be told, skepticism reigned supreme in their minds as they gone over the problem with every single angle in their minds. The treasure as Kara, Karen, and Harry all suspected could contain an item to reverse one death, without consequence, but Harry wondered if it would be that easy.

"I interpret that as this," Harry informed both of them and Kara and Karen turned around to look at Harry, eyes widened in curiosity, before Harry continued to speak to them. "The trinket that we're after is going to give us a chance to reverse one death without consequence, but it's not necessarily going to be us being able to reverse that death one hundred percent of the way."

Karen and Kara considered this point that Harry made when they mulled over every single word he stated in their minds and to be honest, he did have a point. Everything about their mission as Heralds of Death had some kind of double meaning to it, and they wondered when it was going to stop. The two blonde Kryptonians placed their hands on Harry's and shifted towards him with bright smiles and bright eyes.

"Whatever it is, we'll deal with it," Karen commented in a light voice when she squeezed Harry's hand and Harry squeezed back, with Harry taking the other hand. Karen and Harry's lips met in a light and tender kiss, with Harry showing Karen that she was not alone. Harry turned around and kissed Kara on the lips immediately as well.

"Well it looks like I'm missing out on all the fun."

Those words indicated that Chloe showed up and she stood in the doorway, with a mock pout on her face but Harry sped over to grab her around the waist, nice and tightly. Harry tilted Chloe back enough to capture her lips in a kiss and she felt the pleasure of Harry's mouth working over hers. The two Blonde Kryptonians worked over the diagrams again to double check their math.

Harry pulled away from the kiss and walked over with Chloe to sit down. Now that was out of the way, it was time for them to bring her back up to current events.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that's underneath Smallville," Chloe answered when she closed her eyes and thought about everything long and hard before her mind and gaze returned. She voiced the theory she had to both of them, a smile crossing her face. "And I bet if you find our little death symbol, you'll find the second key."

Harry, Kara, and Karen exchanged a tense look before all of them nodded, that was more than likely. They had a lot of work to do and not too much time to do it. The entire incident with the second key and second part of the map was first and foremost on Harry's mind, so much that he forgot his little meeting with Zatanna and the warning he gave her about meddling in magics. He reminded himself that he should keep one eye open and also inform his wives about what was going on because if he needed help, they would be his best line of defense to help him out.

There was plenty of time to think about that later, as of now, they had much to do, that was a point that Harry could not belabor enough. Time ran down when the destroyer got close and Harry was not a fool, he heard of the deaths of people being found, brutally maimed.

It was hard to pinpoint a pattern when the suspect was completely twisted and out of his mind, but Harry tried his hardest to do so. The problem was that the monster's savage fury did not indicate any kind of pattern. The time got nearer for Clark's reckoning and the Heralds intended to push him into that battle with as easy of a time as he could, so his victory would be assured.

* * *

Speaking of people getting near their time of reckoning, Zatanna stood in a basement surrounded by torches as she drew the symbols on the pedestal. She realized how cliche this situation seemed but she could not be bothered, there were instances where the dark haired sorceress felt that she had nothing to lose and anything to gain. The warnings that Bruce and Harry both gave her, albeit in different ways, rang out through her mind, but she had little time to think about everything. Rather she drew the symbols on the pedestal.

Hesitation was her greatest enemy right now, an enemy that snuck up on her, filled her mind with self-doubt, with all kinds of disturbing thoughts in the back of her head. The dark haired young witch double checked the symbols on the runes, it was exactly that the spell description in the book indicated, each and every time she checked and double checked, before she sketched them and held the book open before her.

"Here it is," Zatanna mumbled when she looked back at it, before her eyes narrowed towards the book and she saw the ritual before she shoved it onto the table. Dust flew from the book, the clouds nearly made her cough and hack, not to mention her eyes watered a great deal. Yet, Zatanna continued to press the page back and began to speak the incantation in a strangled tongue.

She read it over and over several times to ensure that she got the ritual precisely right, there was no time for a misstep in a situation like this; Zatanna could not speak enough about how she had to get this exactly right, or everything would fall to pieces. The power glowed from her hands when she continued to mutter underneath her breath and continued to empower the symbols, her hair flying back from the mystical energy that swirled around the room and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

Time stood still, Zatanna was lost in that moment in time, the moment where someone thought they would do something completely right or completely wrong; she waited for the other shoe to drop. She looked forward curiously, waiting for a hint that her father was waiting to speak to her on the other side, but there was not another word.

Rather there was a pause and a loud hissing sound, but then portal hovered in the air, before it turned from blue to red and the glow bounced off of Zatanna's eyeballs, she felt like she stood in hell.

"I don't understand, I did the ritual perfectly," Zatanna offered when she put her hands on the book or tried to at least, but the book bounced her back a few steps. She felt like she got shocked, and held her hands, turning them over to see smoke coming through them with the burn marks.

There was a low, inhumane, and quite sadistic chuckle that filled Zatanna's ears and slowly, with the hairs prickling upon the back of her neck, she turned around to see the same shopkeeper she bought the book from. He looked back at Zatanna when she massaged the burned flesh on her hands.

"This book was a dud," Zatanna responded to him in an accusatory tone of voice but his laughter raised up a little bit, once again it freaked Zatanna out only a slight bit.

"Actually, my dear, this book worked perfectly," the shopkeeper offered with a bow before his disguise melted away from him to reveal his true form. "Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Felix Faust, and you've just unleashed hell upon earth, my dear Zatanna."

Zatanna's eyes flashed towards Faust's, she needed more information and she raised her hand.

"Dnib mih!" Zatanna declared when she sent the ropes to Faust but he blocked the attack and pivoted on her feet, before her eyes narrowed towards him.

Faust clucked his tongue and tutted a little bit before his hands placed upon his hips, he stared back at her for a bit of a time.

"You're so predictable, Zatanna," Faust responded when he took a long hard look at her, before the sorcerer informed her of his plan. "My master...well he's one that doesn't like to be left waiting to say the very least. He wants to send his legions into this world, and well know what today is."

"No," Zatanna offered wondering what the significance of the day was.

"Friday the thirteenth, the day where occult energies are their highest and all I needed was one foolish little girl to open one single portal," Faust responded before he flicked his wrist and sent Zatanna flying backwards against the wall.

Several shadow creatures appeared from the portal and Zatanna tried to use her best spell to push them back into the portal for a moment. She panted heavily when she tried to push back into the portal but the demons overwhelmed her when they continued to march in, her hands cracked and snapped the harder they pushed back. She struggled, there was no need to worry about them, the dark haired witch shifted her eyes and she grunted with her knees bending.

_'Have to stop them,' _Zatanna thought but this was something that was way out of her depth and Faust knew that she knew she was outgunned.

The day has come, that much Faust realized and he tingled with excitement when he watched Zatanna's attempts to push them back into the portal. She caused this, her struggles made everything all that much sweeter, and made the hunt even more joyous. The young sorceress continued to push back further and further, each moment her mind strained and cracked under the pressure.

Faust sensed the demons he could control coming closer out of the portal, the time would be at an end for all of the people, and darkness would reign supreme over the world. Flashing lights filled the room when Zatanna was blown back and overwhelmed by the demons. She used her last bit of magic to form a protective shield over her but Faust's face twisted into a grin.

"Come forth my children, she is of no consequence; we have a world to plunder."

* * *

The Shining Light Foundation's alarms went off, now normally there were times where false positives could be triggered, no magical charms were perfect. Yet, there were other times like this where such a sensitive alarm being triggered was a cause for ample concern and the dark haired wizard known as Harry Potter adjusted his position before he looked out the window, carefully seeing what was going to happen. The other two blonde Heralds of Death and the blonde herald to the herald also looked out the window.

It was calm.

Almost too calm.

In fact, if Harry hazarded a guess, it was the time of calm where he should be alarmed for the other shoe to drop, wait for something awful to happen, wait for something that will tear apart all time and space into a horrific entity. Harry waited for it to happen, he waited for every single moment to come undone but suddenly he felt a stabbing pain in the back of his head. Kara and Karen felt the same thing and the three Heralds hunched forward.

Chloe immediately dove in, being a mere Herald to the Heralds, she only had a certain sense for what was gong on but at the same time, she could sense that whatever was going on was not good, it was not good at all. Concern filled her eyes when she placed a pair of hands on her hips as she turned to face the three Heralds who waved off her concern. Yet at the same time it was painfully obvious that they felt some kind of discomfort and a great deal of pain, being hunched over in such a way.

"I believe we got it," Harry managed when he wheezed a little bit and Chloe grabbed around him and the other two Heralds slumped against the wall. Chloe looked confused, bewildered, and more than likely she was a bit scared about everything, her mind came unraveled.

"What do you have?" Chloe asked, to be honest, she was almost afraid to ask what was being cooked up now.

Harry's expression never wavered, not even for a moment, before he found himself inclined to answer.

"Something is out in the city, something dangerous."

"So it is as I feared then, she's dabbled into something that she cannot undo."

Chloe, Kara, Karen, and Harry all spun around to see Batman standing in the flesh right before them, with his belt on and a stoic expression on his face underneath his cowl. Harry could not even begin to know how Batman got in here, past his security without tripping up the alarm. Then again, the hyper sensitivity of the alarms were directed elsewhere, so an intrusion by someone, even someone as imposing as Batman could not trigger them.

"Zatanna, she did this," Batman offered when he looked back at Harry and Harry opened his mouth. "Unwillingly, unwittenly, the person who sold her that book make her their perfect pawn."

"Are you saying that I should have stopped her then?" Harry asked Batman, a defense forming on the tip of his tongue but surprisingly, Batman responded with a simple answer of his own.

"No, you shouldn't, for if I lectured you, then I would be equally as guilty. I warned Zatanna about the danger of what she was doing, but yet there was no way to stop whatever this is."

Whatever this is, Kara, Karen, and Harry found as they tapped into their full Herald of Death Powers but suddenly the connection grew weak.

"Uh oh."

Chloe's face contorted in confusion before she turned to the three Heralds at these words from Kara.

"Care to elaborate just a tiny bit more?"

Elaborate was what Harry did. "You know what the date is today, don't you?"

Chloe thought about it for a moment before she looked back at Harry. "Friday the thirteenth...so what does that have to do with anything?"

Kara picked up with an explanation of her own. "On Friday the thirteenth, there are weird things in the air regarding the magic that exists all around us. Everything is aligned such a way where our powers don't work as well as they should. It's not as if they're taking away but..."

"You have a short in other words," Chloe confirmed with the three Heralds nodding, that was what best described them for lack of a better term.

"Mr. Potter, a Miss Zatara is here to see you," the receptionist at the front desk said before they could figure out anything.

"Send her on up, now," Harry said a bit shorter than he intended, but given the situation, his temper was not the most stable right about now. The damage that occurred would have to be mitigated, how and when, Harry had no clue. In the meantime, Zatanna would make her way up to face the music.

Moments later, Zatanna arrived just in time to stare down the entire group, that contained the three Heralds of Death, Chloe, and Batman, with them staring back at her. The dark haired young sorceress collected her thoughts before her eyes narrowed a little bit, an apologetic expression on her face before she decided that now was the time to speak. Harry looked in her eyes dead on, not blinking, not saying a word, but the implication of what he was thinking was there.

"So, you told me so."

Harry gave her a stiff nod, once again not saying anything and Kara, without a word, offered Zatanna a chair and she took it sitting it down.

"I suppose you have a plan."

"Working on it as we speak," Harry answered when he turned around to look out the window but there was a moment when another person showed up. A smile crossed Harry's face when he saw her arrive; standing in the shadows where only Harry could see her properly from his vantage point.

"I figured you might need some help when I saw what was happening, so I got here as quickly as I can."

**To Be Continued in Part Two. **


	57. Chapter 57: The Magic in Me Part Two

**Chapter 57: The Magic in Me Part Two. **

Standing there in the Shining Light Foundation corridors was Rachel Roth, who stared down at Harry, Karen, Chloe, and Kara. Batman, as always, stood in the background, stoic and calm, not letting the presence of this girl rattle him, even if she suddenly disappeared. Then again, Batman would not be one to complain about sudden appearances or disappearances given some of the habits that he had.

"I noticed the demons coming through the portal, I managed to blast some of them, but I'm afraid that I'm outgunned," Rachel responded when she turned to the three Heralds, their Herald, Batman, and Zatanna. "The guy doing this is an extremely powerful sorcerer with years of experience..."

"Felix Faust, he sold his soul to a demon to get everlasting power and immorality," Harry responded without missing a beat and Chloe raised an eyebrow at this revelation.

"A fitting name then," Chloe responded and Kara nodded before she turned around to face Rachel.

"The problem is that our powers aren't...working as they should be," Kara offered in a frustrated voice when she held her hands up, they were glowing and she had no idea how to turn them off. "All of the powers that we have and there are always going to be certain quirks to them, one of them is that on Friday the Thirteenth, with the occult energies in the air..."

Karen sneezed and all of the furniture in the room developed wings and started to fly away. Harry, who sighed, moved over to reign them in one at a time and took a calming stance. The dark haired wizard could not let things like this rattle him, for if it did rattle him, then there would be a problem. He managed to undo the charms Karen did who offered him an apologetic look which Harry brushed off.

"Perhaps magic isn't the answer to this," Batman stated in his usual tone of voice and when he had the full attention of the group, he pressed on. "Perhaps technology will give us the heads up where magic is failing as of now or at least weaken it enough to where you can go in and fix the problem before it spreads."

Harry found himself intrigued by Batman's words and a quick wave of his hand invited the World's Greatest Detective to go on.

"I have been tracking this energy signature since it manifested, I believe I've found a way to pinpoint the problem and hopefully stop it," Batman responded to them all and sure enough he held out a device in his hand.

Chloe really could not help herself from asking the one question that she was sure was on the minds of many people.

"What don't you have in that belt of yours?"

Batman did not rise to the bait and respond, except for one patented Batman glare of death.

"Well, I guess I can check getting the death glare from Batman off of my bucket list," Chloe answered with a bright smile.

Zatanna was oddly quiet at that moment, knowing what she might have brought into this world. In hindsight, she should have checked the calendar, it was Friday the Thirteenth, she knew about the high concentration of occult energies flowing through the air. That was a lesson her father pounded in her head constantly, to try and impart on her the reasons why messing with any magic on that day ensnares the mind.

"I'll see what I can do to make this right, if I can make this right," Zatanna offered when she closed her eyes and felt the demons around her.

"The portal, I can lock on it and seal it so nothing else goes through," Rachel answered when she looked at the three Heralds and Chloe who nodded. "I suspect Faust may be on your most wanted list."

"Yes, he is," Kara informed Rachel and the young half demon girl tried to concentrate her magic. Shutting a portal for her should be child's play, given that it was unwise to leave portals open when traveling between dimensions. There was always a fear that something else would get through.

The fact was that this portal was harder to shut but Rachel managed to summon the full strength of her powers to seal the portal shut. It was a hard process but it was done, and it left her breathing heavily, dizzy, and she staggered back into Harry's arms, where he managed to catch her.

"Alright there?" Harry asked Rachel with a smile on his face and Rachel felt his hands on her arms, but she shook her head off to block the thoughts out of her mind.

"Yeah, doing better than the rest of this city's doing," Rachel responded but Kara, Karen, and Harry now stood on their feet, ready for action. They all took long and deep breaths before they turned around to head out towards the chaos.

Karen stopped before she realized something and the blonde offered the entire group as mile.

"Let's not go to them this time," Karen responded when she looked at them all and Harry and Kara wondered what she was talking about, as did Chloe. "We go to them, we'll get destroyed. Herd them to us one at a time and we'll send them on their way."

"Herding demons, well that's new," Kara answered but she saw the merits of the plan.

Harry, Kara, Karen, and Chloe got in position, as did Rachel and Zatanna.

"You might want to stand clear, you don't have any magical powers and they'll sense that," Rachel remarked to Batman when she looked over her shoulder.

"I might not have magical powers, but you'll find that I'm oddly resourceful," Batman answered without missing a beat and the group did not argue with him.

The three Heralds of Death fired up a ritual that would hopefully bring their party guests to them for a visit. Harry, Kara, and Karen drew in their breaths, now was not the time to think the worst, even if the worst resounded in the back of their minds. Their powers could short out on this day and cause them a boatload of problems. The Herald Trio and their Herald watched the glowing outside.

The arrival of several demons with black bodies, glowing red eyes, and sharp fangs indicated that their attempt to tempt the monsters worked, perhaps a bit too well, but it worked. The Heralds manifested their garb and Zatanna closed her eyes before she summoned all the power to her.

"Ezeerf!" Zatanna yelled when she blasted the demons nice and hard with her spell and they froze on the spot allowing the Heralds to swoop in and knock them out of the running.

Rachel closed her eyes and they began to glow before she immobilized the demons and blasted them off to nowhere. These were nothing compared to her father but it was obvious that Faust was going for quantity over quality. This was a simple mistake for would be sorcerers, they always tried to mangle the numbers.

Batman aimed a baterang and threw them at the demons causing them pain. This was not your ordinary baterang, no far from it, Batman and a friend of his named Jason Blood had these specially made to harm demons of all sorts. Blood especially wanted these made in case his more demonic side got out of control but that was beside the point. Batman unloaded with an attack after attack on them, flinging the special objects around.

"I bet I reaped more demons than you did!" Karen yelled when she swung her scythe and destroyed two more of them.

"You didn't!" Kara yelled back at Karen when she smashed her way through more creatures.

"Yes, I did!" Karen fired back when she smashed her way through some creatures of her own. The two blondes glared at each other before Chloe shook her head.

"Oh will you two knock it off, it doesn't really matter!" Chloe yelled when she dived down and knocked out eight in one fell swoop. "Besides, I think I got both of you beat."

Kara and Karen gave Chloe mocking glares when Harry allowed himself seconds of amusement the antics of his wieves, but he knew that through their collective efforts, they sent most of the demons off, with the exception of the ones controlled directly by Faust.

They took down the slaves, now it was time to find the master, and that meant another Undesirable. Faust was on their list and it was time to collect.

* * *

Faust's eyes widened with sadistic glee when he looked over everything before him, the screams of other people were music to his ears. They beat in his ear drums like pure magic. That was a type of feeling that could not be replaced at all and his legions of demons marched into town to raze some hell, for lack of a better term. His sadistic expression never wavered, not even for a second when he watched.

The mood of the powerful sorcerer was cut short when three figures showed up to lead another group. He recognized their power but Faust did not fear it. He knew what today was.

_'Three minutes until midnight,' _Kara thought to Karen and Harry and they all nodded, three minutes before their powers returned back to normal, although if they knocked Faust into a different timezone, Friday the Thirteenth would have already passed.

In fact, Harry thought that was not the worst idea in the world, as the demons made a circle around Faust to surround him.

"Ah, and it's the little enchanter trying to fix her mistake," Faust taunted when his eyes found their way toward Zatanna but Zatanna blocked the taunts out of her head and raised a hand up to wave it.

"Eci tsalb!" Zatanna yelled when she turned her hand around and fired the ice from it towards the demons.

"Impossible, there is no way for you to..." Faust started but a baterang blew up the pedestal he stood on.

Kara flew in at super speed and tried to punch him but Faust blocked it when he put the shield up. Another block and Kara continued to punch at him.

Next Karen flew herself at the shield and it crashed with a sadistic impact. The two blonde Kryptonians knocked themselves against the shield and tried to break free, shot after shot but they found that it was hard to crack through the defenses that Faust erected.

Harry offered his own input to the situation, burning through the demons with help from Chloe, they blew up into dust. He knocked into the shield and it cracked with Faust finding himself unable to sustain it for much longer.

"I don't understand!" Faust yelled when Kara broke through the shield, flipped up, and kicked him in the face whilst Karen tripped him from behind.

Faust was a powerful sorcerer but his body was rather frail, unlike that of the Heralds who kept themselves in good shape and would be so even if they didn't have their powers.

"It's after midnight!" Harry called and Faust realized what happened as his demons disappeared when the Heralds banished them.

Faust tried to get away but Zatanna teleported in front of him and lifted her hand before her eyes glowed.

"Etercnoc seenk!" Zatanna yelled at the top of her lungs and Faust found himself unable to move from his positioning, his knees weighed down several times their normal wait.

"I refuse to lose, I have power, my plan was foolproof!" Faust yelled when he tried to move but the three Heralds approached him and he felt the sweet embrace of Death tickle him.

The three Heralds surrounded Faust with the intentions to make him go on dancing in their heads and now Faust tried to push himself away but his knees knocked together. He became frantic and his blasts of magic did not really match up to the powers of the Herald of Death, especially when Friday the thirteenth became Saturday the fourteenth and the three heralds rounded upon them.

"You've proven yourself to be a fool!" Karen responded when her two fellow Heralds nodded and their eyes glowed together before they held their scythes

Faust braced himself for the end, he feared death, his heart beat against his chest with a loud thump-thump. He knew what was waiting on the other side and it was not warmth and friendship. The deal he made came back to haunt him, and Karen, Kara, and Harry raised their weapons before they swung for the fences to smash them hard into Faust.

Faust felt himself bombarded with the magical energies that ripped through him and he screamed out the top of his lungs. It was a blood curdling shriek when he felt himself dragged into the afterlife by the minions of his master, the one he made the deal with, he was dragged off to the beyond.

Everyone watched as they could hear his screams echo and get louder, louder, louder, and more frantic, there was no question about it, wherever Faust was going, it was not going to be pleasant. His suffering was going to be assured and the damage that happened in Metropolis reversed.

Harry, Karen, and Kara worked a little magic of their own and it was like nothing ever happened.

"So what exactly happened to Faust?" Chloe asked when she looked at.

"Well when you make a deal with a demon for ultimate power, they tend to get the most out of the arrangement," Rachel responded as she heard the final echoes of his blood curdling shrieks.

Chloe heard them too and to be honest, Faust was not someone that she would shed too many tears by given what he did. The Heralds stood around and sure enough, Batman disappeared into the night, now that the mission was accomplished.

That's what Batman did, he disappeared into the night, swift as vengeance and only appeared when he was needed. Harry thought that he pinpointed how Batman did it but he would allow him to disappear into the night. It was part of his mask, part of who Batman was. He was vengeance, he was the night, and all that good stuff.

"I think we're done," Kara remarked to break the awkward silence that developed between the entire group.

"No demons around, so I think that we are," Rachel confirmed and everyone sighed in relief.

Thankfully they were able to minimize the damage caused by these hoards of demons and there was no one that was killed. Although if Rachel did not seal the portal they poured through, there would be even more problems, as their sheer numbers tended to overwhelm most people and then there was the fact that they would grow in power the more than they feasted off of each and every person out there.

Luck was not a term that Harry Potter threw around loosely but tonight, they were lucky that they did not suffer a horrific defeat and get destroyed. It spoke well for the control that they had over their Herald of Death Powers that they did not be overwhelmed by the Friday the Thirteenth insanity.

Luck had nothing to do with anything; skill had everything to with winning the day.

* * *

Zatanna drew in a breath when she stood outside and looked up at the sky in Metropolis, there were many things that she did that were questionable. Her desire to speak with her father one last time was exploited by Faust and she knew it one hundred percent of the way. There were times where her heart defeated her head and she thought about what she should have done. The dark haired magic user peered up into the sky and stood on the lawn outside of the Shining Light Foundation.

"Do you have a place to stay?"

Zatanna spun around to see Harry hovering there before her.

"I thought that you'd be chasing me off by now, given all the trouble I caused you and your...wives," Zatanna responded, with the word rolling off her tongue like some oddity that she could barely fathom yet there it was. She shook her head and turned to face Harry. "Only you Harry."

"That statement is so ambiguous that it could pertain to many things that have happened in my life," Harry responded when his expression never faltered. "Seriously speaking, what are you going to do now?"

Zatanna thought about this question long and hard, to be honest, that was a good question and one that she wondered about. Harry always asked the questions that made her wonder and the dark haired magical sorceress pondered this question over in her mind, she mulled it over, and thought about it.

"Well I know one thing is for certain, I'm not going to dabble in mysterious spell books that I buy from supposedly kind owners at a second hand book shop," Zatanna responded and Harry's face contorted into a tiny bit of a smile.

"That's a good idea."

Zatanna stared at Harry, there earlier meetings had been far more innocent in their own ways, even if Harry had an entire mad cult out for his blood.

"I swear I'll find some way to make this up to you," Zatanna added when she looked at Harry.

"I know you will," Harry responded when the two stared at each other.

There was a long pause with neither knowing what to say.

"So, I'm assuming that you defeated that Sinclair woman," Zatanna remarked to break the silence and Harry offered her a crisp not when his eyes never left her, not even for a single moment. Always when Harry looked at her, Zatanna felt like his eyes scanned her. "I wondered if you went down in a blaze of glory, given that you disappeared for six years."

A tense smile appeared over Harry's face when his expression turned to face Zatanna and the dark haired Herald of Death took a moment to lean forward and peer into her eyes. Having him be so up close and personal caused shivers to fill her being and move down her spine.

"Six years was a long time but it flashed by in an instant the more I think about what happened," Harry answered Zatanna and that cryptic statement was all Zatanna was going to get out of Harry at this present moment. The dark haired sorceress stepped forward. "It's getting late, I got a daughter to tend to, and my wives are wondering where I am."

"I think that I have a journey to take starting now, but maybe I'll be back around before you think," Zatanna offered Harry with a shrug.

"Maybe," Harry agreed when he looked back at her and a breeze blew between the both of them.

Harry and Zatanna stood across from each other, with one of them wishing that she listened to the other. They dodged a very narrow bullet tonight with what occurred and Zatanna spun around, not even blinking with anything that happened. The dark haired young sorceress walked off and Harry watched her live.

"I take it you two have had dealings in the past."

Rachel stood behind Harry and Harry turned around to face her.

"One could say that," Harry answered Rachel in a crisp and ambiguous tone of voice.

It was true, before Harry met Kara, he really didn't have any luck with love and she opened the doors for something great, and Harry was glad for it. There was many times where his curiosity got the better of him but thankfully when he fished Kara out of that lake, that was not one of those times.

Rachel stood before Harry and Harry decided to bring up a point that he had with her.

"Your powers are getting stronger and more refined I see," Harry answered Rachel when the young half demon looked back at him. "If you would like to, I'll help you train your powers a little bit, to make sure that they don't go off the rails at the worst time."

Rachel thought about the offer and a part of her felt honored that Harry of all people, especially with his busy schedule, offered to train her in the art of her powers. She had some grounding in her powers but she was nowhere near perfect. Harry could help her become better.

It did seem like she was forming some kind of connection with Harry, although what that was, Rachel did not know what it was. Although there were many instances where she felt more at ease around Harry, where she trusted him, and given the fear that surrounded her up until the defeat with Trigon, there were instances were trust was something that was hard to come by.

"I thank you, and I'll keep that in mind," Rachel responded to Harry with a smile crossing her face.

"Great, we can start your training on Monday morning," Harry answered with a smile back towards Rachel which she returned.

Tonight was a productive night to say the very least, with the demons banished and Faust taken down. Harry checked the Undesirable counter, they were down to eight. Harry wondered what happened when they hit zero and wondered if the work of the Heralds would truly be done.

Then again, Harry doubted that there work would ever be done, there would always be evil out there to fight and always be people who would try to cheat death. Yet, as long as the Heralds were out there and did their jobs, those people could not run forever. They would find them, tracking them down, and hopefully everything would work out for the best.

After the night that was, Harry decided to return back home where three lovely young women were waiting for him. That was one of the perks of his position to say the very least. There was thankfully no call that indicated that Clark was in trouble, which was good, he needed a day off about as bad as Harry did. Plus, Lois, Lana, and Raya should be able to cover each other.

With that thought, Harry smiled before he returned home with a pop, tonight had been a long one and he looked forward to some downtime before the next major crisis.

* * *

"For once, it was actually pretty boring come to think about it," Lana responded when Clark, Lois, and Lana swung by the Shining Light Foundation the next day.

"Speak for yourself, I was the one who got dragged into the hotel room several times by all of you," Clark responded when he looked at Harry, almost expecting him to come to his defense.

"Congratulations," Harry said when he patted Clark on the shoulder and Lois, Lana, Chloe, Kara, and Karen all looked highly amused.

There were some days where Clark thought he was fighting a losing battle and this was one of those days by far. He decided to go with the flow. As the old saying went, if you can't beat them, join them. At least that's what Clark had in mind and his mind went wild with many thoughts. The young Kryptonian male sat down on the chair beside them.

"Anyway, we brought you back something," Lois answered to the three Heralds and they looked rather surprised by this statement by Lois. "I know, it's a bit sudden but...there you go."

Lois, Lana, and Clark hoisted up a large tomb onto the desk in front of Harry, Kara, and Karen.

"You went grave robbing?" Chloe asked when she raised an eyebrow.

"More like Lois tripped on it and we noticed the symbols," Clark answered and Lois turned around at him with a mock glare.

"I don't trip, Smallville, I descended to the ground gracefully," Lois answered but Clark offered a smile that indicated that he took great pleasure to get underneath her skin. So Lois decided to take great pleasure in using her super strength to twist Clark's arm behind his back in a hammerlock move.

Clark did not really feel pain but he could not power out of it either. Plus, it did stand to reason that all kinds of pain were not physical, there were some that emotional and Lois pushed Clark down onto the ground, standing above him, with her foot on the back of his head.

"Say it Smallville!" Lois called out to him.

"Uncle?" Clark asked and Lois got up and Clark pulled himself up to the ground.

Harry, Kara, and Karen were only mildly amused by their antics on the account they had something in front of them that they might have been searching for. The tomb sat before them on the desk and their eyes took a long gaze towards it when they peered at the symbols on it. The symbols were that of death, with the triangle, the circle, and the line, the same markings that they knew from their training and that had been on the first gravestone.

"Lois...fell gracefully over it when Lois and Clark were following up a lead about smugglers," Lana answered when she looked at them.

"And it wasn't a very good lead either, you know what they were smuggling?" Lois asked then and Kara, Karen, and Harry figured that even if they did not want to know, Lois was going to let them in on the fact anyway. "They were smuggling cheese, and the stuff reeked. I thought that it would be something good for all the trouble we went to going after it."

"Well it does make for a cheesy story," Clark answered with a wide grin and Lois turned her attention to him with an agitated glare.

"You were warned abound the puns, Smallville," Lois answered but Harry put his hand up before he turned to Lana, Lois, and Clark.

"I need the three of you to leave and go into the next room because if I set this thing off with you nearby, it might hurt any of you," Harry answered before they looked at them. "You three are not Heralds, and when one of those things were touched by Lex, his brain got fried."

"Good thing someone didn't touch one of the symbols," Lana remarked them, feeling pleased that she had the foresight and Clark's cough sounded like "Lois".

With a narrowed eye glared, Lois, Lana, and Clark exited the room at super speed. Thankfully, Harry knew of a charm to make sure that nothing blew around when people exited at super speed. Chloe wished that she had Harry around years ago to perform that charm; it would have saved her from having to clean up a lot of messes after hurricane Clark blew into town.

Without another word, Harry, Kara, and Karen saw the three symbols on the tomb and they pressed their hands to them simultaneously. The blinding white light filled the room and caused the desk to rattle underneath him. It reacted a bit differently that the other one and they waited on pins and needles for the other shoe to drop.

The crypt cracked open to reveal an antique box within it. The three Heralds grabbed the box and they felt it swing open.

Sure enough the contents were mostly the same, with a third of a map and another key.

"So all we need to have is one more key and one more piece of the map," Harry answered, pleased that Lois's skills to inadvertently stumble upon trouble, or perhaps intentionally even, came in handy.

"Easier said than done, I think," Kara commented and Harry placed a hand on hers, before he smiled. Chloe put a hand on Kara's other hand, and Karen put a hand on Chloe and Harry's hand and the three Heralds and their Herald stood in a circle.

"No matter what, no matter how, no matter what it is, we'll find it."

Clark poked his head into the door, he heard the humming and the light show, so he was concerned. However, he saw Harry, Karen, Kara, and Chloe in the midst of a moment and wondered if he was premature in trying to break something up. He stood there in wait and decided that since he was there, he would ask the painfully obvious question that was on the tip of his tongue.

"Is everyone..."

"Fine, Clark, thanks for asking," Kara responded with a smile crossing her face when she looked back at her cousin. "Everything worked out well...its just some piece of paper and a weird key."

"But does the key have any significance?" Lois asked, her reporter instincts getting the better of her.

"You know Lois, if you need to worry about it, we'll tell you," Chloe answered for the Heralds and Lois looked back at her cousin. "All three of you."

"We're honestly piecing everything together ourselves," Karen added with a smile towards Clark, Lana, and Lois. "So did you and Raya spend much time together?"

"I think Raya spent a bit more time enjoying the slot machines where we were than Clark," Lana offered with a mirthful expression in her eyes. "It's always the ones you least expect."

Karen hoped that her chosen protector would have a stronger place in Clark's heart, the strongest place, but their journey only began. It was one of those things where she felt like her competitive nature needed to win out every single time. She did appreciate one single fact.

The three Heralds chose someone in their own way to protect Clark, when they couldn't always watch over him. Kara chose Lana, Harry chose Lois, and Karen chose Raya, and that was amazing how things worked out in that way. Karen felt her head get a bit clearer since she found her family and ever since she misplaced the crystal her father gave her when she left Krypton. It was a part of her old life though, Karen wanted a new life.

Even though she felt should likely she track down that crystal because if it fell in the wrong hands, anyone who came across it could be in mortal peril.

Clark felt that Karen being nice to him after the way that she treated him when she first got here was weird and unsettling but then again, in some way she was family. He knew that people could change and he hoped that things would continue to get better in time. Clark also was under the impression that Kara, Karen, and Harry were up to something top secret but despite his temptation to find out, he decided not to.

There were certain matters that Clark could not fathom and his mind would not piece together. The Heralds knew what they were doing and Clark resolved to just step back, let them do what they needed to do, and worry about his life.

* * *

Harry sat waiting up in his office and there was a knock on the door that brought him out of his thoughts. He leaned forward and addressed the person on the other side.

"Come in," Harry responded and the office door clicked up to reveal that Zatanna was on the other end. She was dressed in a tight white top and a black skirt, displaying her long legs in fishnets. The dark haired magic user entered the room and took a look at Harry. "Hey, Zatanna, didn't expect you to come back around here."

"Well, I did some thinking, and I don't think that I could leave town without thanking you for helping me," she told him with a smile on her face when she looked Harry over. "And I had a discussion with your wives. We've agreed that there's only one way that I can make this up for you. And I can show you want I wanted to do to you all those years ago if we hadn't gotten interrupted."

'_Yeah Harry, I did, take her, she owes you big time,' _Kara confirmed to him.

Harry got to his feet, with a smile on his face when he drank in Zatanna's form and sent butterflies flapping in her stomach.

"I'm sure we can make up for what you've done, yes," Harry responded when he grabbed Zatanna around her waist and the two looked over each other.

"I don't know what's changed about you but there's something powerful about you and it's….well it's amazing," Zatanna breathed when she looked at Harry with a gaze through her eyes and Harry stared back at her, a smile crossing his face.

"I'm sure it is amazing," Harry responded when he looked back at her honestly, a smile crossing his face. "And I'm sure the two of us can work out something together."

Harry bent Zatanna back and pushed her against the wall before his mouth met hers and his hands brushed through her silky black hair. She felt a warmth flooding through her body like nothing she ever felt before. Harry ran his hands all over her body when she opened her mouth to allow his tongue inside. The two of them had their tongues dance with the passion that defied belief.

The kiss broke apart and Zatanna felt flushed from that action, before she reached forward and grabbed the bulge in Harry's pants.

"Take me home and take your payment," Zatanna breathed to Harry, rubbing him through the fabric of his trousers and working him over. Her eyes danced with the passion and desire, desire to have this cock in her and penetrate her like she allowed no man to ever do so before.

Harry scooped her up in his arms and the next thing they knew, they were back in Harry's bedroom. She collapsed down on the bed, feeling flushed with pleasure and Harry began to strip off her clothes and his before the real fun began.

**Smut/Lemon Begins. **

-PROFILE

**Smut/Lemon Ends. **

* * *

Tess bit her lip when she sat on a chair on her desk and held it in her hands, partially transfixed by what sat in her hand, the orb she found all of those months away. Her best scientists had not been able to dent it, not even scratch it, and most certainly would not be able to open it. It was a mystery of what this orb was but Tess felt the need to figure out how to open it, if nothing else the contents would offer a hint towards Lex's psychosis.

Yet there was no identifiable markings of any kind whatsoever, in fact the orb was clear and purple, without a trace. Tess set the orb down on the desk with a smile crossing her face when she took it to the high security vault in the back of her office and locked it away. It would be unwise to study it for too much longer especially when one considered the amount of time she spent on it already.

Tess debated many things about that orb in her hand but there were other things that were on her mind.

"We uncovered the entire field and found something Miss Mercer."

Curiosity got the better of Tess and she wondered with as many trips as Lex recorded on file, along with many that he did not record, how could he miss something like this? It defied all conventional belief and all standard logic, yet Tess stood forward with a thought on her mind of what was before her.

"What is it?" Tess wondered and the box was brought before them.

It was nothing extraordinary whatsoever, it was a carved box with the strange symbols on it, the same symbol Lex sketched that he found on the gravestone.

The same symbol Tess noted that she did not find a translation for no matter how many books or records she poured through. That symbol was in no language ever recorded by humans and that was the key word, no language ever recorded by humans. Tess placed her hands on the edge of the box, careful not to touch the symbols.

She recalled from Lex's extensive records that the time he touched the symbol on the gravestone, his brain was short circuited for a time and then reset by a mysterious force. Sorcery or either highly advanced alien technology was the two most logical explanations and Tess could not determine right yet what offered more unanswered questions for her. The power before her was personified in this box.

"More reports have come out about the serial killer, Miss Mercer."

Her contact handed Tess the latest police reports that were faxed to her, the creature, the monster continued to attack, but Tess determined from a few grainy photos that it was not a monster but rather a man. It was the other one, the one that was sent on Earth with the traveler that would need to be a challenge that he must overcome or doomsday would strike the world.

The words "neither can live whilst the other survives" was found on the inscription in the scrolls Tess located that described the battle. The killer grew in power and she wondered what the traveler was doing. While the world burned around them, Tess wondered whether or not the traveler understood that he had to take certain steps to preserve the future of the world.

She heard of the three messengers of Death who had been sent forth.

Lex's notes were vague but Tess located information about what Lionel Luthor left behind, a series of journal entries that grew more and more frantic the more time past. There was one final entry that was written days before Lionel was murdered by a gunman.

"Death will visit them all before the end of Doomsday."

Tess could not wrap her mind around that situation and she tapped her fingers across the desk, before she delved into another area of interest, security recordings that she uncovered over the last few days before Lex's trip to the Artic. Lex's body was uncovered, dead and decayed several days ago but Tess wanted to find out even more information regarding what she had at her disposal.

"Are you saying he's the one?"

That was Lex and Tess almost heard something, the faintest whisper but no matter how much she heard, the person who spoke was out of reach.

"The traveler, all this time...you've got me by the throat anyway, what's your stake in this?"

More silence but once again Tess swore she heard something in the silence.

"We do need to have a talk after what happened, Kal-El and I, after all of the lies.'

There was a long time where Tess should have heard words but there was nothing on the other end of the recording except for constant static. She fine tuned every single bit of the recording but there was nothing, nothing.

Tess read the final words that Lionel Luthor wrote before he passed on.

"Death will visit them all before the end of Doomsday."

The more she knew, the less Tess understood, and for someone like her, she did not like that at all.

The box in front of her presented another mystery, the same mystery that may have indirectly led to Lex's demise. Harry Potter stood before her as an enigma, someone that she wanted to understand but someone that seemed to be a few steps ahead of her. As much as Tess loathed to admit it, the ball was in Harry Potter's court.

Then she looked at the symbol, maybe not, given that these symbols followed Harry Potter around wherever he went. Tess wondered if she held an item that he required for whatever his destiny was. It would be prudent once more to get in touch with him and try and determine what his game was.

The killer continued to pile up his victims but given the context clues Tess read, there was every indication that Harry knew what was going on here, even if he did not have a way to defeat it. The Traveler was also in the middle of it and then there was Kal-El.

"Death will visit them all before the end of Doomsday."

A statement that Lionel made that would live on infamy that looped through Tess's mind.

Also, she heard a humming from the vault and she swung it open.

Tess swore that the orb started to hum and then she heard voices within it but it remained still, silent, and ominous in the vault. Tess tapped on the orb, it had her rattled, she'll admit that much. Yet the orb remained silent and quiet.

Almost too quiet.

Tess turned around and walked away. Once she was gone, a quiet voice spoke from within the orb.

"Soon, it will be fulfilled," a female voice stated from within the orb. "Harry will lead them, it's in his DNA, he will make all who oppose him kneel before him."

**To Be Continued in the Next Chapter "Calm Before the Storm."**


	58. Chapter 58: Calm Before the Storm

**Chapter Fifty Eight: Calm Before the Storm**

Harry woke up the next day in bed, with Zatanna draped over one side of him and Kara draped over the other side of him. The two of them snuggled into his chest and he smiled, feeling content.

Zatanna shook herself awake and offered a sleepy smile. "So….so that wasn't a really nice dream? This time it was real."

Harry turned to the side a little bit and kissed her on the lips. He pulled back and smiled. "Not a dream, very real."

Kara woke up and Harry gave her a kiss too. She was his Alpha after all so she would have a special place in his heart.

"I trust you'll be coming around a lot more now," Harry responded when he looked at Zatanna and she smiled.

"Yeah, I have a pretty good reason," she offered, cupping his crotch for emphasis. Harry could go all night long and then some. It was what she was waiting for and better. "I have to get some things in order but after that's done, I'll be coming back on a more permanent basis."

"Glad to hear that," Harry responded when he looked at her and Zatanna got dressed, before she offered Harry one last parting kiss.

"Don't I get a kiss goodbye?" Kara asked with a mocking pout. "I'm only the one who set this up so you could get laid, you know."

Zatanna offered a smile, and she kissed Kara, running her hands through her gorgeous blonde hair and looked into her blue eyes.

"I'll see you later," Zatanna offered when she turned and walked off.

Harry knew that he would in fact see her later.

Kara and Harry were left alone and the two of them exchanged a tense expression before the blonde spoke.

"We still got Doomsday to work on," Kara stated when she folded her arms. "I….I can't believe that Clark has to do that. You realize that I'm going to likely teach my cousin to kill. Lois would be able to do it if she could, Raya would be able to do it if she could, Lana would as well, so would you, I, Karen, and Chloe. Hell even Oliver would too, and let's face it, if he dies in the process….no big loss."

"Kara, be nice," Harry responded but she just grinned.

"But Clark's too much of a boy scout, I'm sure he goes on an endless guilt trip if he accidentally kills a fly," Kara responded when she looked at Harry. "There has to be some way that we can take down Doomsday."

"Avada Kedavra," Harry whispered, turning away from Kara.

"Pardon?" Kara asked but then she realized. "You….you think that would work."

"I don't know," Harry responded when he shook his head. "It either puts down the monster for good or….it makes him unkillable. I'm trying to figure out if it's worth the risk."

Kara wondered as well, when Harry pulled her onto his lap and stroked her hair.

"I came here to protect Kal-El, I don't want him to die," Kara whispered when she snuggled into his chest.

"As long as Lana, Lois, and Raya have their powers, Clark is perfectly safe," Harry responded when he looked at them. "And unless Death decides to pull my powers, they'll keep theirs."

Kara smiled, Harry had been toeing the line as much as he could as of late, although given how fickle Death was, she had a deep feeling of dread. Then again, he already lasted longer than every Herald of Death to date, going on two years. He had the proper grounding.

* * *

The last several days, even the last several weeks had been intense and kind of stressful for Harry Potter but despite all of the evil forces he fought, there were instances where Harry knew that he could take anything that the world threw against him. Despite what was out there, Harry shook his head and decided to continue the task that he was doing, or rather finish it because he was almost done with it.

Harry, slowly but surely, made his rounds in the Daily Planet and found everything to be mostly running as it should, nice and smoothly. Or at least as nice and smoothly as a Newspaper company in a chaotic city like Metropolis could be. The latest exploits of the Blur were detailed but now that Lois was in on the joke, she was able to have a bit more fun with her stories. That amused Harry and in some ways, that made him look forward to seeing what Lois's latest efforts were.

Kara and Karen were off doing their own things, with Kara visiting her Aunt at the Fortress of Solitude, even though she would have to stomach Jor-El. Karen was following a lead on the position of where the third key was, and she also commented on trying to find a crystal of some sort. What significance that crystal had, Harry really did not have any idea whatsoever but if Karen thought it was important, than it was important.

Lana and Lois were off doing something with Clark, although the full details Harry decided was their business and no one else's. Clark seemed to have conceded defeat about the entire situation which Harry personally thought was the best thing in the world for him. Harry folded his arms over the top of the table and remained silent, pensive and passive when he stared out the window of the main office.

"Hi, Harry!"

Chloe popped up at this point, saying those words brightly, before she offered Harry a hug for a moment and pushed him back towards his desk.

"So the inspection go alright?" Chloe inquired of him as the blonde straddled his lap with Harry on the desk and made sure the office was locked and secured. One did not need to be a rocket scientist to figure out what Chloe had in mind for both of them. She smiled when she straddled her legs over Harry's lap and peered into his eyes.

"Everyone seems to be running on schedule," Harry commented to Chloe when she slowly unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hands down his muscular chest.

"That's good, I think we should conduct a private inspection of our own," Chloe remarked when she practically purred in his ear as he said that.

Chloe thought that with Kara and Karen away doing what they did, and her being here, this would be the perfect opportunity to score her some one on one Harry time. She could tell by Harry's bulge poking her that he was up for the inspection and she wrapped his arms around his neck, with a bright smile crossing her face.

Harry leaned forward and planted a light kiss to the side of her neck and Chloe shivered when he began to suck on her neck with his very able mouth. His hands roamed all over her body, down her clothed breasts, underneath her shirt grazing her belly, and down her stocking covered legs, before they grazed underneath her skirt, and Harry smiled while he felt between her legs.

"I think I'm not the only one that is up for a little inspection," Harry remarked when Chloe was already undoing his pants with feverish fury.

"Yes, Mr. Potter, I think you're not the only one," Chloe responded with a mischievous grin. "Let's conduct a little...raise."

Chloe groped him for emphasis and then the real fun was about to begin.

**Smut/Lemon Begins. **

-PROFILE-

**Smut/Lemon Ends. **

* * *

"Kal-El must speed up the time table of embracing his destiny."

"Kal-El is doing perfectly fine!" Kara yelled back when she was at the Fortress, having an argument with Jor-El. To be honest, she regretted putting him back online but her aunt convinced her to do so to give them a balanced perspective of all sides. Although Lara did balance out more of Jor-El's colder and indifferent qualities, there were times where he could be insufferably stubborn. "I'm taking the steps necessary to ensure that his protection is secure until the moment where he's ready. Which is more than I can say about you with all of your twisted tests!"

"I do what I must for Kal-El to embrace the person he is," Jor-El answered in a crisp voice. "Your mate deliberately defied my plans when he brought Raya from the Phantom Zone again."

"Yeah, another one of your tests, which was a brilliant one by the way, Jor-El," Kara practically spat out.

"Kara, Jor-El, this argument solves nothing," Lara cut in before things could get too ugly between her husband and niece. "Kal-El is in a rocky step on his journey, but it is not something that should be rushed because you believe this to be his destiny."

"Do you not see it, Lara, for each passing day, the monster grows in strength," Jor-El argued to his wife and Lara realized that. "Each day we have, is a day that we cannot delay for what Kal-El must do."

Kara understood that Bloome, or rather the monster because she personally felt that any trace of Davis Bloome was killed when Ra's Al Ghul dunked him in that pit, was out there and killing people. She felt a personal responsibility because her, Harry, and Karen had been unable to catch him.

"Kal-El will embrace what he is meant to do, but only when the time is right for him to do so, and not one second before," Lara argued when it appeared that she glared at Jor-El to dare him into challenging him.

"A mother's love often times gets in the face of all logic."

"Yes, but your logic has caused Kal-El nothing but suffering and pain," Lara answered, getting in the last word while she could. She knew her son was destined for great things but pushing him towards that greatness before he was ready to take the steps without any prodding was going to do more harm than good. Kara stood there, the awkward scene before her. "Kara it was good to see you but I think it would be best if you leave whilst I have a conversation with Jor-El."

"Of course, Aunt Lara," Kara answered, knowing what a discussion between her Aunt and Uncle would entail and quickly Kara sped off outside the Fortress.

She stood outside the Fortress where Raya sat waiting.

"Jor-El isn't completely right, but he isn't completely wrong either," Raya answered to break the silence that occurred between the two women.

"I know, and that's what makes it frustrating," Kara whispered to Raya in an undertone between the two of them.

She looked up and saw Lana, Lois, and Clark in the air above them, and smirked when Kara thought about Lois's idea to "train" Clark to get him to fly. It seemed like Lois wanted to do her part as Clark's protector to encourage him to fly, by any means necessary. And by Lois, any means could be a lot. She stepped up her efforts when she found out Clark flew twice recently, albeit under the influence.

"You didn't seem all that fond of me when you found out that I was here," Raya answered when she looked at Kara.

"I'm sorry, I was just projecting the dislike I had for Jor-El onto you," Kara responded in an apologetic voice and Raya nodded by her side in understanding.

"That type of projection can be easy to do, even with the best of us, and I do admit that I want to see Kal-El to do well but I wonder what Jor-El was thinking when he removed all of his emotions from the equation," Raya mused when she looked into the sky, eyes narrowed with amusement when she saw the interplay going on in the sky above. "If he were not to do that, then he would understand what Kal-El is going through, for he went through the very same thing with his father, who also expected great things of Jor-El. Each passing generation, the House of El has had great expectations and more often than not, they've passed and often times exceeded them."

Raya paused before she inclined her head towards Kara.

"Case in point."

Kara was pleased to hear that glowing assessment, she sure thought she was doing good as the Herald of Death of Krypton, although her main objective was to make sure that Clark remained protected until the moment where he was ready to embrace that destiny. Whether it be a month from now, a year from now, or ten years from now, Clark had a great roll in the future of the world, although Kara wondered if the powers that be thought about how great that was going to be when the time passed.

"I take it your problem with Jor-El stems from what happened to your mother," Raya added to break Kara out of her thoughts and her watching Lois and Lana toss Clark back and forth in mid air, despite his protests, in some hair-brained attempt to get him to fly.

"Yes, that's exactly it, he didn't offer regrets, even eight years later," Kara responded, clutching her fists in frustration, Jor-El was someone that she was not the biggest fan of. She liked to think of Clark as Lara's son and only called him the son of Jor-El when he was being a bit of a twat, which was very often the more she thought about it. Of course, Kara wouldn't have Clark any other way.

There was a gentle expression in Raya's face when she gazed back at Kara.

"I do not intend to absolve Jor-El, for he blamed himself and he often did wonder if he was the one who caused that fatal blow," Raya added when she looked at Kara. "Alura was in the middle between Zor-El and Jor-El and either one of them could have been the one to strike her fatally, but...I'm not sure what happened and Jor-El was not either. He decided to seclude himself for the longest time because of it."

Kara looked up in the sky, and continued to amuse herself by watching Lois and Lana and there was a yell of "stop whining and taking it like a man, Smallville!"

"Your mother was a brave and valiant woman and I see her influence shining through on you," Raya answered when she looked at Kara. "While I never had the pleasure of meeting her, I've heard enough of her to realize that she was a great woman. She was a medical scientist in the Kandorian Army and one of the best."

That little fact was news as far as Kara was concerned, she always thought that her mother was a humble botanist and nothing more. Alura was an expert on plants, both on Krypton and other, knowing what properties healed and even what properties killed, even though there was some twisted desire in knowing something that. Although Kara figured that would have to be known how plants killed if one would want to be inventive enough for formulate some kind of antidote.

Raya decided not to tell Kara the other part of what she knew about Kara's mother, figuring that there was no need for Kara to know that. The fact was that Alura was good friends with Zod at one time. In fact, there were rumors that Alura chose Zor-El over Zod, not that was the best choice in the world to make given what hindsight was.

Yep, she thought it would be prudent not to tell Kara that her mother was once friends with one of the greatest War Criminals in the history of Krypton.

Karen showed up at that point and faced them.

"No luck on it," Kara whispered to her when Raya flew up to join the fun above them.

"No, I'm pretty sure someone's messed around in that field but if it was there, it's gone now," Karen whispered when her eyes snapped up. "Maybe that will convince him to fly."

"Maybe," Kara answered when she watched Clark get tossed from Lana, to Lois, and the Raya joined in on the fun.

"Clark's being triple teamed and not in the good way," Karen answered, for some reason her mind felt clearer since she lost the crystal.

"Yeah, thanks for that image," Kara responded with a shudder when they decided to leave Clark in the very capable hands of Lana, Lois, and Raya.

Or perhaps at their mercy.

At their mercy seemed to be a rather good term, for they did not appear to have any.

"Come on, enough is enough," Clark responded when Lana tossed Clark back to Lois. "Are you going to be the least bit tired yet?"

"Never!" Lois yelled with an amused expression on her face.

"Yeah, Clark, you should know we can go for hours and hours," Lana responded with a wink at the implications of the statement.

"It is an essential part of your training," Raya responded when she caught Clark and threw him back.

Clark had no idea whatsoever how this was an essential part of his training but he went with it. It wasn't like he could fly away, no matter how much he willed himself to.

"I think I hear someone calling for help!" Clark yelled but this fell on deaf ears.

"Nice try, Smallville, but we have the same super hearing that you do and we don't hear anyone," Lois responded as the other two women nodded.

* * *

Harry continued his work at the Shining Light Foundation, checking on some of the guests as he walked around. A buzzer echoed and he moved over to pick up the communication link to see who was calling.

"Harry, Oliver Queen wants to know if you have a few moments to spare," Megan answered on the other end.

Harry wondered what he wanted but decided he might as well get this over with.

"It's fine, send him on up, I'll be there," Harry answered when he looked at the latest copy of the Daily Planet, describing the latest exploits of the blur or blurs rather, saving a runaway train from certain destruction. Harry also found the article regarding a group of heroes calling themselves the Doom Patrol who stopped another crime outside of the city limits to be quite enlightening.

Oliver popped up at that moment to see Harry standing there.

"Oliver, I see that your leg is much better," Harry answered and for the past few months, Oliver had been out of it, due to the fact that he was shot in the leg.

"I'm on the mend, although I've been through worst," Oliver responded when he looked at Harry. "There's something that I need to inform you about that you should know, or someone."

Harry waved his hands for Oliver to proceed.

"Tess Mercer, she's very interested in digging up information on you," Oliver responded before he paused and waited for Harry to answer.

To be honest, Harry knew that Tess was extremely interested in digging up information on him, given her inner nature; she would want to have all of the cards on the table out in front of her. In fact, Harry was pretty certain that Tess was interested in more regarding information and also more than about the partnership that Luthorcorp and the Shining Light Foundation enjoyed. That was the sense that Harry got when he thought about it.

Oliver saw that Harry was being rather nonchalant about the situation so he offered him a few more words.

"I don't know if you realize what type of woman Tess Mercer is or what she's capable of," Oliver responded when he looked back at Harry.

Harry drummed his fingers on the side of the desk, when he half watched Claire on the other side.

"I understand what kind of woman Tess is and I understand what she may be capable of," Harry answered when he turned towards Oliver and looked into his eyes dead on, staring him down. "But I don't think you understand what kind of man I am and what I'm capable of."

Oliver thought so, he didn't know that much about Harry Potter himself, although Clark did vouch for him several times. Of course Clark would stick up for Harry, he was practically family and all that. Oliver offered Harry a spot in their group but he turned it down. Which was a shame as from what Oliver observed here at the Shining Light Foundation, Harry seemed to be a natural leader and would be perfect for leading that group of super heroes, but Harry once again claimed that he had little time on his hands.

"I'm sure you have plenty to things to say about Tess and I'm sure she has plenty things to say about you," Harry responded, cutting to the chase. "Whatever past you two have...it's in the past and it should remain there. I've got to worry about what I have to do in the present."

"And you do realize that there's some kind of super powered serial killer running loose in Metropolis," Oliver answered when he looked back at Harry.

"Believe me, Oliver, I realize that, and I'm taking steps to prepare the only person who can defeat him for his destiny," Harry answered when he looked away from him.

There was a very real possibility that Clark could die in this battle with Doomsday, that was a point that Karen, Kara, and Harry discussed previously. They did not want to bring this up to Clark because the last thing they needed was for him to start second guessing himself. That would end up getting him killed faster than anything else.

"So Clark is the only one who can stop him?" Oliver asked when he stood back and watched Harry. "I'm not sure what I find more vexing, the fact that you're putting this much faith in Clark or the fact that you put no faith in anyone else."

Harry did not even bother to respond, there were certain things that Oliver did not need to know, certain bits of inside information that he had that should not be thrown in the hands of others. That was something that Harry needed to keep under his hat to thrive and survive.

"I have faith in plenty of people but there are times where...we've got to look at things from a certain perspective and realize what must be done," Harry responded to Oliver.

That cryptic message seemed to not please Oliver but Harry was not in the business of pleasing people, he was in the business of figuring out what needed to be done for the good of everyone. It was not easy to make those decisions and he could tell that some might crack. Sure he bent a few rules along the way to get what he needed done but that was the way the ball bounced in this situation.

"I'm going to level with you, if Clark doesn't win this battle, the world is doomed," Harry answered when he looked out the window.

"He'll need all of the help that he can get to deliver the final crushing blow to this monster then," Oliver prompted.

Harry's eyes turned towards Oliver's and he stared him down. Oliver felt as if Harry was burning a hole through his head although if he had heat vision that could be more than possible if Oliver did not watch his step.

"I can count on you and your team to help."

Oliver's face contorted into a slight grin. "If there was any question about that, then you don't know my team at all."

"I hope you pack a lunch because Doomsday is not going to be any easy pickings," Harry responded when he shifted on his feet and took a mere moment to stare down Oliver. "Believe me, I wish this was much easier than it was, but it's not going to be easy. And he will roll over your team to get to the final battle with Clark, there's no question in my mind about it."

Oliver could tell that Harry was on his mind and he noticed what Harry's daughter was doing, she was shooting arrows at a target with expert precision. He turned towards Harry, a smile on his face.

"Girl has a good shot, if I'm ever in the market for a sidekick..."

"No, Oliver," Harry answered when he cut him off, shooting down that suggestion, even if it was not given too seriously.

Harry vowed to make sure Claire didn't have to fight any life endangering situations until she was thirty at least, maybe forty, he didn't want the life for her that he had. Where he had to worry about everything crashing down his head no matter what. The dark haired wizard stepped forward and watched Claire light the arrow on fire before she shot the flaming arrow into the target.

"Now that's something I can't quite do," Oliver responded when he watched.

"Maybe if Claire's ever in the market for a sidekick, she should look you up then," Harry responded with a slight smile when he looked back at Oliver. "As for what you said about Tess, I know how to handle women like her."

Oliver could take that statement anyway he wished and Harry was pretty sure that he did take that statement to heart in a certain way.

* * *

Claire walked around the Kent Farm while Karen, Kara, Chloe, and Harry talked about everything. She knew that Harry was in a relationship with all three of them but it didn't bother her at the slightest. Most girls her age might be a bit disturbed by something like that but Claire looked at things from a slightly different perspective.

She had three Moms which meant she was three times as awesome. At least that's what the perspective was in her mind, she was sure people would argue with her about that point but she found herself uncaring about the opinions of other people. She continued to walk around the farm happy and really not paying attention to anything.

"Raya's got this plan for Clark that will hopefully get him ready to defeat Doomsday," Kara responded when they walked across the farm. "It's a long shot but do we have any other shots right now?"

"We can weaken Doomsday up for Clark to jump in for the kill," Harry answered and the three of them nodded.

"Yeah, all our lifeline readers say is Clark has to be the one to kill him, it doesn't say what happens before that," Chloe responded when she placed her hands on her hips. "Of course, that lies the problem, Clark killing, he's always tried to avoid that."

"But we all know that something like that is unavoidable," Harry offered and Chloe nodded in response, they all did know that something like that was unavoidable.

Harry still considered the Killing Curse but there was so much that could go wrong with that.

The problem was that people like Clark, his upbringing, as Kara once said, was both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness. It was quite the paradox to be honest, with two sides of the same coin continued to be batted around.

Karen grinned when she saw Clark walking out on the barn. She caught eyes with Claire who was in on the little joke.

"Look Clark, I'm flying!" Claire yelled with a giggle when Karen levitated her into the air.

"Of course you are," Clark responded in a tense voice as Lois and Lana cracked up at the look on his face when they walked beside him.

Clark looked up in the sky, there was not a cloud in a sky, not a bird, or a plane even, but there was some mental block in his mind that prevented him from reaching his heights. There was a part of him that was still scared about potentially embracing his full Kryptonian heritage in a way that would allow him to take flight. Kara encouraged him to do so on his own time table but Clark felt inadequate when he was on the ground and everyone else could fly.

The last two times he embraced his full Kryptonian heritage, it nearly ended badly but at the same time Clark wondered if he should let go to his humanity. Maybe to beat a monster, he would become a monster.

He really hoped it would not have to come to that.

Lana sensed what Clark was thinking about.

"Clark, I know you're thinking that you have to become like him to defeat Doomsday, but trust me, there's other ways," Lana remarked when she put her arm around Clark .

"Yeah, we'll knock him around for a little bit, weaken him up, and you can knock him into the afterlife," Lois added in a pleased voice.

Killing was another problem, Kara told him that Clark had to be the one to kill Doomsday.

"It's time for you to learn a lesson that I hoped not to be the one to teach you and your father prayed that you never had to learn," Raya remarked when she stepped forward and placed her arms around Clark gently. She smiled when she looked in his face.

"How to kill?" Clark asked when he swallowed the lump in his throat but Raya stared back at him, shaking her head.

"Anyone can learn how to kill, it's a matter of knowing when to kill that is the skill you must master."

Clark did not really distinguish between the two points because he felt that there was always another way but Raya felt in time he would be able to distinguish between them, given enough time and perspective about the situation.

"Trust me Kal-El, as much as we wish there was another way, in war, there isn't, and against Doomsday, you are in war."

Raya looked back at Clark, hoping that he got the message.

"When will I know when the time is right to kill?" Clark asked, feeling that the entire nature of killing was going against everything he thought.

It was Kara who interjected with an answer of her own.

"It is an inner instinct that makes us realize that it's something that we need to do to save the life of hundreds, rather than doom them. It's something that we don't feel pleasure out of but we feel like its a necessity," Kara explained to him before she placed her hands on her hips and peered into Clark's eyes. "To me, that's the difference between wanting to kill and knowing when the right time was to kill."

Clark knew that his cousin would know better about killing people than most, given that the responsibilities that she had but it was not something that he took a drastic step to do.

"Clark, no one is going to judge you any differently if you...if you have to take a life to save hundreds or even thousands more," Lana responded to him and Lois decided to input with some words of her own.

"Yeah, war is hell but there's an entire world out there that is going to chew you up and spit you out if you don't do what is necessary out there."

Once again, Clark thought that they spoke the right words but it was something that he was not prepared to do. Yet, he would have to take these steps of what was necessary.

"It's not something that any of us take any great pleasure in doing," Harry added speaking up for the first time when he looked at Clark. "But there is something that needs to be done, if nothing else, so the lives of countless can be saved."

Clark noticed that particular point was drilled in the back of his head over and over again, the fact that there were many lives on the line and a knot formed in his stomach based on these thoughts. He thought about everything he got through and wondered if his training started much sooner than Jor-El even realized. Every single event in his life lead up to something but what that something was, Clark had no clue about.

"Is this the day that you embrace who you are?" Harry added when he looked at Clark and Clark opened his mouth to respond but Harry cut him off. "Only one person can answer that question and that is the very same person that looks back at you every single day when you wake up in the morning. The same person you see when you stare back in the mirror."

Harry came to that point of realization years ago when he figured out how killing was an ugly business and one that he accepted had to be done, even if he did not like it. Clark was coming to that same realization, much the agitation of him, Harry was sure.

"When the time is right and only when the time was right, you'll know," Harry added when he turned around to look into the distance.

Clark got the message loud and clear, Harry offered this advice as it prevent him from doing something that he regretted. At the same time, Clark was far closer than anyone, even Clark could have realized.

Of course, signs could be misread and theories could be wrong, that was one thing Harry understood better than anyone.

* * *

Tess made her way to the Shining Light Foundation, taking quick strides with a purpose but she stopped outside to go over what happened in her mind. The papers for Harry Potter buying into Luthorcorp had been signed, their partnership was merely a formality.

There were many instances where she thought she had all of the answers but people kept changing the questions. That was not something that Tess found endearing at all to her. She enjoyed being in control and if she was not in control, her mind tended to be agitated.

Harry Potter was someone who vexed her, he held the key to many mysteries and what was he doing? In some ways, she figured he was making the world a better place, call it a gut feeling that she had but in other ways, he seemed to be an enigma. Tess could come up with a hundred theories about what Harry Potter could be but none of them could be right, many of them could be off the mark.

She would find out, that was the type of person that Tess Mercer was. The files Lex had on her answered some questions and opened up the Pandora's Box for even more mysteries. The deeper she went in, the further she felt in over her head. The red haired woman walked up the stairs, a purpose flickered in her eyes.

She thought by now she would take the plunge and go inside, but something prevented Tess from taking that step inside, at least not yet.

The reports of more murders disturbed her a little bit, there were thirty deaths and none of them had a pattern which was even worse. It meant that they were acts of senseless violence, wanton destruction, the type of sadism that blackened the hearts of people. The police were no closer to capturing this person or people behind this than they were before, in fact, Tess wondered if they...no she could not think about it.

Someone had to stop them and Tess put together all the jigsaw puzzles together. The final statement of Lionel Luthor echoed through her head.

"Death will visit them all after the Doomsday."

No matter how many times Tess went over that statement in her mind, it was all the same, everything caused her to stand on her toes. Her breath hitched in her body and she spun around before making her way through the front doors of the Shining Light Foundation. Harry told her that if she needed to discuss anything with him, his doors were upon, but he would prefer that she come with a good explanation.

Tess intended to come with that good explanation when she continued to make strides with a purpose, thinking about what she would have to do to face Harry.

"Is Mr. Potter in?" Tess asked to the young girl at the desk, Megan, Tess thought her name was.

"One moment please, Miss Mercer," Megan responded when she moved over, peering over the glasses she wore, to maintain an air of being professional despite being barely older than eighteen. "Harry, Tess Mercer is here to see her."

"Tell her I'll be ready to see her in ten minutes," Harry answered without missing a beat.

Megan turned to Tess.

"I'll wait," Tess responded but at the same time, she tapped her foot on the ground, nonchalantly and carefully while she watched the seconds tick by.

X-X-X

"Very good Rachel, and that's where we stop for today," Harry responded when he was training Rachel to get a better hold of her powers. "You've actually got this more down than you think."

The sixteen year old half demon turned to Harry with half smile, coming from him, she appreciated these glowing words of praise.

"It's easier with each session we had," Rachel answered when she looked at Harry, peering into his green eyes before she shook her head and remained focused. "You're a very able teacher and these children here, I'm sure they appreciate what you're doing as well."

"Yes, I'm sure you are as well," Harry answered and Rachel nodded before she took a long look at Harry, it was hard to convey her emotions into words.

Especially when such emotions could get the better of her but before she could say anything, a knock was on the door.

"I'll talk to you later, Rachel," Harry responded and Rachel made her own way out, knowing that business called and she would be a burden there.

Harry opened the door to allow Tess to enter the office. The woman walked inside, tall and proud before she took a moment to look at Harry. He seemed to be in the midst of a rather intense work out and Tess heard another girl's voice from in there.

"I trust I'm not interrupting anything," Tess remarked to break the silence when she looked around his office.

"No, you're not interrupting anything," Harry responded when he offered her a chair to sit down and she took it. Harry sat behind his desk so he could look Tess in the eyes.

"So is your better half around?" Tess asked when she looked over her shoulder.

"Kara is off on a business matter, she'll be back before too long," Harry responded and Tess knew that that was going to be all of the information that she would get out of Harry at this time. "I've heard that you've been busy. There have been rumors that you've been checking up on my background."

"Depends on who you've heard these rumors from," Tess answered, when she looked Harry dead on in the eyes. "If you've heard them from a certain archer playboy, you should know that he's got hang ups of his own that I don't think he'd want me spilling to you."

"I know there are three sides to every story," Harry responded when Tess took the cup of coffee Harry offered her. She sniffed it, to make sure there was no tell tale signs of poison. Not that she expected Harry to poison her but one did not deal with dangerous people without being a little careful. "There's the perspective of Person A, the perspective of Person B, and there's the truth. The truth is somewhere in the middle, although it might lean closer to one side, as opposed to the other."

Tess allowed this all to sink in when she drank her coffee.

"Call what I'm doing due diligence, but I must say, your life seems about as dull as sitting in Luthorcorp stockholders meetings," Tess responded, choosing her words carefully. She had not been able to find anything concrete other than boring mundane facts.

"Sorry to disappoint," Harry answered when he flashed her a slight smile that caused Tess to lose focus of what she was doing but only for the moment. "You didn't come here for chatter, did you?"

Tess shook her head. "No, I didn't, I came here with the problem. The serial killer...I trust you've heard about him."

"Yes, I did," Harry agreed when he slid out the papers. "They're talking about how this is some super...meteor-infected person."

Tess could tell that the word they used were rather different but she also could tell that Harry shared her skepticism about the true nature of this monster. She peered back into Harry's eyes, taking a look into his emerald orbs for a brief moment before she adjusted her thoughts.

"I've been through several notes that Lionel Luthor left behind," Tess responded with Harry turning around, his full attention was on Tess. He wondered if Lionel wrote about his knowledge of Clark's secret and that fact made Harry nervous about what Tess knew. He would assume that she knew nothing but also assume she knew everything. Harry would act like he knew nothing until she said something and than he would be fully aware of what she said. Tess allowed these words to sink in before she looked at Harry. "He knew that this monster was going to come to pass, it's more than a mere monster."

"Much more," Harry agreed when he shifted on his desk. "But does he realize what will happen if he's not stopped."

"It must be the traveler," Tess added when she peered back at Harry.

"The traveler?" Harry asked, feigning ignorance but Tess did not buy it for a second.

"Yes, you and I both know who I'm referring to," Tess responded when she shifted through the notes she took.

"Do we?" Harry fired back, keeping his statements vague and short.

"Yes, we do," Tess agreed when she looked at Harry. "And I understand that while he must be the one...it doesn't matter what happens to the monster before the final blow is delivered."

Tess ran her finger over the top of the coffee cup, and the intensity in her eyes could not be denied. Harry matched her with the same intensity.

"You're not the only one who has been helping out the meteor infected, as you know," Tess responded when Harry cupped his hand to his chin and nodded. "And some people decided not to find help at the Shining Light Foundation, instead they moved to other...less than able venues and thus got themselves in trouble."

Harry knew what Tess referred to, it seemed like much to his agitation, the powers of some twisted them around the bend, to the point where they could not function in society.

"I've got a team and got them a second chance," Tess responded when she looked at Harry. "I've taken certain precautions."

Harry had a grim idea what she meant by precautions.

"Of course, your insight is valuable, given what you might know and I think you have more puzzle pieces to this entire mess than any of us," Tess mused, but Harry did not confirm nor deny any theory. She had no need for him, she saw enough in his eyes. "I'm proposing an alliance, we find the killer, take him down and...allow the traveler to deliver the crushing blow, providing he has it in him."

"He will," Harry added.

"I hope he does something to earn your confidence," Tess answered when she extended her hand outwards to shake. "If we combine our resources we could put a stop to this."

Harry grabbed her hand and shook it, but he remained an intense eye contact with her. Tess found herself lost in his eyes the more he looked back at her.

The alliance was on but would it be enough?

Harry knew that there was a chance this plan could go south, which was why he had a contingency up his sleeve in case Tess's team did something unpredictable like power-crazed meteor mutants might.

There was nothing that Harry was not willing to do to make sure everything went smoothly and he suspected that Tess had the same ambitions.

**To Be Continued in the Next Arc "Alliance." **


	59. Chapter 59: Alliance Part One

**Chapter Fifty Nine: Alliance Part One. **

Harry followed Tess, keeping a few steps behind her and also his back up was a few steps behind him, even if she remained invisible. The woman walked with a purpose towards the location that she was heading, it seemed that she planned for what she wanted to do for an extremely long time at least that was the sense that Harry got. Regardless, Harry followed her keeping up the pace, and wondered how close they were. Harry had the sense that they were very close.

"My team has sighted something, we're going to meet up with them," Tess answered when she turned around and looked at Harry. "If you have any further information about this, I would like to know it now."

"Trust me, you know all that you need to know," Harry answered when he kept his eyesight firmly on Tess. She was a wild card to him, no matter how much she intrigued him. Although Harry got a sense that she was intrigued by him as much as he intrigued her.

Still it was prudent to keep a few steps ahead of her in the mental department. It was a never ending game of mental chess between the two.

There was a pained grunt and Tess quickened her steps forwards, before she saw four figures lying on the ground. She stopped at a skid and pulled out a remote control device. She looked at it and the four of them did not look active. In fact all four blips registered one thing and that was there was no brain activity.

"What happened?" Harry asked her and Tess spun around to enlighten him on the matter.

"I don't understand what went wrong, there were fail safes on them in case they got out of control, but only I was able to activate them."

"Fail safe or a killswitch," Harry responded, keeping his voice calm and crisp, although he was not sure how much he liked Tess using the meteor-infected in such a way, the more he thought about it but he supposed that she had reasons.

Tess did not seem fazed at all and answered the question without missing a beat.

"Whatever you want to call it, the point is moot, as all of them are dead," Tess responded when she turned around and tried to figure out something.

Suddenly, the device she held in her hand burned it and it flew out of her hand before landing on the ground with a thud. Tess rubbed her hand, wincing at the fact that it did that and Harry turned to her, wondering what happened. It should have not activated the fail safes in her team without her pressing the button and also it should not have reacted in such a way, at least that's what Tess figured.

There were many questions in her mind and the answers became few and far between, but her heart beat against her chest never the less when she moved forward and heard the growling sound behind them.

Was it the creature, this monster of doom?

"Death will visit them before the Doomsday."

Did that have some kind of meaning Tess missed, that could in fact be quite literal because she understood one thing and one thing alone. That was that Death visited these young people and now the Doomsday was here. Could the monster be savvier than Tess suspected, she assumed that it was a mindless brute and judging by the expression on Harry Potter's face, he seemed to be thinking about the same lines. Then again, Tess never quite knew what Harry Potter was thinking, he was an enigma.

One that she hoped to figure out one day for sure, but he was an enigma never the less.

"It's not the monster, at least I don't think," Harry stated when he motioned for Tess to go forward. "I think there was something that went in there."

Tess's eyes snapped up, this was one of the many buildings in this section of town that were own by Luthorcorp, in fact it was a research and development lab that Lex Luthor himself used. Perhaps someone was giving the monster marching orders to steal items from the lab, for what reason, Tess had no idea. However, she was determined to find out no matter what.

She intended to clean out the lab by now but in all of the excitement, she never got around to it. She stepped inside, carefully fingering a gun that she had on her. It was best to shoot first and ask questions never but suddenly she stopped cold in her tracks. Things had gotten from strange to simply downright weird. Questions led to even more questions and fewer answers which was something that Tess did not like.

"If anyone is there, I demand you to show yourself!" Tess yelled but sparks flew in the air to cause her to back up a little bit and stagger back a little bit.

There were lasers that shot out to attack her but Harry quickly grabbed Tess and pulled her out of the way. He yanked her out of harm's way so fast that both of them fell backwards onto the ground. Harry landed first and Tess landed on top of him , almost straddling his lap when she looked down into his eyes.

Tess and Harry stared at each other in this compromising position for a moment before Harry cleared his throat and Tess got the message, scrambling to her feet but she composed herself with a dignified and stoic expression. She spun around and saw the walls vibrate and the fact was they started to hum.

"We've got to run," Harry answered when the walls lit up again but the doors swung shut before them.

"That might be a problem," Tess responded in a dry voice but Harry shook his head, before he forced the doors open, before he scooped Tess up in his arms. "Hey wait a minute..."

"Keep your head down, and don't say a word!" Harry yelled in a voice that left no room for argument as Tess decided to play along, at least for now.

Harry sped off before he flew to the nearest window with Tess in his arms. Tess figured that there was something different about Harry Potter now.

_'I will kill whoever's behind this,' _Harry thought to himself, smacking himself because he had no choice but to expose his secret to Tess.

They landed outside the building and Harry put Tess down on the ground, before she shook her head to clear the cobwebs. That was unlike anything else she ever experienced in her life and she wanted to figure what was happening. When she caught her breath, she found her voice, and there were more explosions, before an energy spike hit the power lines.

"I don't suppose you want to tell me what's happening now," Tess answered but Harry put his hand up to stop her from saying anything.

A sadistic voice echoed to taunt Harry and a symbol burned into the Luthorcorp facility that they left. There were three points, connected in a wavy line in an upside down triangle. Harry put the pieces together as only he could before he was spoken too.

"I'm coming for you Harry Potter, soon the protector of the House of El will be gone, the house will fall, and Doomsday will come. You cannot stop it."

Harry stopped before he recognized that voice, he recognized it and he knew what it was and knew that there might be trouble.

_'Brainiac? But how could it..."_

That was another question that Harry had to answer at another time as for right now, he sensed Doomsday was on his way to Metropolis, his hunger no longer sated by picking off random farmers in the country.

When it rained, it poured.

* * *

"Every single computer in Luthorcorp...damn it, I've been locked out."

Tess placed her hands on the pedestal before she shook her head, now was not the time to lose her head, there would be plenty of time for that later, as of now she would have to shake off everything that happened. She stood outside and looked up, trying to get back into the system.

"Was there anything you did that might have caused the Luthorcorp computers to get compromised?" Harry asked when he weighed the danger that was Brainiac in his mind. There was no sugar coating anything, not this time. Since Brainiac was back, it was not good but it made no sense, he destroyed Brainiac back in Krypton.

Didn't he?

Tess paused, racking her brain over before she answered the question that Harry had for her. "I've...I found this crystal in Afghanistan and hooked it up to the Luthorcorp computers to analyze it."

Harry turned around and knew that was the crystal that Karen brought to her Earth, which meant that it was not his version of Brainiac that he was dealing with, rather the Earth 2 Version of Brainiac. Somehow, someway, Brainiac hitched a ride on the crystal and made his way here with Karen which would explain the way Karen acted when she was here. And the fact that someone was giving her direction.

When Karen lost the crystal, she seemed to be a lot clearer with what she was and what she wanted to do, that much Harry did remember. He shook his head, there would be time to play a million theories later, right now, he had bigger problems than that crystal.

"You hooked up an unknown crystal to the Luthorcorp computers," Harry managed when he looked at Tess and Tess took a step back before she nodded.

"I assumed that the Luthorcorp computers would be...safe enough, we have the best firewall protection that money can provide," Tess answered but immediately she saw the fallacy of that statement. "Don't tell me we got attacked by some alien computer virus."

"Well for all intents and purposes, yes, it's the Brain Interactive Construct, and it's prime objective is simple, ensure that all life on Earth perishes," Harry explained to Tess, who nodded. "I...dealt with it before, but I feel that it came back for more after everything that's happened."

Tess took this matter in before she responded. "That's the thing about a computer virus, no matter how many times you try and fix your computer, they always find a way to sneak back it."

Harry knew nearly nothing about computers but he knew something about Brainiac.

_'Why would Brainiac be intent on making sure that the Destroyer rolls over the planet?' _Harry thought to the Lifeline Reading device.

_'Because what you have referred to as Doomsday, is the son of Zod and Faora,' _the Lifeline Reader thought back to Harry.

_'Well that explains it,' _Harry thought, this was another attempt to serve Zod that was Brainiac's objective the entire time.

A very familiar figure broke Harry out of his thoughts and Tess looked up to see the man approach.

"Detective John Jones, Metropolis Police Department, I wish to speak to Mr. Potter about the incident at the Luthorcorp facility."

Harry spun around, he recognized the Martian Manhunter immediately and was curious. Tess, unknowing about his true identity, stepped forward.

"I can assure you that all Mr. Potter did was make sure that I got out of there safely," Tess stated in a firm voice when she looked the Martian Manhunter in the eye.

The Martian Manhunter looked back at her with a reassuring gaze. "I can assure you that Mr. Potter is not being accused of any crimes, I wish to have a word with him as he may have seen something vital that could stop the rampage of murders going on through Kansas."

Tess eyed Harry but Harry turned around and walked off with J'onn, following him out of ear's reach.

"I trust Jor-El informed you about Doomsday," Harry whispered to the Martian Manhunter and the Martian nodded.

"Jor-El feared the Destroyer would come but he had hoped, perhaps foolishly, that Kal-El would be ready before he could rise," The Martian Manhunter stated when he looked at Harry. "Where is Kal-El? I checked the Kent Farm and the Daily Planet and..."

"Kal-El is learning a skill that I think we hoped that he never had to learn," Harry responded to the Martian Manhunter and the Martian got it immediately.

"He has to learn how to kill to defeat the Destroyer, it was Jor-El's greatest fear come true," the Martian Manhunter stated and Harry nodded. "Do you think he'll be ready?"

"I don't know," Harry responded when he looked out into the distance before he looked into the sky. Right now Clark was with Kara, Karen, Raya, Lois, Lana, and Chloe and they were doing everything that they could to prepare him. "He will not stand alone."

"No he won't," the Martian Manhunter agreed when he turned to Harry.

"But we have another problem," Harry answered to the Martian and his full attention was on Harry. "Brainiac's back."

"I would advise you to seek out Jor-El and ask for his advice on how to deal with this problem," The Martian Manhunter responded to Harry without missing a beat.

Harry thought it would be a cold day in Hell before he would ask Jor-El for help about anything. It went without saying that Harry was not too fond of him, especially after the way he treated Kara. Harry knew what it was like to be treated badly by a person because of a bad relationship that had with a parent. So Jor-El did not endear himself to Harry from the onset.

The Martian Manhunter sensed Harry's thoughts and turned to him, offering him a crisp gaze.

"No matter what your problems were with Jor-El, he will realize that Brainiac is bigger than anything that you could ever have against each other," the Martian Manhunter stated when he looked at Harry.

"I can handle Brainiac, I've beaten him before, I can beat him again," Harry stated when he turned around.

"Careful, Herald of Death, pride comes often before a fall, as you Earthlings are so noted in saying."

Harry tried to pick up on the energy spike and he had a good idea where Brainiac was heading.

"Tess, I think I can stop this, but do you have a place to stay, that's off the Luthorcorp grid?" Harry asked when she looked at him.

"Handle what you need to handle, I can take care of myself."

Harry saw the determination in her eyes, and Harry knew that she could take care of herself.

"Remember, there's a murderer out there," Harry answered when he looked at Tess, and she nodded, understanding before Harry vanished into thin air.

She would figure out how he did that, one day but right now she was out of control thanks to that Brainiac, whatever he was. Harry knew something more than he was telling and Tess found herself frustrated by the lack of knowledge that came her way. Despite her best efforts, she lost control.

* * *

Now was the time for Harry to trust the instincts that many said rarely lead him wrong. That was one point that Harry would take to the bank, the dark haired Herald of Death wondered if he was about due for something really bad to happen, it was only the law of averages. He stepped forward and the Martian Manhunter promised to keep an eye out for the Destroyer for him.

That was good as far as Harry was concerned for that would give him a chance to deal with Brainiac, once again Harry could tell where he was heading and where he wanted to go. The computer had one purpose and one purpose alone, and that was to collect all of the knowledge that he could.

Harry heard a thump behind him which put the young dark haired hero on high alert, he knew that something was creeping out there, something that should not be creeping out there. His hands curled a little bit when he looked over his shoulder, and waited for it to come.

He saw one of the Prometheus bodysuits move towards him but it had to be a prototype, in fact he knew that it was a prototype. Harry scanned the information from the Luthorcorp database, understanding what was ahead of him and found the information. Most of the suits had been thrown out by Tess or so he believed, but there were a few that Lex hid before his untimely demise.

"What you do is a folly."

Brainiac's voice grinded to Harry when the super powered suit moved towards him, directed towards Harry but Harry dodged the attacks.

"You are fast, you are skilled but ultimately those powers are squandered."

"Kara was right, for a computer you talk too much," Harry answered before he shook his head.

"Perhaps, but I know of your defeat of my counterpart in what is designated Earth One. I learned from the mistakes of this counterpart, combined I would be designated the Brain Interactive Construct Seven Point Zero. I retrieved the data from this universe's version that he left on the Luthorcorp computers."

Harry blasted the suit but it was nothing except for an empty shell. The real Brainiac was elsewhere.

"You've been a thorn in the side of many plans throughout your days, Herald of Death. But you will not compromise my objective for I know of the way to destroy you."

Harry sent an electro-magnetic pulse through his hands but the machine was nowhere yet it was everywhere.

"I've been having people try and kill me since the day I was born, you're nothing more than that," Harry answered when he saw Brainiac infect a tank of experimental nanobots.

The nanobots constructed into the more familiar form of Milton Fine, who stood before Harry. Harry went after him, to try and blast him with a powerful charge of magic.

A field appeared around Brainiac, blocking him and Harry flew backwards.

Harry became invisible and Brainiac stood, not bothered by anything.

"You may have become invisible but you still give off a certain degree of body heat and I will find you."

"Again, for a computer, you talk too much," Harry answered without saying another word and he stood to face his enemy, before he sent another pulse through the air.

Brainiac calculated the situation based on what he knew and he responded in a cold, methodical, and logical way. He knew that his defeat would be probable, but he did not have to win, merely ensure that Harry Potter, this Herald of Death, did not win on this day. He circled his enemy, preparing to move in for the kill.

"Today is the day where it is written that the House of El falls. It has been allowed twenty further years of lingering on this planet but the Destroyer will assume its role and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Even Death's chosen cannot hope to stop my plans."

Harry dove at Brainiac but Brainiac shot several cables at him. He kept them at bay with his powers for a moment but something happened to Brainiac, at least this version. He adapted to Harry's powers and sent a pulse of energy through the field.

"I'm sure your powers didn't tell you about that," Brainiac taunted Harry when he pushed him back towards the wall and Harry struggled against the force.

Several wires implanted themselves into the back and side of Harry's head, with Brainiac trying to download a backup copy of himself into Harry.

Harry blasted Brainiac back into the wall, before he staggered back and nearly collapsed to one knee. The young wizard panted with his head ringing and a burning sensation going through it but he turned to Brainiac, his eyes narrowed.

"I bet your program didn't tell you about this," Harry taunted Brainaic, but suddenly, Brainiac shot a disc at Harry.

The disc connected with his chest and Harry tried to remove it but a cold chill enveloped his body. Harry dropped to the ground, temporarily paralyzed, long enough for Brainiac to step in for the kill and he raised his hands to finish off the only one who could save the House of El from its doom.

A blur shot in and knocked Brainiac through the wall with a telepathic pulse, sending him flying through the wall. Brainiac flew back, with the hands phasing through his chest when he was put through the wall. She pushed him back with each passing motion and he fell down to the ground with a thud.

Harry looked around, feeling like he suffered a really bad case of the flu, before he blacked out. After all of this, that stupid pile of microchips was going to be the one that defeated him. That was about right.

Brainiac stopped, wounded, so it appeared that the Herald of Death had a contingency plan. The White Martian was on the list for those who would suffer first before Doomsday came. Her suffering would be long and drawn out.

It mattered little for thanks to the information he pulled from the Luthorcorp computers that Lily left behind, he knew exactly how to strip him of the Herald of Death powers and his powers in general in fact. He knew that the nexus point of Herald of Death powers flowed through Harry, which meant all Heralds of Death lost their abilities and anyone who were gifted by the abilities would lose their powers as well.

Kal-El would be trapped in limbo where he would perish and if he should ever escape, it would be too late, for Doomsday would roll over the planet. Brainiac wished to finish the job he started, because he left nothing to chance and for that, he left to repair himself.

Then the Herald of Death, now powerless, human, and mortal, would be easily destroyed. Brainiac deduced he was nothing without his powers but a deluded child.

The White Martian damaged him more than he thought, he would need twelve hours to prepare before he finished the job but it was unlikely that the Herald of Death would reclaim his powers in that time.

* * *

Harry shook his head, trying to get his head back together, and it took him a moment before he realized what happened. Somehow, someway, Brainiac injected himself with something and he found himself back to the Shining Light Foundation, strapped to a table.

"Woke up in time."

Megan stood over Harry, trying not to focus on the fact that Harry was strapped to the table, naked. Yet that was the only way to make sure that Brainiac did not leave anything behind. She watched Harry for a long time before she turned her head towards him and spoke in a crisp voice.

"I'm sorry about the state of undress, but it was the only way," Megan answered in an apologetic voice when she turned to Harry. She could not resist offering another point to lighten the mood. "Perhaps since I've seen yours, maybe you would like to see mine."

Megan could not believe that she was brazen enough to say that but to be honest, that was one of those things that went through one ear and out the other. Then again, being eighteen years old, such a comment would not get Harry into too much trouble but he seemed to brush that off. At least that's what it seemed and for that Megan felt rather grateful that he did not make a big deal of it.

"My powers are gone," Harry managed when he looked at Megan and Megan stepped back, an apologetic look swimming in her eyes.

"Yeah, your powers are gone," Megan agreed when she looked up at Harry, taking a moment to let everything sink in. "I don't know what Brainiac did, if I hadn't intervened when I did, he would have tried to take everything from you and leave you nothing but a dried out husk."

"He shouldn't be this powerful," Harry responded when he looked up at the sky and tried to levitate the book on the shelf but his powers were gone.

Harry went over the events in his mind and knew what happened. Tess hooked up the computer to the crystal and then everything went haywire. There was no point in denying that fact and Harry turned around before he saw that Brainiac was gone.

"Sorry, but John Jones is on the phone, you know our mild mannered detective from the MPD," Megan responded when she looked at Harry with a slight knowing glint in her eye. "You know in the same sense I'm a mild mannered teenage assistance at the Shining Light Foundation."

Harry got the message immediately and he took the phone.

"The Destroyer has been sighted, now's the time to halt what you're doing and bring back Kal-El," The Martian Manhunter stated over the phone.

"Tiny problem with that," Harry answered when he took a moment. "It's Brainiac...he found a way to take my powers."

"Did you not go to Jor-El?" the Martian Manhunter asked him over the phone.

"Look, Jor-El wouldn't be able to help me, if Brainiac knows how to remove powers now that have been granted by Death," Harry answered when he knew that Kara, Karen, and Chloe were trapped, unknowing to what happened. Should it come time to return, then they would be in that realm without any way to get out. Then again, Harry suspected that Death allowed Brainiac to take his powers, to punish him for something. "I'll find a way to take down Brainiac, reverse it."

"Without your powers..."

"I'm not helpless," Harry responded when the straps were off and he got to his feet. "Keep following the Destroyer and if you think you can shut him down or at least stall him, be my guest."

"We both know that's Kal-El's battle to fight," the Martian Manhunter responded over the other end of the telephone.

"Yes, I know, but it won't be his to fight alone," Harry answered when he turned out.

Tess's warning that Death would visit them for the Doomsday had Harry on edge more than he ever cared to admit to anyone whether it be man or Martian. Harry expected his boss to pop out of nowhere to give him a performance review about what happened so far. Given the fact that Brainiac stripped Harry of his powers, Harry felt Death would find that performance quite lacking.

"Tess Mercer on the other line, she wants to know what happened," Megan stated and Harry nodded.

"I'll be in touch," The Martian Manhunter stated when he got off to allow Harry to talk to Tess.

"Eighteen people were killed tonight and twenty one others were injured," Tess stated without preamble. "And every single Luthorcorp building, I've been locked out. I tried to hack in remotely but..."

"Brainiac shut you down," Harry answered when he looked onto the Shining Light Foundation computers, so far the security was the only thing that held so perhaps he was not as shut as he thought.

"What kind of danger are we looking at?" Tess asked Harry and Harry paused for a moment before he responded with his grimmest assessment yet.

"The end of the world as we know it."

Tess hitched in her breath before she tapped her foot on the ground on the other end of the line. It was to Harry's understanding that she mulled over certain matters in her mind but it was fine for Harry. She could take all of the time she wanted or needed for it gave Harry time to consider his next move, whatever that might be. The dark haired young man leaned forward and pondered his predicament.

"I don't suppose you have some rabbit to pull out of your hat that might allow us to stop this," Tess answered after a long thought.

_'At this point, I don't even have a hat,' _Harry thought, he was sure that he was in more hopeless situations in the past although it took him a while to remember any of them.

"I'll let you know if I come up with anything...but keep a low profile and keep your head low," Harry managed when he turned around and grabbed a change of clothes, before he put them on.

Megan watched Harry make his way to the door and she stepped in front of him.

"Did you stop Brainiac?"

"No, I could only damage him, but he'll be back online within a half of a day, maybe a day," Megan answered when she looked at Harry.

"And how long have I been out?" Harry asked the young Martian girl who bit her lip before she responded to that question.

"Ten and a half hours."

Harry swore when he mulled over the situation in his mind, yep there were instances where things were more hopeless; but they did not happen in the then and now, rather they happened when Harry could put them in the past. Putting everything in perspective, Harry wondered if there was any way around what he needed to do and he decided that there was only one thing to do. He knew that he risked his very livelihood to do so but perhaps he could stall Brainiac for long enough until his powers returned.

"I'm going after him."

Megan's eyes flashed in terror when she stood on her tip toes to stare Harry straight in the eye and ask what was the most obvious question in the world. "Are you insane?"

"Perhaps, but there's no point in waiting around here, I've got to stop him, if I can defeat Braniac, maybe I can reverse what he did to me."

"That's insane, Harry, you're smarter than this, don't be like Kal-El, think straight!" Megan yelled at him, when she stepped up to face him and he shook his head. "There is one other way, and we both know what it is."

Harry's lips curled into a smile, he did know it, granted he did not like it, but he knew it and knew what he had to do. Perhaps it was what he should have done from the beginning but he was too stubborn. Now it was time for two people to put together pride and their differences to stop a common threat. A threat that endangered their mutual interest and Harry knew one thing.

It was time for the Prince of Darkness to strap on his ice skates.

"Megan, can you get me to the Fortress?"

Megan without pause nodded, before she scooped up Harry, and flew him out the window to the Artic.

_'Now I know how Clark feels,' _Harry thought dismally when Megan carried him in her arms all the way to the Fortress of Solitude.

* * *

Harry dropped down to the Artic snow and ice when he slipped and slid. He wished his powers returned. In fact, he went over every single possible scenario in his hand where he could bring his powers back but there was nothing. He was sure that there was something that he missed but his powers were secondary to the fact that Brainiac was out there as well as the Destroyer.

"I know we had our differences Jor-El, but now's the time where we need to work together," Harry answered when he stood out there, agitated that he had been demeaned to begging for help from someone. He clutched his hands and shook his head, before he adjusted his stance a little bit and stared out into the Artic. "Brainiac has returned."

"I was under the assumption that the BrainInteractive Construct met its final demise."

"Believe me, that assumption was shared by me but this is another version of Brainiac, from an alternate timeline and he is as dangerous if not more so than the one you've known," Harry answered when he stepped forward and shook his head. "I know that there was a point where the universes split but there has to be something that you know that will allow me to stop Brainiac."

"I do not think that you understand the gravity of the situation that you have caused with your attempts to meddle in Kal-El's destiny," Jor-El lectured Harry but it was at that point where Harry's temper rose a little bit.

"Look, you can talk about your son and his destiny all day and all night but if you don't help me deal with Brainiac, your son won't come back to have a destiny. He's been sent off to fulfill your will, so he can take out Doomsday. You know, the planet's greatest destroyer, something that he's supposed to defeat. Despite my great powers, I couldn't defeat him but that's down to him!"

Harry dropped to one knee, he felt fatigued and weaker than he ever did before but then he stood back up. No, he would not be reduced to pleading with him.

"You know what, I was an idiot thinking that you would care, I sometimes wonder if you want Clark to fail for your own sadistic amusement," Harry stated when he turned around but another voice called after him.

"Harry, Jor-El will assist you."

The voice of Lara finally spoke up, there were times where Harry forgot she was even here, yet she was there and she spoke to him. Harry stopped in his tracks and spun around. He waited in the snow and ice before once again Lara spoke in a firm voice.

"We both understand the danger that Brainiac poses if he is allowed to remain unchecked and the end game would be to enable the bloodline of Zod to succeed. Therefore it will be in our best interest to assist you, is that correct Jor-El?"

Lara framed this question in a matter that Jor-El only had one answer to give and one answer at all if he valued his existence.

"Yes, it will be important but you must promise that my son will return from where you have sent him and fulfill what he's destined to do," Jor-El answered to Harry, it almost sounded like Jor-El was pleading with Harry for his son's well being.

"I'm not...Kara and I have done nothing but ensure that Clark remains protected but yet you take us for granted," Harry stated when he stared back at the walls of the Fortress.

"Jor-El was mistaken with his claims but we must assist you Harry," Lara answered in a firm voice. "Not because of the situation but because now you are family."

Harry did not know what to stay to that.

"Show me all you have on Brainiac," Harry stated when he finally found his voice and regained his composure.

The Kryptonian symbols flashed before Harry's eyes and he strained to understand them, he wished to understand them but there was something blocking his understanding. With his powers completely gone, he could not understand any single symbol that he read. He wanted to but it was utter gibberish to him.

"Is there a problem?" Lara asked Harry.

"I can't read it, it's nothing to me, my powers, they're gone, and..." Harry responded before he trailed off, straining, he had to remember.

"Then there is only one thing that we must do to assist you," Lara answered when she took a moment to gaze on her niece's mate.

"Show me what Lana saw," Harry stated when he held his hands together before he paused at that moment before he added, knowingly. "And show me everything that she didn't see as well."

"You are quite resourceful to understand that I purposely blocked some knowledge from the mind of Lana Lang, for fear that Lily Potter would get her hands on it," Jor-El stated but he knew that there was anything he must do. "This is the knowledge of the universe and should be only processed by those of strong mind and strong hearts. Should you be unable to process than you will be unable to even move, for your mind will be destroyed."

Harry paused before he stated without a preamble. "Some things are worth the risk."

A great deal of blue light bombarded Harry when he saw his mind surrounded by the knowledge, perhaps in this knowledge he could find a way to return his powers and stop Brainiac, while bringing the others home.

**To Be Continued in Alliance Part Two. **


	60. Chapter 60: Alliance Part Two

**Chapter 60: Alliance Part Two.**

Knowledge was the element that bound many races for better or for worse. One might argue that a certain amount of knowledge could be a dangerous thing that knowing too much, especially about things that were beyond ones station would be a bad thing. Many people found themselves corrupted by the knowledge flowing through their minds and drove them to fits of insanity that they could not believe in the past.

Others would consider knowledge to be the crux of all evil, especially when wanted to use it to for their personal gains. A little bit of knowledge would be considered a dangerous thing, something that corrupted the mind, ensnared the senses, and blackened the soul. All for the everlasting pursuit and an obsessive quest of knowledge; the saying that knowledge was power proved to be accurate beyond all believe and made many wonder about one truth.

Knowledge was power.

Did absolute power corrupt absolutely?

Yet what was true power, that's one thing Harry considered when he stood in the Fortress, knowing that this knowledge was what he needed to bring Brainiac down. After he had been separated from his Herald of Death powers, desperation reigned upon the young dark haired wizard. He was sure that those powers were still there within him, deep inside.

Yet accessing those powers were something Harry struggled with, it was much like drawing water out of a very deep well whilst said well evaporated, pushing the water out of it. He knew he could get deeper, he should get deeper to get the water but yet the water drew further and further away from his grip. Further and further away when he pushed into the depths of his mind. The clock ticked by and the dark haired Herald of Death could not wait for things to happen. In fact time nearly ran short and pushed him to the depths of reality.

He stood at the edge of something that resulted in clarity, if one might be able to call it that. Every single moment in his life, those obsessed with the trappings of power surrounded Harry, and pushed him to the depths, to the brink. In his quest, he found that power drew away from him, slipping outside of his grasp.

Those who obsessed with knowledge and power found themselves doomed to despair by it.

'_The knowledge within this Fortress, I knew it, I know it, every single bit of it and more,' _Harry thought when he felt it swirl around him. _'A treasure trove of knowledge was taken from me and likely absorbed by Brainiac, but in his poor foresight he's neglected the one thing truth that humanity learns the hard way time and time again.'_

True strength came from within, Harry must find it and step towards the edge of what was true in the world. The young wizard felt the swirling of power at his palms, the knowledge beating into his minds.

"No doubt by now you're trying to stop me, delay me."

The voice taunted back at Harry, it echoed in his ears like a sympathy of destruction, it was him, it was Brainiac. The entity who took away his powers, somehow, some way, and then tracked him here.

"Whatever we do, it is imperative that he does not enter the Fortress," Jor-El responded when he cut in.

"You cannot stop me, you could not stop me, and you, your son, and the entire House of El will be snuffed out," Brainiac taunted from afar.

"Harry, you need to escape, if you're in the chamber when the Fortress is compromised, he could destroy you, regardless of your strength," Lara chimed in but Harry shook his head. "In your quest for knowledge, you may find clarity, but you also might find yourself become twisted as the enemy."

Harry snapped out of it, his mate's aunt, she held great wisdom, even more so than Jor-El. He staggered from the chamber, once again, it was not learning things anew that he did. It was reminding himself of things that he already should know. It was like studying for an examination, no more or no less. The young Herald of Death shook his head, the spirit of everything that he could know flowed in and out of him.

"I have it, I know it, I am it," Harry stated over and over again, a statement that confused all who heard it.

Harry was not confused, he was far from it. In fact, he knew more than ever before what must be done, what he must do to stop Brainiac. Gaining his powers back after all that occurred would be the highest priority but it would not be the only thing.

"Defeating Brainiac, that's what I must do, I trust you can hold him off from the Fortress," Harry stated to Jor-El and Lara.

Silence reigned in the Fortress before Jor-El answered. "We can do as you requested but I'm afraid that it will only be for a short time. He could find a way around. I trust you now know what to do bring Kal-El back so he could fight it alone."

Harry's nod stiffened, his eyes widened, mouth ran dry but he knew it, he knew what must be done to defeat Brainiac, to save the world, and to protect his mate's cousin from him. If the computer found knowledge to process how his powers worked, it could use said knowledge to snuff out all life on Earth, and then download the knowledge.

Then all other universes will follow but Harry would not allow that to happen, not if he could help that.

"I know what must be done, now more than ever before," Harry answered when he folded his arms before he looked out and saw the glow around the fortress.

Within and without knowledge flowed from his fingers down to the tips of his toes. He stepped forward and saw Megan waiting outside the Fortress.

"Did you find a way to get your powers back?" Megan asked Harry and Harry levitated ice blocks to demonstrate.

"The normal wizard powers yes, the other powers, no but if I get to the Shining Light Foundation, I can beat him," Harry answered with one hundred percent conviction dancing in his voice.

He knew what was on the line and he stepped forward, a part of him could feel it. Even without his full powers, Harry felt everything happening around him, it all flowed within and without him. The dark haired wizard could make that connect within, closing his eyes and feeling the flow, the knowledge of the universe at his fingertips.

Heart thumped against Harry's rib cage when he maintained his strides.

"So far Brainiac has stayed out," Harry answered when he looked at Megan.

"And we can keep him out," Megan answered with a warm smile, confidence rolling off of her words.

Harry paused before he understood it all clearly now, it flowed in and out of him, how he did not know before, he was ignorant, foolish, but he saw everything clearly. Before him was what he needed to do.

"This might sound crazy, but let's invite Brainiac inside."

Megan's eyes spun around to Harry like he grew two heads. "Maybe I should have checked you better for a concussion…."

"No, trust me, if I can get Brainiac in the right spot, I can trap him, easily, no problem, okay maybe a little problem but get all the children out of there, to a safe place, to the Kent Farm, there's no computers there that Brainiac could use."

"Right, safe place, no electronics, and you're going to…." Megan answered but Harry shook his head.

"I'm going to have some words with Brainiac, after what happened last time, I didn't really give him the proper beating with what happened to Claire," Harry answered when he spun around on his heels and moved off.

There was so much to do, so little time, but the group prepared themselves for the final battle. Knowledge continued to flow through Harry's mind. While he had not forgotten about the Destroyer, the Knight must be destroyed before the pawns get taken out. Something told him that Bloome, Doomsday, whatever he was, his destruction tied into Brainiac's plans.

Brainiac would use the chaos when the destroyer hit full power and absorb all of the planet's knowledge, before jumping to the next planet and the next one. Of course, where he went from there, that was another point entirely.

'_I'm coming for you, Brainiac,' _Harry thought when he made his way to the Shining Light Foundation, determined and ready to go.

He felt his powers slowly return and for some reason, now when he was in the tender embrace of his own creation, said powers increased, amplified, and accelerated tenfold. Harry closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and rolled his shoulders back, before he craned his neck back.

"You and me, computer, you want Kal-El, you want the last survivors of Krypton, you want this world, you go through me," Harry called, lowering the walls around the Shining Light Foundation to allow Brainiac in the front door.

* * *

"Any update on where you went."

"I had to take a side trip up north," Harry responded when he talked to Tess on the phone. "The thing that's taken over Luthorcorp….it's a danger that it might have infected my building."

Tess knew better than to ask Harry about why anyone would be interested in any data that he would have on the meteor infected. She really knew better, he had dozens of files on every person who were infected on the meteors, whether living or dead, powers, bibliographical details, and any criminal records they would have. It would be information that that people would give their left arm to get their hands on.

While she did not hear of Harry use that data in a malicious way, she was certain that he could and would do what he could to protect the interests of himself, those closest to him, or his charges. Tess calculated that backing this particular young man into a corner.

"I've got everything locked down and people evacuated, so far so good, but that won't hold them, not forever," Harry added when he shook his head and caught his breath back. The young wizard held his phone out, he knew it was coming.

"You may have compromised yourself when you created that back door into the Luthorcorp network," Tess stated to Harry in a flat voice but he did not cringe or apologize about it, in fact he remained stoic.

"Maybe you're correct, but you wouldn't have infected any of your computer networks if you would not have left well enough alone regarding the crystal. But I guess Lex taught you that one, didn't he?"

Harry could tell he touched a nerve and given the circumstances he found himself uncaring to be honest.

"I'm sure your mother taught you a few things about winding people up with the wrong intentions as well," Tess answered when she fired back.

Nerve struck on the other side, and now the ball was in Tess's court.

Silence reigned for a little bit on the phone.

"My mother….never mind about her," Harry answered, who figured that whatever notes Lionel left behind, he mentioned Lily in them. "The monster…there are people working about it, but I might be compromised for the next few hours."

"Compromised, in what way?" Tess asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Compromised as in that computer took away my…." Harry started but he stopped and paused. "Rest assure abilities or not, I'm not going to take this one lying down, not without a fight."

"Well, keep fighting the good fight," Tess answered when she heard something. "Oh, and you should know that three more of Lex's prototype suits have been infected and are going on a rampage."

Harry heard the smashing outside the windows and sure enough the dark haired wizard went rigid. That complicated the rest of his night to say the very least but once again, there was little time to worry about that. Rather he pressed on and moved down the stairs, taking one step at a time.

"I can see that, they're coming here, I'll call you back," Harry answered Tess without missing a beat.

Without most of his powers, Harry felt weaker but he shook his head, he never been one to fall into the trap where he thought powers were the be all and end all. Granted, they came in handy against some extremely dangerous foes. Be that as it may, Harry found himself to be annoyingly resourceful without them; there were times where he actually was stripped of his powers in the past.

The suits of power rumbled on the city streets beneath Harry, going for him and smashing their way through the front entrance.

"I never liked that door frame, planned on changing it anyway," Harry remarked in a droll voice, when he moved forward, the suits moved in.

Brainiac did one common folly that many enemies decided to undertake and that was that his consciousness spread in several different directions. Many would consider that to be a benefit but with Harry it allowed him to duck and dodge around easier, manipulating the suits against each other. It was after all three distinct parts of Brainiac, so there would be three parts of him wanting an equal amount of revenge.

Harry's heart hammered against his chest, only a fool would not get worked up after something like this. The reason the suits were prototypes became very apparent to Harry, their clunky and inability to maneuver around properly was so easily manipulated by the magic user.

One well placed spell caused an explosion, to blow the suits of the armor apart. They clattered down to the street, bursting apart.

This little action confused Brainiac and Harry found himself pleased that that individual was confused. He knew that his powers returned somewhere, at least to a limited agree.

Perhaps Harry should keep his eye on the battle at least that was the thought that went through his head when the clunky arms of one of the possessed battle suits did. To his credit, the dark haired wizard dodged around and recovery quickly, springing himself up in the air with the agility that he learned from the Quidditch field.

A loud bang cracked the second suit open and sent it crashing to the ground with an intense thud. Harry felt and tasted something that he had not in a long time, since he received his Herald of Death abilities and that was blood. Blood on his lips, mouth, and tongue, blood that dripped down from his mouth, to be honest that kind of unsettled him.

His healing abilities did not work with his powers stripped from him, not good, not good at all, but that was not something Harry could bother himself with. The third suit moved after him and….

'_SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!"_

Those word the thoughts that went through Harry's head when he saw it face off against him. Of course, Harry's luck would not even leave him alone for a minute. The Destroyer barreled down the streets of Metropolis towards him, on its rampage. The barricades put up did not deter it not that would have mattered in the first place with something that destroyed it.

There was one Martian/Detective down on the ground, ribs shattered from the attack, despite his advanced powers. If Dooomsday damaged the Martian, then that did not bode well for the rest of the normal people out there. Even if those people were Heralds of Death who lost their powers thanks to the mishaps of things that happened.

There was one silver lining to this cloud and that was the fact Doomsday knocked the final battle suit out, destroying it beyond all repair. It was a shame that Harry flew back and was nearly damaged beyond all repair himself from the impact. He felt his ribs snap, his ankle roll, and his face smack, with his right eye swelling shut.

Harry forgot how much pain sucked and the answer that was a lot, too much in fact, more than Harry could handled.

The dark haired wizard pulled himself to his feet, staggering on spaghetti legs and swayed from one side to the other, trying to regain some kind of standing position. Doomsday blocked by the shields but said shields would not hold the destroyer back for long. Harry pushed his power forward, the strong-willed sorcerer gaining immense deal of momentum when he powered up his spells.

He pushed his foe back, strong as he might be, he was not going to bring the dark haired wizard down, not if Harry could help it.

Doomsday was dangerous but he cornered a wounded dog in his own yard. A wounded animal was something that was more dangerous than any force on earth; depending on one's perspective they had more to lose or nothing at all to lose.

A flash of blinding light caught Doomsday, and the Martian Manhunter tried to enter the beast's mind but dropped to the ground, unable to penetrate the savage fury of his brain.

Harry summoned a rock, programmed it into a Portkey, and shoved it into the hand of the creature, before it disappeared into a flash of light.

Where did it go? Hopefully into a volcano, that's what Harry's intention was at the very least. He could barely keep his head above water never the less and the buzzing in his head could only mean one thing and one thing only.

Brainiac was coming.

No wait, Brainiac was here.

Harry scrambled to his feet, on one leg and with one eye, with the other having been swollen shut. His face turned into a delightfully ugly shade of purple, swollen and disgusting but he pushed himself forward.

One might get the impression that Harry Potter ran away from the fight, something he never did before but one would be wrong with that impression, no matter how true it could have seen. The dark haired wizard dragged his ankle behind him, painfully, seeing the energy pulse follow him all the way to the Shining Light Foundation.

* * *

Brainiac sensed the weakness in the organic life form that he followed, a glowing fury pulsing through his eyes. He moved forward, the protector was close, the one that he must take out. His core objective beat strong through his program. For the past several years, one mishap after another prevented it from being fulfilled.

"I'm coming for you Harry Potter!"

Harry staggered back; it was so nice when the psychopathic machines announced themselves when they stopped by. On one leg, Harry gimped, each step seemingly a labor, a pain, a miserable existence, dragging his feet behind him. Did the dark haired wizard find himself in this situation for not a good reason?

No there was a good reason, a very good reason, he reminded himself what was at stake, why he was here, what he must do. The young man shook his head, clutching himself.

"Look at the one who has been gifted with ultimate power, you are weak and you grow weaker," Brainiac taunted when he stared down Harry, his legs finally buckled from underneath him. "Underneath your false bravado, you are merely a child who is still pandering to those for some attention. You may be as pathetic as Kal-El and most certainly are a worthy champion much like the rest of these humans."

Harry flickered his hand forward but Brainiac batted away the force fields like they were nothing. They were nothing, nothing but an illusion, just a feint, something that allowed Harry to back up. The dark haired wizard pushed back, closer and closer. He knew that time ran out as the menace moved up on them.

"I returned because my mission was not completed," Brainiac answered in a crisp, sadistic, and very much twisted voice. He peered down at Harry, sending sparks against his face. "You keep returning because you have not acquired the intelligence to know when it's your time to stay down and face facts."

Brainiac paused before his expression grew more twisted.

"There is no way that you can win this day so it is useless trying."

Harry edged back a little bit closer, he got closer to the central core of the building, where the true power lied.

"You talk a good game but you've never been able to defeat me and you haven't been able to defeat Clark Kent," Harry answered, making sure to put an extra emphasis on Clark's Earth name, knowing that it would cause Brainaic the greatest misery, given that it would be an insult to him to point out that a mere human bested him.

It reminded him that no matter how superior he thought he was, Brainiac was forever and always second better to someone who wore an Earth skin. He could tell that there was annoyance.

"You are…."

"You know, Brainy, mind if I call you Brainy?" Harry asked when he backed up a little bit, a little bit closer. "You seem to be so adept at psychoanalyzing the humans but I'd like to pick your brain a little bit if you don't mind, see what makes you tick.

Brainiac appeared to be not down with that, a blast shot out at Harry but true to his credit, the young sorcerer dodged the attack, moving around it, and shook his head. With a sigh, the dark haired wizard shook his head, and blocked another attack, and pivoted.

"You seem to be driven by many of the same things that these organics that are weakened by emotions are, aren't you?"

For some, they might consider what Harry did as folly but really it was all part of a well calculated plan to get in the head of his enemy.

"Here's the thing, you are nothing but a lackey, nothing but a machine but you've deviated from your objective. This isn't what it's all about, is it? You're upset that you didn't get what you want, now you've created convoluted and petty schemes for revenge."

Sparks splattered in every single direction, with Harry understanding the nerves he touched to be many but he shook his head. There would come a time where the young wizard shook his head, sliding back a little bit. The instant came at last.

"You think you understand what I'm doing but you've fallen into a foolish trap that many humans have done previously. You understand little and assume very much, a folly which I will exploit and destroy you, Harry Potter."

Harry wondered if this computer understood what he was saying and how much that it pertained to him. All he needed was a few steps more and the day would be his, whether he moved a little bit to the right or was it to the left. He had no idea but he kept pushing back. The seconds edged by on the clock when the machine rushed forward him.

It was now time for Harry to be the one to open up the flood gates of enlightenment.

"That's where you're wrong Brainiac. I know far more than you could ever realize, and do you realize what you're doing?"

Brainiac paused, and Harry sensed it, his powers slowly returned, trace elements lingered within the walls of the Shining Light Foundation. It might not be enough to send someone into the tender embrace of Death but it was another to give him strength. They were powers that he needed to use wisely, powers slowly returning to him. Each move counted very much.

"Brainiac, it would indicate you are smart but it's actually true that you're quite the opposite."

A pulse of electricity shot through the hands of the young wizard to send him flying back into the air. The dark haired wizard turned around, breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling from what happened.

"You chased me in here, machine."

"And you ran."

That response, whilst it was true, was not completely accurate.

"You chased me, and I led you in here. You misunderstand a fundamental truth about humanity and how we work. Strength comes in many forms and what you think is weakness is strength."

Brainiac paused before his eyes narrowed nastily and he spoke. "Clarify what you mean."

Harry was only too happy to offer the proper amount of clarification because after all that happened, this machine did not get it, he did not get it at all. But he was oh so happily going to explain it into them.

"There is something that you should know to be true with your studies and your knowledge of humans and that is the fact that we are animals. But not in the snide and disrespecting way you might intend to brand us as. No far from it, really far from it, the fact of the matter is that we react to certain ways, in a class where one might consider it to be survival of the fittest.

Brainiac would have sensed that something was up, providing the fact that he was not too blinded with the tunnel vision that he had. Tunnel vision was not something that affected people, a fact Harry happily exploited.

"You won't stop me."

"You chased a wounded animal, cornered him, but not only that, you cornered him in his own yard."

Harry paused for a moment's time before a twisted grin appeared on his face, had Brainiac understood humanity well, he would have known the danger that he found himself in. But like a fool, the machine remained ignorant to what went on around him.

"You're in my yard you pathetic bag of microcircuits but don't worry, you won't be staying too long."

The mistake Harry waited for this entire night happened, when Brainiac lunged forward in an attempt to finish him off.

One thing happened at this point, with Harry bringing in the internal core of the Shining Light Foundation. One electro-magnetic pulse did not damage Brainiac, not for that long. Being an alien computer, he was highly adaptable at any situation. Therefore mundane methods to take him down seldom worked.

A thousand electro-magnetic pulses spilling into his body, ripping him apart, that might constitute as a bit of a problem and Harry's breath continued to hitch in. He dropped down to the ground, shaking his head and shook it off. The dark haired wizard brushed the hair from his eyes and felt what occurred.

Brainiac ripped apart, the screams were inhumane but that was as well, the man was not a man, he was a machine. He tried to pull himself out but found that the field the Herald of Death trapped him in was too much. A magic that was stronger than Hogwarts at its peak shot into him, ripping him apart, and damaging him.

Minutes turned into seconds, spinning around with each passing tick of the clock. He blew into nothing, leaving nothing but a piece of a motherboard on the ground. Harry caught it into his hands, it had three small dots scratched into it.

The liquefied material stretched into a ball that shuddered to a rest in Harry's hand. His breath let out of his body when he knew one thing.

And that was Brainiac knew no more, and Harry did it, he did it, somehow he did it, by hook or by crook.

First he would sit down and then hopefully would be able to bring everyone back home. Or they would bring themselves back home.

* * *

"You look like crap."

That was the nice and rather to the point statement Lois Lane made when she exited from the limbo dimension, with Raya, Lana, Clark, Karen, Kara, and Chloe.

"Hi, Lois, nice to see you too."

Without another word, Kara rushed over to run her hands over Harry's bruised face and a frown crossed the Kryptonian survivor's face. "What happened?"

"What happened, Doomsday happened, that's what happened," Harry remarked when he rubbed the side of his face, offering a wince, shaking his head from one side to the other. It took him a moment to get his mind together. "I'm….yeah that's what it is but I'm fine."

Chloe looked at Harry with a strained expression when she took a look at him, before she offered a sigh. "Fine, is that what we're calling it now?"

"I'm fine, trust me, I've had much worse," Harry managed when he moved over with Karen, Chloe, and Kara, the quartet of them moving. "I took care of Doomsday."

Suddenly, Clark's expression got a bit anxious and dare Harry say it, extremely hopeful. Unfortunately, Harry needed to burst his bubble.

"By take care of him, I mean I transported him off, into a place where he can't harm anyone, at least for a little while. It's not permanent by any means, he'll be back, he always comes back, and you need to be ready. It's coming to the time where you have to face him; we've delayed it for as long as we could."

Clark understood that, somehow after all of the waiting, it almost was if his entire life lead up to this moment, the battle with this monster, the battle with Doomsday. The two individuals who walked into the battle stepped in to face each other but the real question would either of them be the same ever again? That was a question that echoed through the mind of the Last Son of Krypton and gave him a sense that something serious was about to come down the pike.

Lana's expression looked towards Clark.

"It's that time but after what happened in there, you're ready, more ready than you'll ever be," Lana offered when she turned around to face him.

Clark was not sure about that but it was something that he thought about, carefully mulling over the matter in his mind. The time came closer for his end, the battle that he would have against his greatest enemy, against Doomsday. The destroyer rolled over its path and he realized that each second he delayed, the more threat he put away.

"You shall win for I see the determination in your eyes, it resembles your father's when he sets his mind towards something," Raya answered when she looked at Clark.

They all had a few doubts in their mind about what might happen, that went without saying but that made their resolve stronger along with their abilities to win the day no matter what. If they stood side by side, all of them felt strongly they could succeed.

"No one said it was going to be easy," Clark remarked when he turned around.

"Of course a bunch of people said it was going to be easy," Lois commented lightly when she turned around and looked over her shoulder. She added with a smirk. "They said it before they died."

Harry turned around, that was a statement that was made by fools before they died if there ever was one. Fools before they were placed into the ground and knew that every single battle was going to be an uphill one. No one said it was going to be easy but the real excitement was in the journey, the quest for anything.

Kara stood by Harry, he sensed her reservations with what was happening and he had to agree with them, there was no such thing as being too prepared. Those who thought differently about being too prepared were going to be in for a nasty shock and a rude awakening. It rattled the senses when they thought about it.

'_We're going to win, we have to win, right?' _Kara thought to Harry through the link.

Karen felt a bit apprehensive; there was some kind of calm before the storm brewing. _'I hope we're going to win, but it is not our battle to win.'_

'_It's Clark's,' _Harry thought to Kara, shaking his head but the younger blonde to his left placed a hand on his while the older blonde to his right put another hand to his.

"There's times like this where I wished you had a third hand," Chloe remarked in an off handed manner.

"Oh, I'm sure you know all about my third hand," Harry answered with a smile which caused Chloe to look away and Lois to grimace.

"That's a bit more than I needed to hear about the two of you. Could you keep that talk...I don't know."

"Sorry, Lois, I'll try not to mentally scar next time, although I'm sure nothing happens in my room that you lot don't get up to with Clark," Harry answered but Lois shook her head. "Not helping with the mental imagery?"

"Not in the slightest," Lois agreed before she turned around. "So do we have to wait for him to make a move?"

"He should be out west somewhere, if you want to fly out there, and if Clark's ready, it's time to fight him," Harry responded when he placed his hands on his hips, his face still dinged up, his ribs sore, and his ankle busted but his determination somehow spread through.

Clark thought about it, there was only one answer that question, it's now our never. Granted, the flight thing was something that he still did not get down, but he could have sworn he was up in the air for more than three seconds. He did it when no one was looking, that was his luck but he had it, for a brief second and without any demonic possession either.

There was a condescending pat on the head and the shares of "sure you did" from Lois. Lana stated that the belief that he might have flown allowed him to speed up the flight proces and Raya agreed, stating that it might be a sign that he came more to terms with his Kryptonian heritage.

Clark was not sure, the only thing that was for sure in life, was nothing for sure.

"Well unless you've mysteriously got the ability to fly outside of her own imagination, I think we can get you out there," Lois answered when she looked at Lana with a smile. "Would you like to do the honors, Lana?"

"Since you did last time, Raya did it the time before that, I think it is my turn," Lana answered with a grin on her face.

Clark sighed and almost pouted which Lois caught.

"Hey, Earth Boy, you learn to fly, and you won't keep getting scooped up like that," Lois answered to the amusement of everyone in the room, except for Harry who remained stoic and Karen who frowned but shook her head.

She learned to live with it by now. It did not amuse her to see her cousin lack a backbone but she learned to live with it.

Lana without another word, scooped Clark into her arms and prepared to fly him off.

There was one problem, Lana stumbled and bumbled, going down on the ground with Clark in their arms. The two fell to the ground with a crash.

"Lana what happened?" Clark asked when he looked at her.

"Maybe, you're having a bad day, here let me try," Lois answered before she grabbed Clark firmly, before she tried to up, up, and away.

It was a really good thing that she did not clear out the window, rather she crashed onto the floor, with Clark hard on the ground.

Raya tested her flight and sure enough she flew high above the ground. Taking one lap around Metropolis, she made sure everything was okay. She stopped and landed on the ground, and looked at them.

"Test your heat vision, all of you," Raya told them.

Harry, Kara, and Karen hit targets with their heat vision. Clark was able to as well. Raya did so as well but Chloe, Lois, and Lana were unable to access their heat vision or any of their powers.

Harry performed a scan with his magic, Chloe's meteor abilities were still there, but that was the only thing that was still there regarding her powers.

"Houston we have a problem," Lois commented and that was the understatement of a century.

Harry found himself visited by a theory and he hated to confirm this to be right.

'_Accessing Lifelife Reading on Clark Kent,' _Harry thought to himself and there was a flash.

Clark's normally golden dot turned black, which indicated that he only had twenty four hours to live. Kara and Karen recoiled when they saw it as well.

"What was it?" Lois asked them.

"Fine, everything's fine," Kara stated in a bright voice, all too bright.

They tried to access the Lifeline Reading once again, to verify what they saw was not some kind of horrific illusion.

There was nothing. Until a very familiar and unwelcomed voice echoed throughout the collective consciousness of the three Heralds of Death, something that they hoped to never here.

"**You were warned about the price in your direct meddling. The next seventy two hours the three of you are mortal. Your powers will be returned back if the Higher Ups deem you worthy." **

"Death took our powers away," Harry confirmed grimly.

Lois offered the most accurate declaration anyone could have ever said.

"Shit."

"Indeed," Lana said, it was not hard to put two and two together.

Their powers, Lana, Lois, and Chloe, were gifted by the Heralds of Death. With the powers of the Heralds gone, so were the powers of the three girls.

And it was a shame to because Lois recently discovered an awesome power she had been gifted but that was a story for later.

* * *

Tess sat at the desk, hands folded over when she looked at the computer system at Luthorcorp, yeah this was going to eat several million out of her bank account to get repaired. That was beside the point; there was something else that she needed to think about.

The Destroyer vanished without a trace and she knew Harry Potter had something to do with it. That was until he mysterious reappeared in the Southwest United States three hours ago. The monster was on his way and Tess was no closer to figuring out what to do about that. The entire Brainiac mess sidetracked her and threw her for a loop.

There was no idea what she could do, like there was no idea what could be done about that mysterious humming noise that came from the vault. The orb rattled in the vault and the woman bent forward, pulling the orb.

It glowed in her hand and shook, positively vibrating. Something was in there, and something was alive. For some reason, Tess felt like she held live fire in her hand, fire that threatened to scorch her if she made one wrong movement.

"You must be warned about the consequences of meddling."

Tess looked up, that voice in the orb, it sounded familiar but she could not place it.

"I have suppressed the other voices in the orb, for a short time, I wish to speak to you, Tess Mercer."

The voice was female.

Tess paused for a moment. "Who are you?"

"My name is not important. All you need to know is that I was one of the leading medical officers for the Kandorian Army. And I helped oversee the blood withdrawal for the experimentation. All that you need to know is that this orb was an abomination that never should have been. We had no right to play Rao."

Tess raised an eyebrow, she was intrigued.

"You need to get rid of it. Fortunately there is a way to destroy the orb and that is…."

The voice was silenced, with another voice replacing it.

"Sorry, this message has been cut off, please try again later."

The orb glowed a red color and knocked Tess backwards, causing her to crash down onto the ground with a thud.

The device floated from her hand and entered the vault before it locked behind her. Tess got up, to try and open the vault but surprisingly, someone changed the combination on her. It was some magical force changed it.

Tess wasn't about to give up yet.

Lily's presence woke up within the orb, she wondered who pulled that act because it was not her.

The third presence in the orb seemed pleased that everything was going to their plans. The Dark Lord should have taken over the Magical World by now, so all she would have to do was deliver the Traveler to him and he would be invincible. She switched her blood out for that of Isis Lovegood's and the stupid little Mudblood suspected nothing.

* * *

Clark stood at the edge of the Fortress of Solitude, there came a time where he felt that he needed to do certain things and one of those things was to make peace with Jor-El.

"You said before that you hoped there was a time where I might call you father, well I think that time may approach yet," Clark stated when he stood at the Edge of the Fortress of Solitude. "But for me to do that, we must work together as a family, all of us. Whatever happened between you and Kara's father, Mother was right, it was best left to die with Krypton."

Jor-El remained silent for a moment but Clark stood his ground.

"Like it or not, Kara is family, she's blood, and whatever happened, it's not her fault," Clark stated when he looked out.

"Yes, I do believe that petty family feud shall be set aside for the greater good of the world," Jor-El agreed when he paused. "What occurred with Alura was an unfortunate tragedy and I think Kara hung onto her fair share of bitterness regarding me but now is not the time for this. This is your moment Kal-El. This is one where you shall stand prouder than them all. I will not sugarcoat this, the Destroyer is far more dangerous than anything you've ever fought before."

"But I believe that you may be up for the challenge, my son," Lara chimed in.

"As do I," Jor-El responded.

"And no matter what, we will be proud of you," Lara stated, but Jor-El remained silent and stoic.

"Lana, Lois, their powers are gone and Raya's is at normal Kryptonian strength, Chloe has her healing abilities, and Harry, Kara, and Karen can't intervene or they'll lose their Herald abilities permanently," Clark answered when he looked forward.

"Do not think that despite these obvious handicaps you stand alone, Kal-El," Lara answered when she stared at Clark. "As long as you keep those in your heart in mind, you will never be alone. Jor-El and I will be with you to guide you the best we can but this is your greatest trial to date and must be yours to conquer in the end."

"I feel like my entire life lead up to this moment," Clark answered when he turned out.

Harry stood in the Fortress, Clark reminded him of him the moment before he walked into the Forest to fight Voldemort or rather sacrifice himself to kill the Horcrux. The night the entire world changed for him, leading to one moment or the other.

Kara and Karen stood behind him, not saying one word.

What could they say for someone who was fated to die in twenty four hours? They mentally agreed, that he must never know, it would defeat him before the battle even started.

"Guys, the monster is heading to the Artic," Chloe stated in an anxious voice to Harry when the scanners at the Shining Light Foundation picked up on them. "Lana's here with me, Raya's there to try and tail him to minimize damage control, and I don't know where Lois is. She mentioned something about calling in a favor with one of Uncle Sam's old army buddies."

Harry shivered suddenly, feeling dread come on, hoping that Lois would not cause more damage than Doomsday with whatever scheme she was planning.

"She said that just because she doesn't have powers doesn't mean that she can't help Clark," Chloe answered when she sighed. "It's going to be a long night. Lana tells Clark not to do anything too reckless but she has a feeling that it's going to fall on deaf ears."

"Doomsday's coming for you," Kara related to Clark and he stiffened.

"Good, I'll bring the fight to him," Clark answered, when he threw the red blanket he brought to the Fortress over his shoulders, it flowing behind him.

Kara looked at Clark with an impassive look in her bright blue eyes. "Be careful."

"I'm always careful," Clark answered before he walked out the door.

Walking to his eventual demise although Harry hoped he was wrong, as did the other Heralds.

"There's something that you're not telling us, isn't there?" Chloe asked when she jumped on the communication link.

Harry paused to consider telling Chloe what he saw before his powers got yanked. Then he stated to her in a calm voice, trying to remain optimistic "I'll tell you after Clark's beat Doomsday."

**To Be Concluded in the Final Chapter "The Ultimate Destroyer."**


	61. Chapter 61: Ultimate Destroyer

_And now the final chapter of Herald of Death Book One. I decided to not to respond to reviews for the last chapter. The short catch all answer to what the big problem is was "this chapter explains much." This is one of those chapters where much will be explained but a lot is left open for the sequel in Book Two, coming this July. _

**Chapter 61: The Ultimate Destroyer Part One. **

"We, the Higher Ups, commune on this day, not to judge the Heralds of Death but to judge Death herself, for the malicious use of her abilities and the interference of the natural progression of matters on the planet known as Earth. Death will be allowed to state her case but should she be found guilty, she will be forced to step down from her position as the gateway to the afterlife and a new one will be chosen in her place. Our first and potentially most damning piece of evidence is the full scale and senseless destruction of what mortals refer to as the dinosaurs."

* * *

Defiance was a quality that Harry Potter utilized many times in his life; when authority figures shoved him around and tended to undermine him. The fact of the matter was despite the edict from the higher ups, he was not going to stand by and let this matter go unchecked, not if he could help it anyway. The dark haired wizard prepared to figure out what to do and came to one conclusion. His two blonde wives waited beside him, the third one staying at the Shining Light Foundation to track Doomsday's progress for Clark.

"I'm beginning to see why all of the other Heralds lost their minds and swore a vendetta on Death," Kara responded when she clutched her arms and inclined her head over to the side. Her eyes closed when she thought about everything but there was a look of thought and concentration on Harry's face.

"I'm not sure if Death was directly involved with this one," Harry answered when he clutched his hands.

Karen gave Harry an incredulous look when she asked the extremely obvious question. "If it's not that meddlesome bitch, than who else could it be?"

Harry decided to enlighten her on the process. "I'm….I'm….well Death stated that there were higher ups, at least we're assuming its Death .But if Brainiac found a way to stop my powers temporarily, then it stands to reason that other people might have found out a way to do so as well."

Harry, Karen, and Kara thought about that point and to be honest, that was something to think about. They came so far, they came so close, that they were able to taste the victory. Clark was taking a huge step towards achieving what he was put on this planet for but that hinged on his ability to defeat Doomsday. The three Heralds remembered one thing that haunted them.

The reading that they saw from the Lifeline before Death yanked their powers that echoed throughout the back of their heads. The fact of the matter was Clark went black which meant that there was a ninety five percent likelihood that he was doomed to die. Granted there was a five percent likelihood that he could live but who would want to play odds like that.

"We're running out of time," Karen answered when she looked nervously and she checked in with Chloe. "Any news on our destroyer?"

Chloe bit her lip when she checked the latest news.

"He's after Clark, Oliver and his rag-tag group of heroes….well they're going after him to stall him while Clark gets ready," Chloe answered but Harry turned away.

He was not about to tell Chloe to tell Oliver that what he was trying to do was a suicide mission, rather he was going to let him do what he needed to do. The heroes of the world would not stand by idly and wait for Doomsday to destroy it. Or wait for Clark to get his ass in gear.

"Lana's going stir crazy in here and Lois…she's still MIA, and Raya's gone to the Fortress to help Clark out in any way she can, being the only one of those three who still have powers," Chloe told Harry, mostly talking to herself than him. "Do you think there's a chance….of our powers returning?"

Harry wished he could say that there was. He got a sense that Death may have also thrown then under the bus as a scapegoat for something she got in trouble with from the higher ups.

"I don't know Chloe, we're checking into something, we're going to keep you posted," Harry answered when he turned around and thought about everything that he had to do.

"Don't suppose a miracle could happen, could it?" Chloe asked when she paused.

Harry did not answer, at least right away. To be honest, he did not believe in miracles but he believed in results. And resourcefulness, there was only one person on Earth who could find a way to restore the powers. She had access to a realm of magical knowledge that would be able restore them.

"I don't know, but we're meeting with someone, Rachel, she'll hopefully have something that could bring our powers back behind Death's back," Harry answered but Chloe paused.

"You do realize that there's a good chance that Death will come down here personally and ring your necks if you undermine her like that?'

"Good, let her come," Kara answered, showing no fear in her voice or her eyes. "We're ready, we earned these powers, and she has no right to take them away because of all of these stupid rules."

"Again, I'm beginning to see why all of the former Heralds grew to hate her," Karen responded when she folded her arms and looked up into the sky. "I hope….I hope that there is something that we can do."

Harry once again was not sure that Death was the one behind this mysterious loss of powers, call him crazy, he was called worse but that's the way he thought. There was something unsettling with when this happened just now, the moment before Clark went forward to face Doomday. And the fact the life line reading turned black before their powers got lost.

Well, it was not like he could think about that, he knocked on the door, with the young mage waiting and the door opened, for Rachel to poke her head out.

"Harry, I….after all that's happened I didn't expect you to come by," Rachel responded to Harry before she looked at the three Heralds of Death. She commented in a sardonic voice. "There wasn't a problem with my training last time, was there?"

Harry took a turn to smile back at her. "No there wasn't a problem, far from it in fact. But we do have an issue, we need to travel to your realm and access the library."

Confusion reigned over Rachel's face before she asked what she assumed to be a very obvious question. "And why couldn't you do that?"

Kara chimed in with an explanation. "Our powers have been yanked and we're hoping for a way to restore them."

Rachel mused that these three had among the very worst luck in the world that much was for certain. The young half demon sorceress took a moment to mull over everything that transpired and closed her eyes, before deciding to help them. After all, after the big time they helped her, she'll be forever in their debt.

"I'll help you, it's no problem, if Kal-El doesn't succeed, much will be lost after all," Rachel answered after they gave her a brief summary of what the situation was. She engulfed them in a bright light and sent them to the realm.

It was an amazing place with a huge library, somehow the citizens of this dimension managed to save most of it from Trigon and after her father's demise, Rachel went back her to persue the books, flipping through them a little bit at a time and learning about new bits of magic. Naturally she would allow Harry, Kara, and Karen to go into the library.

"Thanks Rachel, I appreciate that and I'll find a way to make your help worth your while," Harry answered and Rachel looked at him.

"Ah, that's quite the promise, isn't it?" Rachel asked in a stoic voice before she walked forward and flipped through the books. There were many legends of the Heralds of Death in this library, not to mention other magical artifacts. She continued to flip through the books with the help of Harry, Kara, and Karen.

There was a moment where Kara gave a triumphant smile and turned the book over to them.

"There it is, the solution to our problems," Kara answered and Harry looked at her before he gave her a kiss on the lips, which she returned.

"You're brilliant."

Kara smiled before Karen offered him a mock pout, shaking her head.

"How about me?"

Harry kissed Karen on the lips a little bit and Rachel looked at him, about to open her mouth. "You're brilliant, you too Rachel."

Rachel opened her mouth but in the heat of the moment, Harry offered her a slight kiss on the lips. His mere touch caused her brain to nearly shut down and the young half demon to go into a catatonic state. New emotions bombarded her mind.

"You're…you're….you're….w-w-elcome," Rachel stammered when she closed her eyes and shook her head. "But you know that altar, while powerful, is also dangerous. It will either restore your powers or destroy you utterly."

"We're up for the challenge, I think," Kara answered, they would do anything to restore their powers and this altar would restore the powers, even if the risk was greater.

Harry, Kara, and Karen prepared to depart for the last known location of the altar, a museum in South America, and they hoped that it was there. They needed their powers back, so they could help prevent the upcoming Doomsday.

* * *

Green Arrow dropped to the ground; they were in the Northern Part of Canada where the monster showed up. Black Canary, Cyborg, and Impulse followed him up the banks of snow and ice. Aquaman took the water; that was naturally in his element.

Oliver peered from underneath his hood, they were in a fisherman town, that's what the community seemed to thrive on.

"How do we know when he shows up?" Dinah asked to break the rather awkward silence.

"Follow the sound of the screams?" Bart asked when the others looked at him and sure enough there were screams.

The destroyer arrived on the field, more hideous than he had been described and Oliver felt rather underequipped with the arrows that he had. They would not do him as much good as he assumed against this monster, against this creature, whatever he was. Yet, he had to try and he aimed his arrow, before he shot it.

The monster got the arrow in his hand but he ripped it out. Briefly, a nasty kind of blood spurted from his hand, before the monster stood on the ground, rushing forward with each passing step. The villagers scattered.

Bart ran around the world to gain the necessary momentum to try and take the creature out. He circled the entire planet and came back around the other side of him but the monster knocked him down onto the ground with an impact. The speedster rolled over, clutching his back and was down, groaning.

"I thought…I thought that would work," Bart stated with a grimace when he tried to sit up but he failed. The young speedster shook his head a little bit and was helped to his feet.

Cyborg was the next one to get smacked down by the destroyer who sensed that he was getting close to his query. These insects were not something that he would allow to stop him from destroying the last son of Krypton. That was his mission, he would not….

Green Arrow fired a rapid barrage in him, unloading twelve, thirteen, fourteen arrows into him, all of them entering his chest. Doomsday stepped forward, grabbing the archer by the throat and shaking him like a ragdoll.

"Canary, now," Green Arrow managed when Doomsday hoisted him up and prepared to crush him with the impact.

Black Canary opened her mouth to send a sonic cry at Doomsday. The monster felt a bit of discomfort and for a brief instant, they thought it was working. His ears began to bleed slightly and for a second they thought or perhaps at least hoped that the danger was passed.

The danger was still present and clear; Doomsday pushed her down to the ground and slammed her head down onto the ground. Canary grimaced from the impact but something else knocked the monster back, a few inches.

The monster dropped to his knees a little bit, the psychic assault bombarding his mind and threatening to shut him down with extreme prejudice. Megan tried to lock the monster within a prison of his own mind.

"Don't worry, I was sent here by Arcane, Supergirl, and Power Girl to help you," Megan answered when she tried to push him back, the hood over her head obscuring her facial features, not that she needed it with her shape shifting abilities.

"And who are you?" Oliver wondered when Doomdsay almost stopped in his tracks.

There was a pause when Megan turned out the mental juice, trying to push through the frontal lobe of the monster, his brain was more complex than ever before. The young Martian tried to force her way into the mind of Doomsday, but blood dripped from her nose when she pushed herself to the fullest.

"You may call me…Miss Martian," Megan stated, she was not in the mood to come up with a more creative codename now.

"Really, that's it. You couldn't….OW!"

Oliver felt a smack in the back of his head from an invisible hand.

"Sorry, my mind slipped."

Megan flew backwards with an impact, landing onto the ground with a solid thud and Doomsday had a throbbing motion through his head.

"Where is the trio,now?" Oliver wondered when Megan's head thumped, thumped, thumped.

Megan could not answer the question with any form of clarity but another figure popped up, sending a grappling hook at Doomsday to try and hold him into place. Batman arrived on the scene and his strongest grapple could not hold the monster into place. He grappled up and hooked it to the Batwing, which was on auto polite.

He gave the signal and tried to drag Doomsday out of harm's way but that worked out a bit better in theory than it did in practice. The monster busted loose and dropped on the ground.

The group of heroes tried a team assault but they were all knocked down like nine pins with Doomsday not in the mood to engage them. He continued his rampage further and further north, sinking his feet into the ground and giving a loud growl. The monster rampaged even further up North.

"He could have killed us but he let us go," Bart remarked when he shook his head, granted his body ached all over but the pain meant that he was still alive or not crippled.

Megan dropped to her knees, her eyes and head burning from trying to read his primitive and destructive mind of this menace, this monster. She never felt anything like this and the savage fury threatened to overwhelm her. It was a small wonder that she was able to pull out when she did otherwise it could have destroyed his mind. The young Martian sighed when she tried to bring herself back to life.

"Fine, just fine, I'm just fine, "Megan answered when she got the looks, ignoring the throbbing in her temples in the back of her head and she twisted her head around a little bit.

"He's not after us, but I think you've figured that out already, Queen," Batman answered when he looed at the Green Arrow and managed to activate the tracking device that he planted on the artic. He switched communications. "Sullivan."

"How in the hell did you get this frequency?" Chloe asked in an indignant voice when she heard Batman of all people talking to her through the supposed private communication link.

Batman offered no response other than getting straight down to business. "Tell Kent that the destroyer is on his way to the Artic .If he's going to step up, now's the time to do so. We did all that we could to delay him but it has to be him."

There was a moment of communication on the other end and Batman heard Chloe say, "No, Lana, it's suicide!" before she returned back to him.

"I'll relay the message to him," Chloe offered in a tense voice.

Batman did not answer and the rest of the heroes turned around to talk for each other for a moment.

"I think we better get back to Metropolis, in case the monster returns there," Oliver suggested and the other members of the team nodded, before he turned around to ask Batman for his input.

There was only one problem and that was Batman decided to slip out. Oliver grimaced, he hated when Batman did that. One day he would figure out the secret.

* * *

Clark waited outside the Fortress but he decided not to wait for much longer. Everyone was right, this was his moment, it was time to man up and face the music, face this menace, this monster, he was going to take on Doomsday.

"Kal-El, you do not have to stand alone against him."

These words from Raya gave Clark a great deal of pause and caused him to stand around. The young woman stepped forward to face off against the Last Son of Krypton, waiting for what he had to say and her heart thumped a bit against her chest. The blonde crossed her arms and tapped her feet on the ground, while she waited, watched, and prepared alongside him.

"It's my battle to fight, Raya," Clark argued when he looked at the woman but she shook her head.

"Your destiny, while yours, is not meant to be embraced alone. With this monster, and believe me when I say this for it is the truth, you are in a war. And this war cannot be won alone. Wars are won by a collaborative effort and not because one person stepped in alone to fight the battle. While the victory will be yours in the end, you do not have to stand alone."

Raya placed her hands on either side of Clark's waist and pulled him in, staring him directly in the eyes. There was a long moment, before she leaned forward and lightly pressed her lips against his. The Kryptonian returned the favor, feeling the soft and tender kiss that the two shared in the blowing Artic winds.

"I have been entrusted with keeping your personal safety and that's what I'm going to do," Raya answered when she looked at Clark and saw him standing there. He still had the red blanket draped over his shoulder, almost like a cape that flowed over him. He wore a blue top and blue jeans but the Kryptonian before him frowned.

There was something missing.

She focused her heat vision, and cut a symbol into the shirt that Clark wore. It looked like an "S" incased in a diamond.

"Your family's crest, the crest of the House of El ,for luck," Raya remarked when Clark gave her a quizzical look at this and he nodded.

Clark thought that he needed more than a little bit of luck to allow him to survive today's battle but that could be done later. He stepped forward and he would do so with his head held high in the air. It would be a battle that he did not relish happening but it would be one that he would face.

'_No matter what my son, I will know that you have done what you must to protect those in the world, to the very end.'_

The ghostly voice of Jor-El echoed from the Fortress of Solitude before Clark took more steps into the frozen ice and tundra, his feet cracking underneath the ice when he walked but he shook that thought off. He heard the rumbling coming forward, Doomsday was coming, he reached closer when the time ticked by.

A loud growl indicated one thing and one thing alone to Clark Kent and that was that Doomsday was here and he was ready. But one had to realize something, after all of the trials Clark went through, he was born ready and he stepped forward onto the Fortress. He stood on the ice, his footprints pressed into the snow and his expression flickered off to the side.

"He's here," Clark stated when he rushed off at super speed, going faster and grabbing the monster around the head.

With a mighty toss, Doomsday was hoisted off the ground by the force of Clark and threw to the ground. The monster flew down onto the ground and the young man did not let up the assault at all. Another huge shot sent him flying backwards. A series of rapid fire punches rocked the monster, causing him to buckle his legs, before he kept fighting. Punch, punch, and kick sends him down to the ground, before the monster rushed around, grabbing him around the head.

Doomsday shrugged Clark off to slam him down onto the ground. The monster smelled the blood of the House of El that had been drawn when the young man cut himself. He rolled over, massaging his busted up forearm, and the yellow suns healing rays did not hold him fast enough.

Raya connected with a kick to the back of the head, true to her word she did not allow Clark to stand alone to face this menace. This monsters leg's rolled out from underneath her, before the young woman hoisted him off the ground a little bit.

The normal Kryptonian gifts underneath the yellow sun were not enough to defeat the monster with Raya flying backwards before she crashed onto the snow. Doomsday hoisted up a huge chunk of ice and tried to smash her skull in.

Immediately, Clark zipped forward to the attack, and felt the ice shatter over his head with titanic force. His knees buckled and his head rang when his eyes felt a bit of swelling. That was not good, far from it, the young man dropped down.

The sharp bone spikes from his body stabbed into Clark once, twice, and three times. They each opened up cuts and knocked him down.

"NO!" Raya yelled before she focused her super breath and tried to knock Doomsday off balance.

The monster forced his way through the gale winds, and the ice and snow that had been kicked up. He grabbed Raya around the head and squeezed the air out of her. The woman dropped down onto the snow and ice and he yelled.

A huge uppercut punch rocketed Doomsday in the chest to send him sliding backwards and then with another movement, Clark zipped from behind him and nailed him again with another punch. Another movement and another punch, again, and again when he busted his knuckles off Doomsday's jaw.

"Come on, you want to go, come on!" Clark yelled before he grabbed Doomsday around the waist before he leapt into the air hard as he could.

They slammed down onto the thin ice, causing it to crack and break through, sending them plunging to the frigid waters below. The two survivors of Krypton sank to the bottom and for a brief moment, it seemed like they drowned.

Clark poked his head out from underneath he water, completely wet, his hair dampened but suddenly Doomsday grabbed him and pushed him down beneath the water. The destroyer plunged him beneath the water, trying to drown him.

Raya rushed over, recovering from her attack and knocked Doomsday back, before she scooped up Clark and flew him out of the way. He was half awake, half breathing, covered in blood, and completely damp.

"We got to get you out of here," Raya stated, wincing as the wounds from her own body had not healed. "He's got the scent though, I've got to throw him off."

Doomsday scented the blood of his victim and would not let up. He got a small taste, all he needed was one touch and then he would have his prey. Nothing in this world could stop him once the traveler was taken down and his objective would be delivered. The Last Son of Krypton, the son of Jor-El, he would pay with his blood.

* * *

The danger the altar presented could either jump start their powers back to where they should have been, it could destroy them, or it could change them into something completely different. There was a certain amount of risk when dealing with many magical artifacts. With everything that was on the line, one small slip out could set them back a long way.

There was one thing to be thankful for and that was the altar was left here at this place, untouched and untainted with the dark haired wizard moving his way into battle, pausing and pondering his next move. The two blonde Kryptonians walked towards him, hovering a few inches above the ground. The currently benched three Heralds of death managed to disable the security and enter inside.

It was nothing but a stone pedestal with strange markings on it. If they had their powers, they could translate it but naturally if they had their powers, they would not be here in the first place. That was one thing that they could take to the bank. The three of them walked forward.

"Well this is it," Kara answered and there was a moment where Harry nodded, knowing what he had to do. This was in fact do or die.

"We can't even open up that last box if we had it, not without our powers," Karen stated when she wished they would have found it sooner. Yet, there was nothing with them, and now they stepped forward.

Harry took risks many times, to the point where he did not really need to take such risks. There was countless times where he felt that with everything on the line, he needed to let it all hang out. That being said, he never took a risk where there was this much on the line.

"Neither of you have to do this, I'll be the one that touches the altar," Harry answered when he turned to his beautiful blonde brides next to him. "If I touch it and it's safe, then you can touch it. If it's not safe…"

"You'll be killed," Karen answered, her eyes not leaving Harry for an instant before she inhaled and exhaled her breath slightly. "No chance, no way no how. We stand together, and we die together. The altar will either empower us all or destroy the three of us."

Kara agreed when she looked at two of her lovers. "Don't think that you have to stand alone, not this time, not ever again. The three of us, we're Heralds United, even if we don't have our powers, and we'll get them back, get the power back we've been cheated out of."

Harry, Karen, and Kara clasped their hands together, walking a few steps forward. There was little time to waste, on their way down here, they heard of the monster's rampage.

"Clark's in bad shape," Chloe interjected before they could touch the altar.

'_Oh, why does she have to give me bad news, now?' _Kara mentally asked to herself in a fretful manner.

'_There's never not a time for bad news, is there?' _Karen asked and they shook their heads.

'_I guess there isn't, but that's not the point,' _Harry thought to them both, placing hands on theirs.

"Explain, please, we're going to try to get our powers back," Harry answered and Chloe seemed surprised.

"I'll wait but if you can't do it, I'm going out there to stand by Clark regardless," Lana stated but then Kara seemed flooded with alarm.

"No, Lana, you'll be killed."

"I'm not useless without my powers," Lana persisted in a stubborn voice before the blonde Kryptonian amended, gritting her teeth.

"No one's saying that you are Lana, all I'm saying is Doomsday is a danger that you can't face alone even with your full powers."

"I won't be alone, Clark will be beside me and I'll be beside him," Lana argued without even given anything else the consideration needed. "Speaking of people who should be beside Clark, did any of you three hear from Lois?"

There was a shrug between Harry, Kara, and Karen before they shook their heads. They had not heard from Lois in over a day.

"No, I can't say we heard from her and….since she left the Shining Light Foundation the other day, come to think of it," Harry answered, you can take the powers out of the protector but you cannot take away their desire to protect the charge that they had.

That was why Harry found a bit of trepidation, if that was a good word, at what Lois was going to plan. There were instances where the woman did tend to be a bit headstrong, or maybe high strung was a good word. The young mage chuckled, he could have been talking about himself at that point but that was beside the point.

"Let us try this," Harry answered firmly and the two blondes nodded beside him.

They were all in this together.

"On three," Kara prompted firmly.

"One, Two, Three."

They touched their hands to the altar and for an instant nothing happened. The Herald Trio thought that they felt something, anything, a buzzing, a tingling sensation, and it vibrated beneath their hands, rocking back and forth with the three of them shaking.

"What's happening?" Kara asked when her hair flung around in the wind.

"I'm not sure," Harry answered when he shook his head.

"Something's happening, but I'm not sure it's our powers coming back!" Karen yelled, wondering what was going to happen now.

The vibrations continued to kick up and suddenly a light show took place, before the three of them were engulfed by multicolored fire. All three of them vanished into a blinding flash, leaving nothing left, not even a smudged footprint on the ground where they stood.

Chloe, on the other hand, was completely lost.

"Harry,Karen, Kara, what happened?" Chloe asked but sure enough there was no sound on the other side, it was like they were there one minute and gone the next.

* * *

Clark's eyes flickered over, the yellow sunlight healed his body although for some reason, the energies that Doomsday gave him, it was a much slower process. Raya cradled him in her arms and dropped down in the field in Smallville. In an odd coincidence, this was the very same field where his ship crashed all those years ago, where his parents found him.

"Kal-El, I know it must hurt," Raya stated when she tried to rifle through her bag and found something to put on the wounds, a solution derived from Earth plants that helped absorb the yellow solar radiation faster and allowed him for greater healing powers. "But you need to pull yourself together. When the destroyer is on a rampage, he will stop at nothing to ensure that his prey is caught."

"Thanks for the tip," Clark managed when he pulled himself to his feet, his shirt ripped slightly, torn down the center of the crest.

Doomsday would come whether Clark wanted him to or not, the problem was whether or not he could meet the monster head on. His hands trembled a little bit, he felt a burning stinging in them. His knuckles scraped while he punched the destroyer in the face.

"It has to stop now," Clark stated when he stood up. "He's killed far too many, I've got to bring him down or die trying."

Raya's face flickered with a little bit of a grimace when she heard that Clark was willing to die in order to save countless lives. In some ways, she imagined that was a good quality to have but in other ways, that was kind of a reckless quality to have. Regardless of the fact, the son of Jor-El stood forward and the young Kryptonian woman watched him walk off.

"Your father would have done the same thing if he could to save all of Krypton," Raya responded quietly and Clark nodded, his head held up stiffly.

Clark stepped forward and rushed down the road at the rumbling sound.

CRASH!

The sound of Clark's fist impacted Doomsday rattled for miles, the destroyer sliding back a little bit but still not budging. It struck Clark at this very point that when he was under the influence of the Lazarus Pits as Kal-El, he simply barely held his own against Doomsday. Now he was fighting the monster who was stronger while he was weaker.

That kind of defeatist attitude would have to be put on hold, for more punches rattled against him. Punch, punch,, roundhouse right, haymaker, left jab, right hook, and an uppercut punch but Doomsday stood on the ground not moving. The monster absorbed every single blow before he picked up an old tractor and smashed it over Clark's head with ballistic fury.

The monster had no reason, no conscious, no feeling, and the scrapes and bruises on Clark got worse. It was almost like the harder he fought, the weaker he grew. Blood splattered from his chest, the cuts and bruises more intense but he shook his head. There was no time to waste and no easy way out.

"Is that are you got?" Clark asked and sure enough, Doomsday rattled him with a punch.

Raya rushed forward, stabbing Doomsday with a knife in the chest. While she knew that would not hold him for long, it could slow him down so Kal-El could do what he needed to do. The monster ripped the knife out of his chest but smartly, she sped out of the way, keeping her distance.

Clark jumped high into the air as he can, he could leap a tall building in a single bound, and smashed into the head of Doomsday, before hoisting him up, and flinging him into the air with all the strength he could muster. An uppercut nailed the monster in the face and propelled him backwards into a water tower.

Doomsday landed out on the other side, crashing to the ground with a fury that could not be matched. Clark bolted over, faster than a speeding bullet and hit the monster with a punch more powerful than a locomotive.

Another impact but Doomsday weathered the storm.

'_He's getting stronger,' _Clark thought to himself, no matter what, his best shot was not good enough.

As Clark and Doomsday were fighting, a car drove off the road into a ditch with the pedestrian fearing for their very life. Why did this happen? Well as it turned out Lois Lane made her way up the road driving said tank and she saw Doomsday was here.

Clark and Doomsdy continued their brawl in the field and Lois could have sworn she heard a scream from a person about having the "right of way". There was one thing that her father taught her, well actually there was many things her father taught her. But there was one thing that General Sam Lane taught his oldest daughter and that was the person in the tank always had the right of way.

Okay, maybe he never really said that but Lois figured that he would have said that, if he would have taught about that.

She hated to do such damage to the corn but hey sacrifices needed to be made.

"Move it Smallville, double time!" Lois yelled in a voice that she was sure that he could hear.

Clark sped out of the way, not wanting to be anywhere close to Lois when she fired at Doomsday. He knew better not to be in the line of fire.

Doomsday looked up with a growl and suddenly the tank fired a large shell. It ripped through the air and slammed into the stomach of the monster, sending him flying back down with hard fury. The blood splattered when Lois connected and the beast dropped backwards to the ground, spurting blood out of its stomach like a water fountain.

For a moment, Lois thought she did it.

"See, I don't need super powers to cover your ass Clark!" Lois yelled triumphantly but then there was another scream that cut off her victory party short.

"LOIS WATCH OUT!"

Lois watched out as the monster smashed onto the top of the tank, his injuries healed.

'_You've got to be kidding me,' _Lois grimaced, unable to believe that the monster shrugged off getting blasted with a tank full force in the stomach.

It defied believe for it was unbelievable and Lois shook her head, trying to push her way out but thankfully Clark was there to rescue her, knocking the monster back with another ballistic fury.

Raya was on the scene when Clark drove the destroyer off.

"That was reckless," Raya remarked to Lois when she helped her out of the tank.

"It would have worked if that thing didn't have super tough skin," Lois remarked when Raya answered. "Please tell me this monster has a weakness."

"So far, we've been unable to find it," Raya stated in an apologetic voice.

"And….now Clark's….he's got to win," Lois answered when she looked into the sky; there was not anything up there. Not even a bird, not even a plane.

* * *

Tess watched from the window of her office, peering down at the city below her and hearing the news coming in through her ears. The destroyer went North up by the Artic and then continued his rampage throughout the United States. He was after someone and the woman tried to get in touch the Shining Light Foundation.

No one, in fact, she had a sense that it was like Harry Potter, along with his wife, Clark Kent's cousin, dropped off the face of the Earth. The phone was busy. Tess wanted to punch a wall or something but she remained calm. Losing her composure at this juncture would not be a good thing. The woman stepped forward a little bit, crossing her arms and tapped her foot on the ground. The red haired woman swayed her hips and watched.

"Miss Mercer, someone is coming…it's him."

Tess bolted when she looked out the window, sure enough someone was coming, the monster was here and he was not alone, oh no he was not alone, far from it, in fact the young woman clutched her hands together. She waited and watched, seeing a blur go down the street. It was not any blur, it was the blur but despite all of the advancements that happened, there was no way to get a clear shot of his face. He moved way too fast.

She tapped her hand and a loud crash echoed from above her. Tess had to get closer, but how she would get closer, she had no idea. The young woman pushed her office door open, determination flickering on her face, and then she walked down the steps before taking a moment to go down the steps. Despite the danger, she felt a need to look at everything.

Meanwhile back on the streets, Clark smashed through a street light, every single attempt to take down Doomsday lead to more pain, blues, and agony for the Last Son of Krypton. Stubborness was the name of Clark Kent and pushed himself to his feet. He pushed himself to his limits and then beyond.

He beat him before, he could defeat him again, and this time he could put him down. The ringing in his head would not slow him down, not even at the slightest, and taking a step back the young Kryptonian took a deep breath. He blew a gust of wind to try and slow him down.

Doomsday offered a different tact, it crushed the ground beneath him, and rushed forward. It knew of the greatest weakness of this individual, now it was clear to him as day. The Last Son of Krypton, the scion of the House of El, it felt it had one weakness. This weak sack of flesh cared for the even weaker sacks of flesh on this primitive world and would do anything to save them.

In addition to evolving in strength, the monster got more intelligent and recognized the patterns in the behavior of these meat bags. He jumped up and suddenly he tried to bring down a building on some hapless bystanders.

Clark moved in as fast as he could and sprinted into the area, saving the bystanders before they could be crushed.

"I think that was the blur."

"What did he look like?"

"A blur."

Clark had no time to waste for idle chatter before he smashed into Doomsday. Swing for the fences one more time and Clark connected his fist into the chest of Doomsday as quickly as he could. Another swing and another shot to the chest of the destroyer, to stun him and take him down.

A back hand shot knocked Clark down and toppled him down to the ground, rolling him over to the ground. Doomsday stomped the back of his head, sending the young male Kryptonian smashing into the ground. Another furious fist and he was slumped against the ground, waiting for the kill.

Lana rushed in, dressed in the body armor she borrowed from The Shining Light Foundation, and it amplified her strength before smashing into the enemy.

"STAY AWAY FROM HIM!"

A jumping kick rattled Doomsday but he grabbed her foot and cracked it back. Lana gave a hearty scream of pain before the monster hoisted her up and hurled her down to the ground.

Lana smashed hard with a sickening thud and she felt her arms and legs go completely numb. Without her power, she was as mortal as anyone else and Doomsday prepared to ram the spike into her heart.

Clark rushed it and took the hit, the bone spike slamming into his heart instead. Doomsday felt satisfied, its target went down, crashing down to his knees, on the ground. Blood spilled from the chest of the Last Son of Krypton when Doomsday lifted his hands into the air and gave a mighty roar at the accomplishment of what he did.

Not done yet, Clark pulled himself, blurred vision, lost blood but somehow, someway, he would not let Doomsday live. With all of the remaining strength the Last Son of Krypton could muster he grabbed the Ultimate Destroyer around the head and buckled his knees before jumping up into the air as high as he could.

Doomsday was fighting but Clark jumped higher, higher, higher, the friction burning against his body when he picked up super speed and the monster lit up in his hands like a super nova. He used the momentum, perhaps flight, perhaps not, it was hard to tell. All the Son of Jor-El worked on was pure adrenaline, his blood pumped through his body when it splattered from his mouth.

Clark smashed Doomsday into the ground, pouring his strength into him, and then once again he hoisted Doomsday up before he flung him into a tower. The monster flew backwards and then the Last Son of Krypton super sped in front of him. A huge punch rattled the monster and sent him down to the ground once again, one more time.

"No, I'm not letting you hurt anyone again," Clark breathed when his shirt was nearly ripped off, splattered in a coating off both his and monster's blood.

"You will die," the monster growled when Clark hoisted him up into the ground, he tried to push him up and then slammed down to the ground.

The monster rattled with one shot when Clark summoned strength and punched him hard, before he grabbed an electrical cable and hoisted it up. He impaled it through the monster's abdomen.

A loud pop resounded when both Clark and Doomsday were overwhelmed with a lethal dose of electricity. The monster screamed in anguished fury, smoking and melting into the ground, sinking both of them deeper.

"Get away, you won't hurt them, ever again," Clark stated, the blood splattering from his mouth with each word when the cable shocked more despite his hands blackened and burned.

The molten lava hardened over Doomsday, with Clark directing his heat vision to seal him underneath the ground.

Doomsday was done and then so was Clark. His body gave way and he collapsed in a pool of his own blood in the smoking crater he created.

* * *

Lois arrived in Metropolis when the dust cleared and she took a few tentative steps forward, wondering if she missed all the excitement. The ambulance sirens echoed and she spotted Lana on the ground.

"LANA!" Lois yelled when she stepped over to see Lana on the ground.

"I'm fine, feeling's coming back, in fact, that's not the only thing that's coming back," Lana answered when she tried to push herself up but her powers did not return yet. At least she could feel her legs, even though they were in racking pain. "I'm a bit shaken up, that wouldn't be fun, even with full strength."

Raya was there and moved the debris off of the bystanders the best she could.

"I'll go see what I can find out about Clark," Lois stated and Lana was glad, she had no idea where he went and it was not like she could move anyway without the healing abilities of her powers.

Lois sped off to the side as quick as she could before she stopped and stared at the crater.

The scene was nasty and then she saw him, in the crater, barely moving, barely breathing.

"CLARK!"

Lois rushed in and went down into the carter, to see Clark up, his face covered in blood, a hole through his shirt, no a hole through the chest. The young man tried to lift his head up, shaking his head and he collapsed down into a motionless husk, blood spilling from his mouth.

"Lois," Clark murmured when he looked at her, through blurred vision that faded fast.

"What happened, what happened to Doomsday?" Lois asked when she held up Clark but he collapsed, a bloody and battered mess in her arms. "Hold it together Clark, we can get you help."

"No, Lois, I can't….I've done it, I've saved the world from the destroyer, the ultimate one, that's my destiny," Clark breathed when blood continued to spurt from his chest. Lois tried to do what she could to stop the bleeding when she cradled Clark in her arms.

He took a hell of a beating. The sun healed him but it was not fast enough.

"Damn it Clark, if you die on me, I will kill you!" Lois yelled at the top of her lungs, but he saw his face, mangled and bruised beyond all recognition.

"I'm not….I'm not….sorry Lois, whatever happens, it happens," Clark answered when his head slumped back and he coughed a little bit. He felt completely battered and wrecked.

Raya turned up before Lois but she barely had any time to register that the other woman was there.

"Clark, this isn't the end," Lois whispered when she looked at him.

"Goodbye, Lois," Clark managed when he closed his eyes and his breathing stopped.

Lois tried to hold it together, she really tried to hold it together, but her heart beat a little bit. Panic rose through her body and she felt his limp body in her arms.

"His heart still beats but it's very faint," Raya stated clinging onto that point, the only one who had super hearing. She tried to remain calm. "If….if his body is still warm, there is a chance, but I must hurry."

Raya pulled Clark's battered form gently from the arms of Lois and pulled him away, before she sped off.

The ear piece in Lois's ear came to life.

"Lois, I heard what happened, is everything alright?"

That was Chloe.

Lois was not prepared to tell her the news.

"Lois?"

"Clark….he's gone."

Chloe remained silent for a moment.

"Chloe?"

"I….it's not….it's not possible, is it?"

Chloe hid a sob even though Lois could tell what was happening. She was on the verge of having a minor breakdown herself. Despite her best efforts, she failed to protect Clark.

"Raya….Raya says there might still be a chance," Lois stammered when she looked over. "Lana's being taken to the hospital, my powers aren't back, are yours?"

"Only the meteor ones," Chloe responded but her voice was flat and dismal.

There was no more to say between the pair of them. Lois's kneeled in the crater, amidst the blood and carnage and breathed heavily.

* * *

Tess heard what happened downtown and there was a brutal batter. Doomsday was buried so far underneath the ground that he would not be coming back, at least any time soon. She felt the need to make arrangements to ensure that it stayed that way. The red haired woman walked down when she heard another humming from her study. The orb made weird noises all the time and spoke in cryptic tones but what happened was the strangest of them all.

The orb was gone.

Where was it?

"I'm sure you're confused."

A voice behind her caused Tess to tense up.

"I set the orb to open when the Traveler put down the Destroyer."

"How could you?"

"It's magic, it can do anything."

She turned around and saw a woman dressed in black, with red hair and the same green eyes that Harry Potter had. That was the last thing Tess saw before a purple light struck her in the face and knocked her unconscious.

"Just when you thought you had all of the answers, I keep changing all the questions."

Lily Evans spun around, looking outside the window, seeing the bright lights from as far of the eye could see. She smiled.

Everything was going according to her plan.

* * *

Chloe's mind was going a million miles a minute after everything that happened and what was worse, Harry, Kara, and Karen were missing in action. She sat in the main office of their temporary headquarters, peering over the city of Metropolis. There was still chaos after what happened with the battle between Clark and Doomsday. She tried to keep her wits about herself but she figured that what happened….maybe they were doomed for that to happen.

No Chloe refused to believe that, rather she decided to take decisive action. She made up her mind rather quickly about everything and bit her lip. It was time, do or die, there was no question about it. The blonde reached into the box that Harry gave her and opened it. The glint of the ring flicked in her eyes and she took a look at it, mulling over the options in her mind.

Could she change what happened?

Chloe had reservations about using the ring for something like that and Harry warned her to only use it in a case of an emergency. The blonde kept looking at the ring, thinking about everything that happened. She turned her head around and thought the situation over, clutching the ring in question in her hand. It was like fire she held and it threatened to burn her.

Should she or should she not?

That was the question really and Chloe felt butterflies beat a path in her stomach and her body shiver oh so slightly when she rocked back and forth on the heels of her feet. The blonde took a moment to look at the ring.

Suddenly she felt her body immobilized. She could only blink and talk.

"Where is the traveler?"

This voice was nasty and cruel and Chloe knew that this woman, whoever it was, meant business. She was spun around, to see a psychotic looking woman dressed in black robes, with long black hair and sinister violet eyes, staring down at her. Chloe struggled to free herself but she realized that this was some kind of magical spell. Therefore she would not be getting out of her predicament any time soon. No matter how often she struggled and her limbs twitched, she was not going to get out any time soon.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

The woman's expression was nasty and she lifted a wand, or so Chloe assumed. Harry didn't need one to use magic and neither did Kara or Karen.

"CRUCIO!"

Chloe screamed out loud when she felt the pain of a hundred burning hot knives stab into her body and she never felt anything this horrible in her life. Her limbs twitched and turned, and she thrashed in a screaming, burning, agonizing pain. The blonde's eyes flickered for the most part and her heart beat heavily against her chest. It was very agonizing to suffer something like this.

"Now, did that loosen your tongue, you filthy little Muggle?"

Chloe dropped to her knees, the sweat rolled down her face and she breathed heavily, before she turned around, her eyes flickering with pain but despite the numbness in her hands, she refused to be bullied by this person.

"Go…to….hell…"

The woman's face contorted into a nasty grin before she grabbed the ring in her hand.

"I believe this is important, I'll be taking this," the woman responded when her eyes flickered nastily. "And since, I don't need you anymore, it's time for you to go for a nice, long ride."

Chloe realized that she was going to die.

This witch banished her through the glass windows from the highest windows in Metropolis and Chloe flew backwards, glass cutting into her when she screamed. It was funny how much time slowed down when she fell.

Another figure swooped in out of nowhere and caught Chloe in her arms before she descended to the ground. Chloe's vision was blurred with her body cut up from the glass. She saw an image of a head of blonde hair and blue eyes. She couldn't tell who it was, whether or not it was Kara or Karen, before she blacked out.

The wicked witch was another matter. She left with a Legion ring in her possession.

* * *

On a distant planet far away from Earth, a stasis chamber containing a girl of about twenty three years of age opened. She had long brown hair going down her back and bright brown eyes. Her robes had her family crest on it and were a combination of red and yellow. She had an emblem on her robes that resembled the phoenix of Earth mythical origin but it was a Kryptonian legend.

Thara Ak-Var was part of a group of Kryptonians who tried to escape the planet during the civil war. They settled on a distant planet that was much like Krypton, in fact it had been colonized by Kryptonians several years ago. She stepped forward, clutching a locket in her hand. The planet known as Argo was a sanctuary that was until the main planet blew up.

Several planets suffered from the explosion of Krypton and Argo was no exception, most of the people on it died immediately, while others were sick. Thara tirelessly worked on a cure but by the time she got it done, it was much too late, everyone on her planet was dead but her. She could have got off but she put herself in suspended animation as punishment for her failures and her inability to save the people of this planet.

She knew about the orb that was sent to Earth, her parents worked with Jor-El on the experiment, as did Kara's mother. Her parents never gave their blood but Jor-El and Alura did. She felt a pang of her heart when she thought about her best friend. She was likely to die with all of Krypton, the explosion claiming her and that brought a tear to her eye when she thought about it.

She opened up the locket and saw the picture of her and Kara, in happier times, much happier times. They were so innocent back, then, so full of life.

If she woke up, that meant the orb was opened and the Kandorians were released. And that meant that they were on Earth. Thara dreaded the possibilities of what would happen should they restore their powers. She knew one thing, she had to get to Earth and warn everyone, because Zod and his army would conquer it. While the clone was not the man Zod become, he could in fact become that man.

Thara activated the portal and stepped through, hoping that her journey to Earth would be successful. She crossed her fingers and hope for the best, even though the worst was something that she would and could very well expect.

* * *

Lois Lane felt a feeling of the most mortal dread when she stepped forward and shook her head. She got back to the hospital, Lana was there and now Chloe was there. This was not one of her better days. As for Clark, well Raya said that there was a chance that she could save him, if the body was still warm. What she meant by that, well she was too much in shock to ask.

She scoffed, it was rare that she was at a loss for words, but she saw it was happening.

There was another problem, Kara, Karen, and Harry went off to try and restore their Herald powers and with each moment that her own did not return, Lois thought that Harry became unsuccessful. The woman stepped forward, wondering where they were. Did they….no she did not even want to think about it. After everything that happened.

Lois also dreaded the fact that before long she would have to call Martha Kent o break the news, the news that no mother wanted to hear about their son. With Lana out of commission, Chloe down, and Harry, Kara, and Karen all missing, the burden was left on the shoulders of Lois. She hitched in a breath, and hoped that whatever mad scheme Raya had up her sleeve would work.

She stopped and stood rigid when she saw a flash of somewhere nearby. She blinked, hardly able to believe it.

"Kara?"

She saw the hair of blonde hair, the blue eyes, and the woman turned around, to look at Lois like she was insane.

"Kara, there you are, I've been looking all over for you, Clark's…." Lois stated but the woman interrupted her.

"Kara…I don't know what or who you're talking about."

Lois bit her lip, whatever Kara tried; it gave her some form of amnesia.

"Kara, we'll get you back, find Harry and Karen, everything is going to be…."

Lois stopped, she did not want to say what everything was going to be. Saying everything was going to be alright seemed so shallow, so hallow, that she could not bear saying such a lie to herself. It slapped her in the face and that was the harsh reality of them all. The woman stared back at Kara.

"I don't know who you're talking about," the woman stated in a calm tone before she turned and sped off.

Alura In-Ze wondered who this strange woman was talking about, calling her by that name. She only knew two people in her life by that name. One was the goddess that symbolized hope and courage on Krypton. The other was her younger sister, who was killed by Black Zero.

Hearing that name brought back so many memories that she suppressed but Alura remained strong and knew that she was on Earth.

She found a way to restore her powers under the yellow sun, at least for a short spell. If Zod and his army found out that she knew, Alura would be in danger.

It was time for her to disappear. She snuck Lara's DNA into the orb, unknowing to Jor-El, but she had to find him before Zod did.

Lois frowned when she looked at the woman's dust, if that wasn't Kara that sure as hell looked like her twin.

* * *

"We have found Death guilty for her actions and have sentenced her to eternal torment. A replacement will be named shortly but the higher ups have decreed that several of Death's actions will be repealed."

"First, Harry Potter, Kara Zor-El of Earth One, Kara Zor-El of Earth Two, Chloe Sullivan, Lana Lang, Lois Lane, and Raya will be having their full powers restored, along with amplifications as an apology for the inconvenience the previous Death's actions have caused."

There was humming.

"Second, Death has ordered several deaths over the past several years out of spiteful means. Many of them will be reversed and these individuals will be restored back on Earth. They are as follows."

There was a humming pause.

"Dolores Umbridge of Earth One….will not be considered for resurrection and we feel that Death was too soft on her eternal torment. Therefore her eternal torment will be increased."

The list was read off for real.

"Hermione Granger of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."

"Nymphadora Tonks of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."

"Luna Lovegood of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."

"Sirius Black of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."

"Bellatrix Lestrange of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."

"Regulus Black of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."

"Daphne Greengrass of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."

"Astoria Greengrass of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."

"Alicia Baker of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."

"Narcissa Malfoy of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."

"Andromeda Tonks of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."

"Dobby the House Elf of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."

"Rose Evans alias Rosalina Sinclair will be given a second chance at life."

"Severus Snape of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."

"Clara Jor-El of Krypton will be given a second chance at life."

"Alexandra of Earth One will be given life."

"Alison of Earth One will be given life."

* * *

At least the ringing in his head ceased to happen, that was always a good sign as far as Harry was concerned. What was less of a good sign was the fact that no matter what, he could not figure out what happened. At least his memories were there, he remembered that he was married to several beautiful women, he was a wizard, his name was Harry Potter, there was something about Doomsday, and oh yes, he touched a mystical artifact in a desperate gambit to restore his powers that Death unfairly stripped him of and ended up here.

Things could have gone better all things considered but on the other hand, things could have gone worse. Harry found himself face down on a tropical island and rolled over. He felt an experience that was foreign to him, at least since he received his Herald of Death abilities. A stabbing pain filled his body, the aches and groans, not to mention the moans rocked his body when he tried to sit up.

The key word was try, for he could not.

'_Kara, Karen,' _Harry thought to them, trying to pick them up on the mental link they shared.

They weren't there, he could have sworn that they were standing next to him. He pushed himself to his feet but then collapsed. The beating he took when he touched the artifact made him feel like his body was rearranged inside out and every which way, he could not even begin to describe what he felt. He tried to pull himself up and then he collapsed once again, his shoulder and legs killing him.

Footsteps could be heard.

Were they the friendly kind of footsteps? Or Death coming to gloat before she dragged him onto the afterlife, branding him as yet another failure?

Harry opened his eyes and saw her standing over him, with a surprised expression on her face. She was a young woman, of about twenty one, maybe twenty two years of age. She had dark hair that went down her back and blue eyes. She was quite tall as well. She wore a white shirt that wrapped around her bust tightly and blue jeans that fit snugly around her shapely hips. He could tell despite his situation that she was beautiful. A pair of silver bracelets and a choker was around her neck.

"You're….you're hurt."

Harry hated to admit this but she was right.

"Yeah, I don't know how I got here or where here is," Harry responded.

"Diana, mother told you to come back here and not to wander off like that."

"In a minute, Donna, someone washed up on the island, he's hurt," Diana responded when she looked over her shoulder. "Um, my name is Diana, and you're….on Themsyscira, or Paradise Island as it's better known. It's the home of the Amazons. We need to get him some help."

Donna, who Harry assumed as Diana's sister, popped up, she had black hair and looked like her miniature, maybe about five or so years younger.

"Hello," Donna stated, eying Harry appraisingly. She had heard of men but this was the first one she saw up close. And not a bad first one if she might say so herself.

"Donna, help me get him to the medical wing, he needs help, and tell mother of the circumstances."

Donna nodded, as it appeared that he lost a lot of blood and could barely move.

Diana hoped that she would not catch hell from her mother for this but given the circumstances, she supposed that it could not be helped. The two sisters helped Harry back onto the island.

Harry would need to recover before he could find Kara and Karen, or maybe they would find him first. It was not like he was going to be in any condition to do anything for a little bit yet.

Then his powers returned. But he was still feeling the burn from what happened. There was something different about his powers but he could not place it.

**To Be Continued in Herald of Death Book Two, Coming in July. **


	62. The Sequel is Up

_So the sequel is up so go rejoice. To make this less of a spamming post, I've included an entry from the confidential diary(although he would call it a journal) of Major Dru-Zod of the Kandorian Army. _

**Entry September 10****th**** 2009**

**The Following Entry is the Private Thoughts of Major Zod and Shall Not Be Read Without Permission. **

Today was a productive day, for I managed to institute a new exercise and diet regime for the Kandorian army. Humans are barbarians with what they put in their Earth fast food, therefore I have here by banned it for consumption. Why do you humans think it is acceptable to eat foods fried and saturated in grease?

I watched the noble earth combat sport known as professional wrestling. It is quite an interesting endeavor, although one of the performers saying that I cannot see him whilst I can clearly see him defies all conventional logic. And if that idiot of a commentator prattles about something being vintage once again, I shall drag him before myself and remove thy head from his body.

I have found a reason why Earth must be taken over for its own good. Reality Television is a blight upon the nation, especially these Kardashians. Why must you lower yourself with such meager entertainment? It sickens me this Reality Television was spawn from the dregs of humanity.

I heard the members of my army dare speak as if I was not a noble leader. They dared said that Jor-El was of a greater mind them me. I made them suffer. Then they kneeled before Zod.

I have discovered an Earth invention known as Facebook. I may use this social media to trap the humans and bring forth my plans for conquest.

This is all I have time to chronicle today, not that this is meant for anyone but my own eyes.

Until next time, KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!


End file.
